Since childhood, vigilant mothers and grandmothers have taught us: you shouldn’t eat too much sweets - sweets spoil your teeth, your figure, and in general it’s harmful! Undoubtedly, there is truth in these words. But it turns out that avoiding sweets completely is not very good for your health either. It’s probably still worth figuring out why the sweets on your table are useful.
It is impossible not to admit that our grandmothers and mothers are right: an excess of chocolate, cookies and sweets on the menu significantly reduces the reserves of vitamin B1 in your body. And this is fraught with increased fatigue and muscle weakness. In addition, uncontrolled consumption of sweets reduces magnesium reserves, which leads to irritability, depression, and aggressiveness. And you, of course, know that excess sugar in the body is insidiously converted into fat, which tends to accumulate under the skin and can cause a lot of grief. But the figure is not so bad. Excess fat in human body- the main cause of lipid metabolism disorders and, as a consequence, the occurrence of very unpleasant diseases (atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease). And of course, unbridled eating of sweets destabilizes metabolism, creates additional stress on the liver and contributes to the occurrence of allergic reactions.
You are from the tribe of sweet tooths, but after reading this you have firmly decided to lead correct image life? Then keep in mind that chocolate and candy are somewhat similar to drugs: when sharp decline the amount of sweets eaten, a person experiences abstinence syndrome, in other words, narcotic “withdrawal”: dizziness appears, attention is lost. Therefore, you need to gradually bring your daily sweet diet back to normal.
Just don’t swear to yourself that now, having learned in detail about all these horrors, you won’t be able to get close to the counters with a variety of candies and chocolate! We do not claim that in the name of maintaining health it is necessary to completely give up sweets. On the contrary, brain cells feed exclusively on glucose and are very sensitive to a decrease in its content in the blood. In addition, carbohydrates contained in sweets are involved in the construction of many important substances in our body and are therefore important for your health. Let's try to figure out how to find a middle ground, determine which sweets and in which cases will bring the greatest benefit to your health.
Chocolate as a bitter hot drink made from cocoa beans with a lot of spices has been known since the times of the Aztecs. After the discovery of America, Columbus, among other wonders of the New World, brought cocoa beans to Europe. The first chocolate bar in the form in which you buy (and love!) it now was released only in 1847.
Real chocolate is rich in magnesium, iron, antioxidants, stimulates the production of endorphins - “hormones of happiness”, and the best remedy for depression has not yet been invented. Chocolate contains tonin, which slows down the growth of oral bacteria, zinc, which strengthens the immune system, stearic acid, which lowers blood cholesterol, and valeric acid, which has a calming effect. Phenylethylamine, found in chocolate, provides energy by increasing levels of the hormone serotonin, and antioxidants are a cancer preventative. Chocolate contains twice as many antioxidants as red wine and three times more than green tea!
A fifty-gram chocolate bar contains the same amount of antioxidants as 28 glasses of white wine, 17 glasses of orange juice or 2 glasses of red wine.
Dark chocolate is especially useful: 100 g of this delicacy per day improves the functioning of blood vessels and protects the body from the destructive effects of free radicals. Scientists have found that two hours after a person eats a little dark chocolate, blood circulation through the vessels improves and the likelihood of blood clots decreases. Milk chocolate contains a large number of calcium and manganese, which help maintain strong bones and healthy teeth, as well as magnesium, which is beneficial for the nervous system. And thanks to the high content of protein, calcium and phosphate, milk chocolate has a beneficial effect on tooth enamel.
By the way, American nutritionists and gynecologists who studied more than three hundred pregnant women found that drinking dark chocolate during pregnancy has a positive effect on both the course of pregnancy and its tolerance. Chocolate is an excellent protection against various stressful situations. Moreover, scientists noted that babies born to chocolate lovers were more active, more positive and less fearful than their peers. However, it must be remembered that chocolate is a strong allergen, and therefore, at the moment, scientists are faced with the task of calculating the optimal dose of chocolate that will not harm the body of expectant mothers and their children. And if you are not yet thinking about becoming a mother, and this fact has left you indifferent, remember that chocolate is a strong aphrodisiac that has a beneficial effect on the libido of both women and men.
Dried fruits are rightfully considered the safest and healthiest sweets. And therefore they are a real consolation for those with a sweet tooth. They contain many microelements, biologically active substances, vitamins and pectins that cleanse the intestines. And besides, to our delight, they contain almost half as many calories as sugar. And instead of sugar, dried fruits contain fructose, which, due to the properties chemical structure does not allow the intestines to absorb large amounts of sugar and cholesterol and, unlike regular sweets, does not increase insulin levels in the blood.
