Sugar and Heart Health – The Not So Sweet News - CulinArt Group

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Sugar and Heart Health – The Not So Sweet News

In the United States Cardiovascular Disease remains the leading cause of death; responsible for 1 in 4 deaths according to the Centers for Disease Control. When it comes to heart health, many people are aware of the link between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease. For decades, dietitians and other medical professionals have cautioned the public against consuming large amounts of red meat, full fat dairy products, and other saturated fat-laden foods. But did you know that excessive amounts of added sugars can be just as damaging to heart health?

Sugars are found naturally in a variety of foods including dairy products, fruits, and vegetables. When we consume these sugars, they come packaged with heart protective nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Added sugars, those that are added to foods during processing, cooking, or at the table, have become extremely widespread throughout the food supply with the average American consuming around 22 teaspoons, or 88 grams of added sugars every day! Sugar-sweetened beverages including soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks are the biggest sources of added sugar in the average American’s diet-accounting for more than one-third of the added sugar we consume as a nation. Baked goods, ice-creams, cold cereals, fruit juices, and jarred sauces are other major sources of the sweet stuff! Dietitians use the term “empty calories” or “energy dense” when describing sugar-meaning that these foods that are made up of added sugar deliver calories but not much else that our bodies need such as fiber, vitamins, heart healthy fats such as Omega 3 or monounsaturated fats, and minerals. When we over consume added sugars, it fills us up and decreases the amount of nutritious, hearth healthy foods we can eat.

How sugar actually affects heart health is not completely understood, but it appears to have several indirect connections. For instance, high amounts of sugar overload the liver and the carbohydrates from sugar are converted to fat. Over time, this can lead to a greater accumulation of fat, which may turn into fatty liver disease, a contributor to diabetes, which raises your risk for heart disease. Consuming too much added sugar can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, both of which can lead to heart disease. Excess consumption of sugar, especially in sugar-sweetened beverages, also contributes to weight gain because liquid calories are not as satisfying as calories from solid foods making it easier for people to add more calories to their regular diet when consuming sugary beverages.

Label reading is very helpful when trying to reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet; added sugar goes by many names including:

  • corn syrup
  • fruit juice concentrates
  • high-fructose corn syrup
  • evaporated cane juice
  • invert sugar
  • malt sugar

Federal guidelines offer specific limits for the amount of salt and fat we eat. But there’s no similar upper limit for added sugar. According to the American Heart Association’s recommendation, women should consume less than 100 calories of added sugar per day (about 6 teaspoons) and men should consume less than 150 per day (about 9 teaspoons).

During American Heart Month (and all year round) continue to enjoy the sweetness of life, but consider the sources of sugar you are consuming and try to opt for naturally sweetened foods.

 

 

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  • February 19, 2020

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“What a wonderful dinner we had tonight for our international families. The food was delicious and well presented as well.”

“Thank you for including me today in the food waste demonstration/[chef competition] and flattering me with the role of “judge.” I will proudly don the [Stop Food Waste Day] apron the next time I plan an “event” in our own kitchen. I think this is a very worthwhile cause and the statistics you read off are staggering. They, alone, can intimidate a home chef, let alone be the “driver’ for a professional one.”

“Thank you and your staff for all the care and thought you give CSW adults and students. You approach events with such care and elegance- I don’t know how you do it! Especially day after day. Please thank all your staff for their wonderful work and kind manner with all of us. Here is to a great year!”

“Many, and I do mean many, thanks for a great Parents Weekend.  I heard from so many happy parents and you all work very hard to make it happen.  In gratitude and kindness…”

“We are so thankful and so impressed by your immediate attention to our power outage. It was such a relief to see all the equipment and workers coming in within a few hours of the outage. Thank you for serving dinner to all [the] students in a very difficult circumstance. Please extend our thanks to your workers who braved cold weather to grill hamburgers and hotdogs.”

“With all the prep work from Winterim ramping up and classes continuing as usual, it's a busy time to be a Forman teacher. Imagine my delight, tired as I was, when I delved into the upscale-restaurant-quality chicken parmesan our dining hall served last night. Forman is all about support, and providing our students with a dinner of that quality is just as important a measure of support as anything that happens in a classroom.”

“I can’t thank your entire team enough for the outstanding service, food, displays, everything!  You are a master at detail, and because of that Adam and I were able to focus on the parents.  I know what a sacrifice pulling off a weekend like this means, we are so appreciative and grateful to you all for your talent and generosity.”

“I ALWAYS feel spoiled by the meal offerings at CSW (The Cambridge School of Weston) and am entirely grateful for it. As I eat today's delicious and lavish lunch (and think about yesterday's as well), I can't tell you how much I feel so well cared for here, both with the food and by the dining hall staff. CSW cares for us in so many ways, both big and small.”

“Thank You! Chef Budd [and team], you overcame a new online ordering system (and hundreds of labels daily!), provided creative and healthy menus, continued to connect with local farmers to incorporate locally sourced ingredients, and worked tirelessly to serve the school community on three campuses.  While it feels like you are all a little like the Wizard of Oz right now, working behind a curtain in a kitchen far away, we sense your smiles and your passion to deliver the best possible service during these trying times. We are all so grateful!”

“I will say that CulinArt has always been a very collaborative partner to T. Rowe Price, listening to our current needs and future goals and suggesting realistic and achievable strategies to meet those goals.  2020 was obviously no exception.  CulinArt also altered other areas of our OCS and pantry programs to create safer environments for all our associates. We can only thank you for your continued flexibility and innovative ideas through these difficult times.”

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