Sugar: What Kinds to Eat and When

By Joseph Wuebben and Mike Carlson

It's been two years since Russ started to get his diet in shape. Slowly but surely he cut out the late-night pizzas, the morning doughnuts and the evening drive-thru. It wasn't easy, but the weight came flying off. To a point. Then, no matter how miserly he became toward fat grams, he still couldn't get that lean, chiseled look. As he cracked his third Mountain Dew of the day-congratulating himself because it's fat-free-he began to think that he would never get the six-pack of his dreams.

Unless you've got a Ph.D. in biochemistry, you're probably exhausted from the endless debate surrounding sugar. And if your info has come largely from television, you're hopelessly confused. Treading that fine white line demands some balance. If you eat too little, you don't have the energy to work out; too much, and you get fat. It's really a simple matter of figuring out what kinds of sugar to eat and when, in order to lose weight, build muscle and protect your health.

The Science of Sweet

Okay, kids, sit down and listen closely. All sugars are carbohydrates, known as "simple" carbs, since they're composed of just one sugar molecule. The label on a can of Pepsi reads 41 grams of carbs and 41 grams of sugar. This means that every single carbohydrate comes from sugar. The label on a package of plain oatmeal will read 18 grams of carbs and only one gram of sugar. Almost all of the carbs in oatmeal are made up of long chains of sugar molecules called "complex" carbs. Oatmeal, along with sweet potatoes, wheat breads, rice and corn, is a complex carb, also known as a starch.

In this age of convenience foods, the terms complex and simple are a bit outdated. For the purpose of losing fat and building muscle, it's smarter to look at carbs as either "unrefined" or "processed." The former refers to whole foods that contain sugar, such as fruits, vegetables, juices, grains and legumes, and that still hold their natural water, fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. Processed foods include white bread, soda, candy, crackers, cookies and just about any commercial product labeled "fat-free." These have been stripped of their wholesome attributes and are dense with nothing but empty calories. For instance, one gram of a cracker will contain four calories, but one gram of an orange contains about 0.2 calories, because the bulk of its weight is water and fiber.

The Glycemic Index

The glycemic index rates how quickly certain foods turn into glucose (a form of sugar) in the bloodstream, and is a valuable tool when trying to control sugar intake and limit its effect on you. While high-glycemic-index foods can cause a rapid jump in blood sugar, followed by a massive crash, low-glycemic-index foods increase blood sugar slowly, providing constant and stable energy levels over a considerable period of time. Several factors contribute to a low rating, such as the presence of protein, fiber and fat. Pure processed sugars garner the highest scores, with the most highly processed foods topping the list. For instance, out of a possible 100, instant rice earns a 90 while fibrous, vitamin-rich brown rice gets a 55.

Recent studies by the Harvard School of Public Health show that diets loaded with high-GI foods lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and obesity. In fact, the World Health Organization is spearheading a movement to include GI ratings on food labels, and several products in Australia already bear the grade. For an extensive rundown of the glycemic index, go to www.mensfitness.com/glycemic.