It is clear that dried fruits are an absolutely natural product that does not contain dyes, stabilizers, emulsifiers and other things. In addition, dried fruits contain a large amount of calcium, which helps strengthen hair and nails, magnesium, which stabilizes blood pressure, potassium, which improves the functioning of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, as well as sodium and iron, which maintain hemoglobin levels in the blood. And of course, fiber and pectin, which normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. However, this information should not obscure the fact that dried fruits are a concentrated version of fresh fruits, and therefore excessive consumption can lead to flatulence and diarrhea. Nutritionists believe that usually during the day it is enough for an adult to eat 4-5 dried apricots or prunes, 2-3 dried figs or a handful of raisins. By the way, you, of course, know that muesli, which contains a large number of different dried fruits, is called “beauty breakfast”? If you eat them regularly, you don’t have to worry about your digestion and nervous system. Muesli also lowers blood cholesterol levels and contains calcium, iron, phosphorus and potassium.
Marmalade is made from molasses, pectin and gelatin. Experts say that gelatin, which is part of marmalade, is good for muscles, skin, hair and blood vessels. Pectin helps remove waste and toxins, cleanses the intestines, and reduces cholesterol levels in the blood. In addition, marmalade and jellies are enriched with fruit juices, do not contain fat and are low in calories. And marshmallows and marshmallows are good for muscles, increase immunity and have a positive effect on hair, nails and blood vessels. By the way, remember that marshmallows and marshmallows will bring you more benefit if you eat them from 16 to 18 hours: it is at this time that the glucose level in your blood drops. And even ice cream, criticized by many nutritionists, in addition to a large number of calories, contains more than thirty different mineral salts needed by the body, twenty vitamins, enzymes and amino acids. And of course, with bad mood There is nothing better than a serving of your favorite ice cream covered in delicious and healthy chocolate glaze.
Another healthy but high-calorie option is halva. Yes, there are more calories in halva than in all other sweets; It also contains a large amount of vegetable oils, protein, fiber and minerals. You know that halva has a rejuvenating effect, contains proteins, sodium, iron, magnesium and copper, and also improves digestion and, like most sweets, has a beneficial effect on the nervous system? And if a young man at the cinema offers you sweet popcorn, don’t rush to make a disgusted face: the large amount of coarse fiber contained in this product helps cleanse the intestines.
In a word, if sweets are made from natural products, then if consumed wisely they will bring undoubted health benefits, since they are a natural stimulant of vital activity. Just don’t forget to brush your teeth after you eat a delicious and very healthy, as we already understood, chocolate bar - caries, alas, has not been canceled.
If at the cinema a young man offers you sweet popcorn, do not rush to frown with disgust.
There are people in this world who cannot imagine their life without sweets. For them, a meal is incomplete if it does not end with a cup of tea or coffee with chocolate or cake. And a good day (just like a bad one) is unimaginable without a piece of cake or cookies.
The author of these lines also considers himself a sweet tooth and understands well: no matter how much nutritionists trumpet about the lack of useful substances in sweets and purely psychological dependence from the sweet “drug”, people with a sweet tooth still existed, are and... will continue to eat.
So let’s, dear sweet tooths, let’s talk not about the stuck-in-the-teeth dietetic routine like “How to completely give up sweets in 2 weeks?”, but about more real things. And let’s debunk myths that have persisted for years. For example, is it really possible to eliminate sugar from the diet altogether? What is the best way to replace the most dangerous sweets for your figure? How to eat sweets without harming your health?
However, for our brain full-fledged work Glucose is vitally needed, which is easiest to get by drinking that very cup of tea with sugar, after which a short-term boost of energy will appear (it’s not for nothing that sweet tea is given even to donors who are temporarily exhausted after donating blood).
But it is worth recalling that glucose and refined sugar are not always identical. Glucose (plus useful microelements) can be obtained from honey, fruits, and dried fruits. But excess pure sugar with empty calories is still harmful - it slows down metabolism (hello, overweight!), worsens digestion, slowing down the production of gastric juice (that’s where the heaviness in the stomach comes from after eating cakes) and can provoke allergies and skin rashes with inflammation.
