I notice a lot of the fat free foods have a lot of added sugar in it. I know sugar is bad, but what does it do to you? I hear people taking about spikes in their blood sugar (I think that is what they say), what happens?

Then the whole thing with high and low glycemic foods. Like why do people say to stay away from white potatoes?

Just wondering, thanks:)

Sugar isn't bad, in reasonable quantities. Most people get most of their calories from sugars. It provides a ready source of energy for the body, so it's very useful. A balanced diet needs sugars and fiber (carbohydrates), protein, and fat.

Blood sugar is correlated to sugar (simple carbohydrate) intake, so if you eat a lot of sugar, it's reflected in the amount of sugar carried in the blood. The idea is to keep this number lower and not wildly fluctuating. Low glycemic foods are foods with sugars but that don't cause wild fluctuation of blood sugar. White potatoes (and other higher glycemic foods) do cause those spikes.

People who do low-carb diets are much more concerned with sugars (simple carbohydrates) and try to eliminate them or drastically reduce them. They do this so that the body doesn't burn carbohydrates for fuel, but is forced to convert body fat into fuel. The body does this anyway, but by reducing the availability of sugar to the body, it's supposed to be more effective.

Diabetics and others who have to watch their blood sugar have to avoid blood sugar spikes. Everyone else probably benefits too because it can cause lethargy and lead to elevated blood sugar and diabetes risk eventually.

Personally, I tried a strict low-carb diet for over a year, and found that it was not as effective as many others found it to be. I think low-calorie works better for me, and I watch my fat intake. I tend to get most of my calories from carbohydrates (the vast majority of which are vegetables and fruits).

Take care, N.

This is an article I recently read and i must say I agree with it ..I also do not think that fat free things are all that good for one either...I thin k we hae to learn to eat healthier by this I mean fruits etc. instead of cake, cookies ,etc.. things loaded in sugar

10 Ways Sugar Harms Your Health
By Lynn Prowitt-Smith
Special for eDiets


How could something so sweet leave such a bitter mark on your health? Learn why you should shun sugar and make more nutritious food choices.

1. Sugar causes blood glucose to spike and plummet.
Unstable blood sugar often leads to mood swings, fatigue, headaches and cravings for more sugar. Cravings set the stage for a cycle of addiction in which every new hit of sugar makes you feel better temporarily but, a few hours later, results in more cravings and hunger.


On the flip side, those who avoid sugar often report having little or no cravings for sugary things and feeling emotionally balanced and energized.

2. Sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Large-scale studies have shown that the more high-glycemic foods (those that quickly affect blood sugar), including foods containing sugar, a person consumes, the higher his risk for becoming obese and for developing diabetes and heart disease. Emerging research is also suggesting connections between high-glycemic diets and many different forms of cancer.

3. Sugar interferes with immune function.
Research on human subjects is scant, but animal studies have shown that sugar suppresses immune response. More research is needed to understand the exact mechanisms; however, we do know that bacteria and yeast feed on sugar and that, when these organisms get out of balance in the body, infections and illness are more likely.

4. A high-sugar diet often results in chromium deficiency.
It’s sort of a catch-22. If you consume a lot of sugar and other refined carbohydrates, you probably don’t get enough of the trace mineral chromium, and one of chromium’s main functions is to help regulate blood sugar. Scientists estimate that 90 percent of Americans don’t get enough chromium. Chromium is found in a variety of animal foods, seafood and plant foods. Refining starches and other carbohydrates rob these foods of their chromium supplies.

5. Sugar accelerates aging.
It even contributes to that telltale sign of aging: sagging skin. Some of the sugar you consume, after hitting your bloodstream, ends up attaching itself to proteins, in a process called glycation. These new molecular structures contribute to the loss of elasticity found in aging body tissues, from your skin to your organs and arteries. The more sugar circulating in your blood, the faster this damage takes hold.

6. Sugar causes tooth decay.
With all the other life-threatening effects of sugar, we sometimes forget the most basic damage it does. When it sits on your teeth, it creates decay more efficiently than any other food substance. For a strong visual reminder, next time the Tooth Fairy visits, try the old tooth-in-a-glass-of-Coke experiment -- the results will surely convince you that sugar isn’t good for your pearly whites.

7. Sugar can cause gum disease, which can lead to heart disease.
Increasing evidence shows that chronic infections, such as those that result from periodontal problems, play a role in the development of coronary artery disease. The most popular theory is that the connection is related to widespread effects from the body’s inflammatory response to infection.

8. Sugar affects behavior and cognition in children.
Though it has been confirmed by millions of parents, most researchers have not been able to show the effect of sugar on children’s behavior. A possible problem with the research is that most of it compared the effects of a sugar-sweetened drink to one containing an artificial sweetener. It may be that kids react to both real sugar and sugar substitutes, therefore showing no differences in behavior.

What about kids’ ability to learn? Between 1979 and 1983, 803 New York City public schools reduced the amount of sucrose (table sugar) and eliminated artificial colors, flavors and two preservatives from school lunches and breakfasts. The diet policy changes were followed by a 15.7-percent increase in a national academic ranking (previously, the greatest improvement ever seen had been 1.7 percent).


9. Sugar increases stress.
When we’re under stress, our stress hormone levels rise; these chemicals are the body’s fight-or-flight emergency crew, sent out to prepare the body for an attack or an escape. These chemicals are also called into action when blood sugar is low. For example, after a blood-sugar spike (say, from eating a piece of birthday cake), there’s a compensatory dive, which causes the body to release stress hormones such as adrenaline, epinephrine and cortisol. One of the main things these hormones do is raise blood sugar, providing the body with a quick energy boost. The problem is, these helpful hormones can make us feel anxious, irritable and shaky.

10. Sugar takes the place of important nutrients.
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, people who consume the most sugar have the lowest intakes of essential nutrients -- especially vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, vitamin B-12, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and iron. Ironically, those who consume the most sugar are children and teenagers, the individuals who need these nutrients most.

Slashing Sugar
Now that you know the negative impacts refined sugar can have on your body and mind, you’ll want to be more careful about the foods you choose. And the first step is getting educated about where sugar lurks -- believe it or not, a food needn’t even taste all that sweet for it to be loaded with sugar.

WOW, Thanks Nausicaa and Lulu great information, exactly what I was looking for. It will help me out soooo much. (learning a little bit more every day as I go through this weight loss journey)

Thanks