We have all heard the saying, “a calorie is a calorie”.  But, the latest science is calling this thinking into question.

Take almonds. In 2012 it was discovered that a one-ounce serving of almonds (about 23 nuts) has 129 calories as opposed to 160 that’s currently listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel. Interestingly, it has nothing to do with the composition of the almond—rather, how well we chew the nut and how the energy is used by our gut bacteria determines it’s caloric value.

Same concept applies to sugar.  It is true that one teaspoon of sugar equals 14 calories. And the more sugar a person eats, the more likely they are to exceed their bodies nutritional demands and gain weight.

How the body uses sucrose, is the bigger problem.

Sucrose – it’s worse than just an empty calorie.

Sucrose isn’t just about calories injested. Since fructose is a by product of sucrose utilization, the more sucrose consumed translates to the more fructose on board. Excessive fructose is metabolized in the liver and converted to fat. Excessive fructose intake wreaks havoc on health – leading to fatty liver disease, inflammation, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

How much added sugar is in that food?
Reading food labels to determine how much added sugar is in foods can be tricky.

In sugary beverages like soda and sport drinks, it is straight forward, since the only calorie source comes from added sugar or HFCS. In the label below, for 1 serving of soda, there are 39 gms of added sugar. Each teaspoon of sucrose is 4gms.
Take total grams of sugar 39gms /4 =  to get total teaspoons of sugar per serving.  There are ~ 10 teaspoons of sugar in 12 ounces of Coca Cola.

Fast Fact: 1 teaspoon of sucrose (table sugar) = 4gms.
1 teaspoon of sugar has 16 calories.

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Here is the tricky part. Let’s look at this container of Chobani Yogurt.

For one serving, the label states there are 16 gms of sugar. Does that mean there are 4 teaspoons of added sugar in this yogurt?
Not necessarily.

Some of the sugar is from milk sugar (lactose) in the yogurt that is included in this sugar count.

The difficulty of figuring out how much sugar is from added sugar and how much is from other carbs already in the food product is particularly mystifying.
Especially for mixed foods that contain both carbs and added sucrose like granola bars, cereals, jams and more.

In truth, this yogurt only has 3 teaspoons of sugar (12 gms), not the full 16 gms.

Until the New FDA Food Label that will list ADDED SUGAR is released in 2018, we have to be our own “added sugar” detectives.

The good news is that we have help with this FREE app from Fooducate. The Fooducate Sugar Rush App allows you to see how much sugar has been added to foods!
Just scan the barcode of any product and instantly see a breakdown of naturally occurring and added sugars.

How are you going to spend your 6 Teaspoons Today?

I love this campaign, because the goal is not to eliminate sugar, just to eat less. This 6 teaspoon a day recommendation is for all people, with or without diabetes. We have the opportunity to improve the health of our people, starting today.

Think of added sugar more as a special treat or a condiment to be used sparingly and enjoyed.

As for me and Anne, we are going to spend our 6 teaspoons of sugar on a yogurt (3), a few chocolate covered almonds and a little ice cream. What are you going to spend your teaspoons on?

Test your knowledge with our Special Sugar Questions of the Week and thanks for considering the Joy of Six.

“Providing babies with a specific probiotic along with some carbs to feed the microbes — reduced risk of death and sepsis by 40 percent. Wow!” – Coach Beverly 

Find out more by checking out the NPR article below: 

Probiotic Bacteria Could Protect Newborns From Deadly Infection

Check out our Plant Based Eating Resource Page

“The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist recommends plant based diet for people with diabetes, yet many people and educators are unsure how to get started.” – Coach Beverly

Check out our resource page full of ideas, recipes and more!

“Short sleep increases risk for type 2 diabetes progression in adults with prediabetes”

Have prediabetes? Get some sleep! Getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night significantly decreases risk of advancing from prediabetes to diabetes.

To learn more, click here to view the article from Endocrine Today. 

 

 

Another strike against artificial sweeteners. Canadian researchers evaluated 36 studies and concluded, “there is no consistent proof that the sweeteners help reduce weight and we found at least some evidence that they do the opposite.”

Want to learn more? Check out this article by Consumer Reports “Low-Calorie Sweeteners May Contribute to Weight Gain”

Congrats to Hayley Mayo, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES

“After previously taking the exam and missing it by 2 points, I took some time off before getting back into studying. In spring of 2017, I found out about Diabetes Education Services and the “CDCES Coach” app through a coworker.  

