The Truth About Natural Sugars

17 Jan The Truth About Natural Sugars

Posted at 10:00h in Food by

Sugar is a topic that causes a lot of confusion. We know that eating too much isn’t good for us. But what about the sugars naturally present in foods like fruit? If we want to stay healthy and maintain our ideal weight, can natural sugars form part of our diet?

SUGAR IS SUGAR

Firstly, it’s important to note that the body cannot tell the difference between sugar that’s been consumed in a piece of cake and sugar that you’ve eaten in a banana. As far as the body is concerned, sugar is sugar regardless of where it comes from.

However, nutritionally speaking, you can’t compare cake and a banana. Cakes, along with other foods containing a lot of added sugar, are often highly processed, contain other undesirable ingredients and have very little nutritional value. On the other hand, a banana provides essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fibre.

CAN NATURAL SUGAR FORM PART OF A HEALTHY DIET?

The answer to whether or not you should consume natural sugars is not a simple yes or no. There’s no one size fits all. If we are working with clients who have type two diabetes, we will likely advise them to avoid sugars in whatever form they present. When we are supporting with weight loss and we decide that a ketogenic diet is the best approach for them, then we will recommend avoiding all sources of sugar in the short term, including natural ones.

On the other hand, for most healthy people, a moderate amount of natural sugars can form part of a healthy diet. The main source of natural sugar in our diet is fruit. As a general rule, we advise eating a maximum of two portions of fruit per day, with meals. Eating natural sugars alongside sources of protein will help slow their breakdown into simple sugars, minimising their impact on your blood sugar levels.

HOW TO AVOID EATING TOO MUCH NATURAL SUGAR

Beware of fruit juices and dried fruits which are particularly high in sugar and should only be consumed occasionally as a treat.

Avoid syrups such as agave, brown rice syrup and maple syrup. Though these are often marketed as natural sugars, there’s really very little difference between them and Golden Syrup, nutritionally speaking.

Avoid ‘natural’ snack bars that are made from predominantly dried fruit.

Just because a label states ‘no added sugar’ does not mean it doesn’t contain a lot of sugar! There’s absolutely no need to add sugar into a product that contains a high amount of naturally occurring sugars.

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LINDA ROBINSON

Linda is our Practice Coordinator, helping to keep the clinic running smoothly.

 

Originally from Texas, Linda completed her MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan. Linda has worked as a Strategy Consultant across multiple industries globally in cities including Kyoto, Paris, Chicago and San Francisco. She developed an interest in nutrition whilst volunteering for an organisation that provides cooking and nutrition education to children and families.

Linda is now settled in London with her husband, two children, and her very bouncy, sociable dog.

SARAH LAW

Sarah has worked with hundreds of clients over the past decade to help them live in a healthy body that they feel confident in.


Sarah spent a large part of her teens and 20’s as a professional dancer battling with orthorexia and an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This created a desire to understand the human body more so she could finally cut through the confusion and end the cycle of yoyo dieting. This fuelled her passion to help other women do the same.

 

Sarah specialises in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight due to underlying health issues. She’s helped many women manage their weight during and after the menopause, as well as clients with thyroid disease and immune system dysfunction. Sarah loves food and sharing healthy recipes with her clients. Her aim is to ensure that clients don’t feel deprived and instead, achieve their weight loss and health goals in a positive and sustainable way.

 

To enquire about working with Sarah, please contact us.

AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

To enquire about working with Ailsa, please contact us.

Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team and heading up the day-to-day running of our clinic.

 

Coming from a background in town planning, Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, continually ensuring we are delivering the very best service to our clients.


A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 where she lives with her husband, two children, and her rescue dog Skyy.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

To enquire about working with Stéphanie, please contact us.

INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

To enquire about working with Inna, please contact us.

ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

To enquire about working with Ania, please contact us.

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