Sweets have a high glycemic index, which means they raise blood sugar levels extremely quickly. To reduce it, the pancreas is forced to release insulin into the blood. The arithmetic is simple: more glucose - more insulin - more fat is synthesized in the body. All this, together with age and a slower metabolism, can lead not only to excess weight, but also actual obesity, diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Of course, this is not a mandatory forecast, but with age it is still better to moderate your ardor at the sight of chocolate and baked goods.
The roots of this “impossibility of living” lie in the perception of sweets not as food, but as an antidepressant or sedative. Sometimes this painful dependence is instilled in a person from childhood by parents, who find it easier to give crying child candy, than take a break from your affairs and calmly figure out the reasons for his hysteria.
This is how sweets gradually become products from the “anti-stress” category for people. Did your boss reprimand you at work? I'll go and console myself with some coffee and cake. Broke up with your loved one? Borrow a box of chocolates. Sitting with friends in a cafe? Well, why not have dessert for tea!
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But it's not just about psychological dependence. There are quite physical signs. After sweets enter the body, the abundance of simple carbohydrates provokes a jump in blood sugar - and we feel a charge of energy and vigor, and therefore good mood. But after a couple of hours, the blood sugar level drops much below the level at which it was before eating. That is, there is a feeling of hunger, lethargy and a state of weakness. You immediately want to return to the previous state of pleasure - and your hand reaches out for another handful of cookies.
Reminds me of the behavior of an avid drug addict or alcoholic, doesn’t it? Therefore, it is believed that the concept of food addiction is almost the same as any other addiction. It turns out to be a vicious circle that you just need to decide to break at least once, because such a swing is a risk for the body.
Firstly, if you consume chocolate bars every day, that all of it useful qualities are mitigated by the threat of dysbiosis (disturbances in the normal microflora of the intestines and vagina) and even decreased immunity.
Secondly, only dark dark chocolate with a cocoa bean content of at least 75% is considered healthy. Dark chocolate rich in magnesium, zinc, potassium and selenium. It helps keep blood vessels toned and is a powerful antioxidant due to the presence of flavonoids (just like dry red wine).
However, remember the aphorism written above as often as possible: any product is considered a medicine only in moderate doses. So if chocolate is your everything, buy a bar of dark chocolate and stretch it out over a week, savoring a piece at every tea party. And pleasure, and benefit, and no harm to the figure!
This is all due to the false feeling of instant but short-lived satiety from fatty sweets. However, the combination of sweet and fatty is real dynamite, which you personally add to your metabolism.
Low-fat sweets include jam, marmalade, jelly, marshmallows, and marshmallows. Good advice– use dried fruits, fresh fruits and berries instead of sweets. But in such sweets as marshmallows, marmalade and marshmallows, there is a useful substance pectin (fiber, which is also in large quantities found in apples), which cleans blood vessels, reduces cholesterol levels in the blood and restores the gastric mucosa. Also, in the production of many sweets with a jelly-like consistency, agar-agar (a gelling substance from brown algae), which is also considered fiber.
So that’s right, healthy sweets do exist.
However, if you think that it is enough not to buy factory-made sweets and baked goods - and this way you will completely rid your body of sugar, we hasten to disappoint you.
Any 2 fruits a day are already half the daily glucose requirement. And if you also consume up to 3 teaspoons of honey per day, replacing sugar with tea with it (or consume more than 2 fruits), then your body will receive exactly the same daily norm, which was mentioned above.
If you are on a diet, but do not want to limit yourself to only honey and fruits, then you can calculate the safe daily allowance based on the following arithmetic: one teaspoon of honey is equivalent to a teaspoon of refined sugar, a 5-gram slice of dark chocolate or one marshmallow.
If you start the day with a breakfast consisting of sweets, you can give your newly awakened pancreas such an explosion in blood sugar levels, which can only be compared to a tsunami that demolishes a dam. In the morning, the body is still sleeping, and you need to wake it up gently - with a more balanced breakfast.
A best time in order to drink tea with sweets - this is (believe it or not!) the period from 16.00 to 18.00. Scientists have proven that it is during this time period that the blood glucose level drops to its lowest level - it is not harmful to raise it a little. So the British, with their centuries-old tradition of evening tea “5 o’clock”, intuitively turned out to be right.
This could be constipation due to a violation of the intestinal microflora (dysbiosis), skin problems (oily shine, acne and inflammation), thrush due to a violation of the vaginal microflora, caries and other diseases of the teeth and gums, and, of course, obesity and diabetes.
It’s time to consign artificial sweeteners to the dustbin of history. This is pure chemicals that are toxic to the liver. Do you need it?
