# 03 The Sugar Seeker

First, let’s clear up a very modern misconception. The ‘lone gunman’ theory that puts treacherous sugar at the centre of everything that’s wrong with our diets is a fallacy. So far, the evidence that it’s worse for our waistlines than other fast-acting carbohydrates (such as white bread) is, in fact, flimsy.

If you overdo it on a daily basis, however, it can quickly become a problem. In the absence of fibre, carbs flood your blood with glucose, and your brain with reward chemicals – creating an itch that’s increasingly hard to scratch. It’s a phenomenon that Martin, Carmichael and others are trying to map at Pennington, feeding subjects sugary drinks or sweets and then comparing their FMRIS when they look at images of foods afterwards.

The prescription

Reading food labels, while sensible, is only effective if you know what you’re looking for. Generally, anything ending in ‘-ose’ (glucose, sucrose, maltose) is an added sugar, and, unfortunately, you’re as likely to find these in pre-dressed salads and breakfast oats as you are in ‘treat’ foods.

Remember, too, that ingredients don’t exist in isolation. Fibre, proteins and fats will slow the release of glucose or other sugars, reducing the crash that leads to further devilish cravings. Tempering this by adding some healthy fats and proteins to your next plate of pasta will, therefore, have a greater effect than making a big show of turning down a square of chocolate.

Finally, it’s worth considering that inadequate sleep may play a part in your supposed sweet tooth. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that those who undersleep by 50-90 minutes (that’s most of us, then) eat 12g more sugar per day.