10 popular products that make us gain weight unnoticeably
We are always in a hurry somewhere and often have a snack on the go. A cup of coffee here, a chocolate bar there, cereal for breakfast, cottage cheese for dinner — and now the scales show extra pounds, which we did not expect. Where did they come from?
It's all about the extra sugar that is contained in most products. On the one hand, this sweet white substance is vital for our body, but its excess can adversely affect our health. According to the American Heart Association, an excess of sugar adds empty calories to our diet, which leads to tooth decay, obesity, diabetes and even stroke.
According to the World Health Organization, the daily norm of sugar for a person with a normal body mass index should be about 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day. However, its content in our diet often exceeds this norm by 2-3 times.
Most of us are aware of the "sweet danger" that lies in wait for us — we put less sugar in tea and coffee, deny ourselves jam and jams for breakfast. But often we lose sight of many products in which the sugar content is not so obvious. Today we will try to figure out how much sugar our favorite treats contain.
1. Corn flakes
"Eat cereal to lose weight," say the slim and athletic girls from the commercials. And we blindly believe them, every morning almost automatically pouring a glass of milk into the cereal. But are they so useful for our figure? In fact, a standard portion of cereals, equal to about half a glass, contains 37 grams of sugar, which already exceeds the daily norm. But there is still a whole day ahead…
2. Chocolate bars
Chocolate bars are the easiest and fastest option for a snack when there is no time, but you want to eat. Today is a candy bar, tomorrow is a candy bar, and a week later we no longer fit into our favorite jeans. And all because the carbohydrates contained in our favorite Mars and Snickers chocolates are actually one solid sugar. One standard bar weighing 55 grams contains 27.5 grams of sugar, which is approximately 6-7 teaspoons.
3. Yoghurts and cottage cheese desserts
Well, there is definitely no catch here, because even nutritionists recommend including yoghurts, cottage cheese or kefir in the diet! But all these recommendations relate to natural products without any additional sweeteners and flavor enhancers. This does not apply to store-bought cottage cheese, yoghurts and milkshakes. So, a 290-gram bottle of Activia, popular among fans of a healthy lifestyle, contains about 6 teaspoons of sugar, and a 130-gram package of Danissimo peach contains 3.5 spoons.
4. Pepsi and Coca-Cola
We love these drinks because they quench thirst and dull the feeling of hunger. But both effects do not last long, and after 10-15 minutes we want to drink and eat again. That's how the extra calories enter our body unnoticeably, which are then deposited in the folds on our waist. Where do they come from? Of course, from sugar! So, a small can of Pepsi with a volume of 0.33 liters contains 8 teaspoons of sugar, and the same can of Coca-Cola contains 7 spoons.
5. Glazed dragees
"Well, what can happen from a tiny bag of M&M's?" - we persuade ourselves at the checkout, at the last minute grabbing a package of colorful sweets from the counter. I'll have to upset you — 100 grams of this dragee contains 472 calories! As for the amount of sugar, a standard 45-gram bag contains almost 6 teaspoons of it.
6. Nutella
A popular breakfast is a pair of toast spread with Nutella nut paste. How can this threaten us? Let's look at the label: sugar, palm oil, nuts, cocoa, milk powder, lecithin, vanillin and whey powder. Nutella is very high in calories, because it consists of 70% fat and sugar — only 2 tablespoons of this paste contain 200 calories and 21 grams of sugar!
7. Coffee 3 in 1
When we do not have enough time even for a cup of coffee, sticks with a quick-dissolving drink are used. But there is practically no benefit for the body in such bags. A standard 20-gram 3-in-1 coffee bag contains approximately 70 calories and 10 grams of sugar. Is the dubious pleasure worth the extra centimeters on the waist?
8. Ketchup
Unexpected, isn't it? It turns out that salty ketchup with a spicy and slightly insular taste also contains sugar. And in considerable quantities-100 grams of this sauce, which is loved by many, contains from 20 to 30 grams of sugar. Of course, none of us eats ketchup in packages, but it's worth thinking about how much excess fat we will accumulate during a month of its regular use. And in six months?
9. Packaged juices
We have known since childhood that juices are not only delicious, but also useful. But this statement is hardly applicable to packaged juices, given the high sugar content in them. So, a 350-gram glass of grape juice contains about 58 grams of sugar, apple juice — 39 grams, and cherry juice-37 grams.
10. Energy drinks
What to do if you want to sleep, but there is still a lot of work ahead? Experienced midnighters are advised to cheer up with a jar of energy drink. It can really improve your performance for some time, but you should not abuse it. Otherwise, there may be a significant increase in blood pressure or blood sugar levels. Speaking of sugar. One jar of Red Bull, for example, contains as much as 27 grams of sugar, which means that by abusing this drink, you can gain extra weight very quickly.
Keywords: Health and medicine | Excess weight | Food | Sugar | Food and drinks