If you really want to replace sugar with something, look for natural substitutes on sale that are absolutely safe for the body. These are stevia (a naturally sweet plant that is usually sold as a liquid syrup) and agar-agar.
And you are unlikely to succeed even on the most strict diet or transition to vegetarianism. Since sugar is contained at least in small quantities in most vegetables and all fruits without exception. Even garlic contains a percentage of sugar!
So our body receives sugar by default.
To rule out physiological factors, you can start with a blood test. For example, it is known that an uncontrollable craving for sweets is often caused by a deficiency of chromium in the body, and a lack of magnesium provokes the consumption of chocolate.
If everything is in order with physiological parameters, then, most likely, you are simply “sweetening” your life, which for one reason or another does not suit you. You can search for the source of disharmony in your soul on your own, or you can trust professionals by turning to a psychologist. Well, no one has canceled the banal but effective advice: take up a favorite hobby, go for walks with friends and family more often, treat yourself to something other than food - then you will be less likely to reach for sweets.
There is only one conclusion from all the myths about sweets: it is impossible to completely deprive the body of glucose, and it will not work - it is necessary for the functioning of our “mechanism”. However, there are always healthier (but just as sweet) alternatives to refined sugar and preservative-laden factory-made cakes.
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Water is an important source of energy for the body. It enriches cells with oxygen and renews them daily, preventing obesity. It is believed that you should drink at least 2 liters of fluid daily. Besides clean water, scientists also advised including several more drinks rich in vitamins and nutrients in your diet.
We bring to your attention a number of interesting and little known facts about sweets from all over the world!
Marzipan- This is a mixture of almonds, ground to a powdery state with powdered sugar in the form of an elastic paste. Marzipan sweets and decorative elements can be colored or glazed (sugar, chocolate and lemon glaze), or left without glaze.
Don't believe that eating sweets is harmful. There are sweets that are very healthy to eat. Of course, in reasonable quantities.
After all, it’s true that men with a sweet tooth are very rare. If you ask a woman to choose her favorite food, she will most likely take a chocolate bar, a piece of cake, or fruit. And the man? He will put meat, sausage or frankfurters on the plate. Scientists have proven that female body sweets are often simply necessary, this is due to the effect of the sex hormones estrogen on brain tissue and blood sugar levels.
Chocolate appeared in the life of mankind a very long time ago, about 3000 years ago. Then the Mayan civilization laid the foundation for the cultivation of the cocoa tree and the production of chocolate, which at that time had the name " kakawa"A bitter and aromatic drink made from crushed and heated cocoa beans mixed with water was called the drink of the gods.
Treats in Japan include not only sweets and pastries, but also fruits and nuts. The Japanese learned about the prepared sweets only at the end of the 8th century, after the appearance on the tables of the court Chinese confectionery products, which were made from a mixture of glutinous rice and wheat flour.
Incredible facts
Sweets are so tasty and desirable, but forbidden for many.
Some are afraid of gaining weight, others are worried about caries. Entering any store, we find ourselves in a confectionery factory with sweets, chocolate, lollipops, caramel... you can’t list it all.
There are several myths about sweets ingrained in the minds of many people, ranging from their influence on the busy activities of children to claims that sweets are a good aphrodisiac.
Which of this is true, and which remains a myth?
Sweets make children overactive
Researchers from West Virginia University found no connection between eating sweets and hyperactivity in children.
After conducting experiments, they came to the conclusion that more often than not It's genetics, not candy.
Still, this does not explain why children with candy in their hands seem more active. Researchers say that we should not forget under what conditions children are active.
Children are especially active at birthday parties, and parents believe that food has influenced them. In reality everything it's about the surrounding company and atmosphere, not the chocolate eaten.
Chocolate will keep you awake all night
Chocolate contains caffeine, so some people don't eat it at night for fear of making them sleepy.
However, then The amount of caffeine found in chocolate is unlikely to cause sleepless hours.
A 45 gram chocolate bar contains only 10 milligrams of caffeine.
For the majority of people this quantity is not enough even to influence the mood, and even more so to drive away sleep.
For comparison, an 8-ounce cup of coffee contains about 130 milligrams of caffeine, and decaf coffee contains 5 milligrams.
Therefore, if you want chocolate at night, do not deny yourself it.
Aspartame causes cancer
It is widely believed that aspartame– an artificial sweetener, which is used in the manufacture of sugar-free sweets and diet soda drinks (Cola, Pepsi), is a cause of cancer.