Reluctantly, I checked it out and signed up for the level 1 and 2 Boot Camp series.  This was just what I needed to rebuild my motivation, confidence, and knowledge in all aspects of CDCES prep.  
The live and recorded webinars and practice tests were all there to use on my own time, as life allowed.  With two toddlers at home and a baby the way, (and a fulltime job), this speaks volumes.  
Whether you listen to a webinar on the computer at lunch, on the Ipad after the kids are in bed, or flip through tables in the app or screenshots of areas you struggle with during your walk on the treadmill, this program is beyond helpful.  I even printed and laminated the *free* medication cards and carried them with me everywhere.  
There is no doubt that Beverly’s coaching and the entire Diabetes Education Services program played a role in helping me pass the exam this time around!”

Hayley Mayo, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES

See what our program graduates are saying. Visit our CDCES^®Success Page and get ready to be inspired!

This article is a result of post-vacation curiosity that I couldn’t shake.

After 10 days of walking and eating my way through Venice, Florence and Rome, I began to wonder, “How do Italians succeed at keeping at such a healthy weight compared to Americans?”  

As a health care professional, I had some general guesses, but no science to back it up.

To solve the mystery, I consulted with Italians, did some Internet research and came up with some stats.  None of this gathered information has completely answered my question, but it did succeed at providing more “food for thought”. 

My guesses of how Italians keep lean:

• They walk and ride bikes to get places
• They drink more water (ancient water fountains)
• There are very few fast food chains
• People aren’t eating and walking at the same time
• Coffee is not infused with fancy sugary flavoring
• Less processed food and more fresh food choices
• A lot less sauces, gravies and dressings
• Meals enjoyed over time – more social connections

How do America and Italy compare on key indicators?

Activity level – according to data published in Nature and captured from smart phone data, Italians walk 522 steps more a day than Americans. This extra 522 steps a day translates to over 3,600 steps a week. In short, Italians walk 95 miles more a YEAR than Americans.

I am pictured here in Piazza San Marco in Venice during a rain shower. In Venice, walking is the primary form of transport, given that no cars are allowed on the roads, making it fantastically quiet and pedestrian friendly.

After dinner stroll “Passeggiata”

I asked a colleague of mine from Italy what she thought is the secret to Italians lower BMI.  She said, “I think it is because walking is ingrained in societal patterns; Italians walk daily as part of their routine. Even going for a “passeggiata” (an evening stroll) is a common experience. It is not a hard walk by any means – more of a see and be seen – but it gets families or couples or friends out in the evening.”

A recent study in Diabetologia exalts the benefits of the after dinner time stroll. It seems that a short walk after meals is better for blood sugar than walks at other times of the day. Research indicates that short 10 – 15 minute post dinner walk is VERY effective at lowering post meal blood glucose, especially after higher carbohydrate meals. Which is great news for people with prediabetes and diabetes.

However, the research didn’t look at changes in body weight, so I have no data to report on the impact passeggiata on BMI, yet.

Keeping Healthy at Work

Similar to many professionals, the majority of our work here at Diabetes Education Services, is done sitting down at a desk. Anne and I decided to take action to keep healthy and stay energized. We wanted to share some of our activities with you and hear how you like to keep healthy in your workplace.

1. We compete for miles.  We both have FitBits so we track our daily steps. Plus, we share a LifeSpan Treadmill Desk, which helps us work and walk at the same time. Each of us take 2 hour turns walking and working at a clip of 2.5 miles per hour. We also walk while talking on the phone.

Anne Carter, Director of Operations on the left, me on the right on the Treadmill Desk.

2. We drink gallons of spa water. We doctor it up by adding mint, lemons, berries, watermelon and whatever else is in season. It’s a fun and refreshing way to keep hydrated through out the day.

3. We lift weights at 2pm. We noticed we were getting sluggish in the afternoon and our creativity slumps. To beat this brain drain, we do strengthening exercises with four pound weights and upbeat music. At first, we were slow to fully commit, but now, it’s just a part of our daily routine.

4. We are committed to sleep.
With our FitBits, we track our nightly sleep hours, including deep sleep, time awake, REM and light sleep. Sleep decreases stress hormones, promotes creativity and gives us stamina. We can sometimes be heard bragging about getting 8 plus hours of sleep and the benefits of a great pillow!

5. We share healthy snacks. We decided to skip baked goods and junk food in the office (except the occasional black licorice and chocolate covered almond). Instead, we munch on fresh fruit, nuts, goat cheese medallions and kombucha with chia seeds.

6. Most importantly, we cheer each other on! When we get a good night’s sleep, walk a little extra or complete a difficult project, we compliment each other on a job well done. If one of us doesn’t feel like lifting those weights, the other one just starts and pretty soon, we are back on track.