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By PEAK Health & Fitness

Athletes, non-athletes and types of sugar

Because sugars, or simple carbohydrates, serve as the main fuel source for high intensity exercise, athletes have higher carbohydrate needs than the general population when training and competing. Carbohydrates also serve as the brain’s preferred source of energy for staying focused while working all day, but with all the hype about sugar in the American diet, what should athletes and the general population know when navigating a sea of sweet-tooth questions?

“Added sugar,” “processed sugar” and “artificial sweeteners” are common terms used to describe sugars. Nearly every type of sweetener available in stores is processed unless you eat raw sugar cane; this processing doesn’t detract or add to the nutritional value of the sweetener, it just makes the product more palatable or easier to use in recipes. Artificial sweeteners are usually calorie free because their molecular shape accomplishes a sweet taste on our taste buds but cannot be digested by our bodies. Added sugars listed on food labels represent sugar added to products that naturally do not contain it, whereas other products like milk, fruit and honey naturally contain sugars without any processing. Regardless of low or high carbohydrate demands in your diet, aim for whole food sources like dairy, fruit and whole grains.

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[bs_col class=”col-sm-3″][bs_well size=”lg” ]DEATH BY BACON? NOT LIKELY.

Is it time to banish bacon?

Today, while most people were eating their breakfasts, the World Health Organization released findings that processed meats – things like the bacon and sausage many were munching – should be classified in the same cancer-causing category as carcinogens like cigarettes.

“Eating bacon is not as bad for you as smoking,” says Molly Gross, M.D., a colorectal cancer specialist with University of Utah Health Care.

Read the full article here.

CHANGING MAMMOGRAM GUIDELINES: WHAT THEY MEAN

You may have heard news about new mammogram guidelines published by the American Cancer Society (ACS) this week. The ACS conducted a landmark review of medical evidence behind screening mammography for women at average risk for breast cancer. The review confirms that mammograms are effective at saving lives and that women ages 45–54 should definitely have yearly mammograms. The ACS recommends women ages 40–44 consider a yearly mammogram based on an informed decision and discussions with their doctors. However, the ACS concludes that the most lives are saved when women start getting mammograms at the age of 40 and continue getting them every year.

Click here for the full story.

For more expert health news and information, visit healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed.[/bs_well]
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