Officially, the National Cancer Institute and the US Food Administration say that Aspartame consumption does not affect the development of cancer. In a 2006 study, the Institute compared the readings of two groups of people.
Members of one group drank drinks containing aspartame and found that they had no increased risk development of leukemia, lymphoma, or brain cancer.
Dragee M&Ms green – aphrodisiac
Ideas about what to use Green M&Ms increase sexual desire, appeared back in the 70s of the last century.
No one knows why, of all the colors of the jelly bean, it was green that received such a high opinion of its abilities.
Some believe the reason is because green was anciently associated with love and fertility.
Eating too much sweets in one sitting will lead to tooth decay.
Some people are so afraid of dentists that they prefer not to eat sweets rather than have an appointment with them.
The cause of caries is bacteria living in the human mouth.
They feed on the sugar that humans eat and secrete acids onto the teeth.
Fortunately, if we brush our teeth regularly and limit our sugar intake, we can avoid tooth decay.
If you pamper yourself with sweets constantly, then tooth decay will appear.
“The first thing people give up when trying to lose weight is sugar-containing foods. But what to do when the craving for sweets turns out to be stronger than the desire to have a beautiful figure? Here is a list of sweets that, if consumed wisely, will not ruin your figure,” says Maria Shubina, nutritionist, specialist in the fitness testing room of the federal network of fitness clubs X-Fit.
Fortunately, there are relatively low-calorie sweets, and some of them even have a number of beneficial properties. These include honey, marshmallows and marshmallows, marmalade, jam, dried fruits, candied fruits. The whole secret is that they contain practically no fat, unlike sweets, cakes and many other goodies, and accordingly their calorie content is much lower.
1. Honey
Bee honey is one of the most delicious and healthy alternatives to usual sweets. It is a real storehouse of mineral salts, fruit acids, and phytoncides. Honey strengthens the immune system and restores the body's defenses, improves digestion, and calms the nervous system.
It also relieves inflammation, softens breathing, and has bactericidal and antimicrobial properties, which makes it an indispensable remedy for colds. However, it is worth remembering that despite all the benefits, honey contains a large amount of simple carbohydrates (fructose and glucose) and has a fairly high calorie content, and also very often causes allergies. Therefore, keep it in moderation.
Attention! Honey does not replace sweets for people suffering from diabetes.
2. Dried fruits
Prunes and dried apricots, raisins, dried apples, dates, figs are rich in fiber, vitamins and microelements. They strengthen blood vessels and support the heart muscle, prevent blood clots and help the stomach function and cleanse the body. In addition, dried fruits strengthen the nervous system, support liver and kidney function, increase hemoglobin and improve vision. As with honey, dried fruits should not be overused. 30-40 g per day will be enough to get everything useful material, but at the same time maintain the figure.
3. Candied fruits
These are berries and fruits boiled in thick syrup. They are slightly higher in calories than regular dried fruit due to the use of syrup, but still retain all beneficial features. Candied fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and fiber, phytoncides and pectins. This is an excellent replacement for candies and sweets.
4. Marshmallow
Essentially, marshmallows are applesauce or any other fruit puree, whipped with sugar and egg whites into a sweet, fluffy mass. Marshmallow is rich in pectin - soluble dietary fiber, which has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract, can remove harmful substances from the body, including heavy metals, reduce cholesterol, and increase immunity. The most useful will be natural white marshmallows without chocolate glaze.
5. Marmalade
Choose natural marmalade made from berry or fruit puree with the addition of gelatin or agar-agar. Such sweetness will be rich in pectins and vitamins already familiar to us. But finding it on store shelves is a great success. As a rule, the composition still includes dyes, flavors, sweeteners and gelling agents. This marmalade won't do much good.
6. Jam
Jam is rich in vitamins, microelements, and fiber. But only those made from fruits and berries, ground with sugar or heat-treated for no more than 15 minutes. In this case, the jam will retain its benefits.
7. Paste
A close relative of marshmallows and marmalade, marshmallows according to the classic recipe are made from applesauce. But today on supermarket shelves you can find many options - from lingonberry, raspberry or rowan puree. If you add egg white to the marshmallow, it becomes like marshmallow and becomes airy. Like many of the delicacies described above, it is rich in vitamins, soluble dietary fiber and microelements.
Do not forget that despite all the benefits, the sweets listed are low-calorie only in relation to cakes, pastries, sweets and chocolate, but still have a high enough calorie content to ruin your figure if consumed indefinitely.
