Too much sugar in your diet will make you fat and cause countless other health problems! To lose inches off your waist, you need to understand the different types of sugar, identify them in the foods you eat and monitor the amount you consume. Applying this to your daily routine will result in body fat loss and a healthier body.

• STEP 1: Defining Sugar

Some of the many different types include:

• Sucrose is your typical table, white or cane sugar. It is one fructose and one glucose molecule bound together. Most brown sugar is produced by adding molasses to white sugar.

• High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is corn sugar and composed of the same two simple sugars (fructose and glucose) as table sugar, honey and maple syrup.

• Maltose is malt sugar and present in germinating grain.

• Lactose is milk sugar and found in the milk of mammals and also a byproduct in the making of cheese.

• Fructose is the sugar found in fruit and is the most water soluble of all the sugars.

• Turbinado Sugar (aka Sugar in the Raw) is from pure cane sugar extract. Unlike granulated sugar, Turbinado comes from the earlier stages of the sugar cane processing method.

SUGAR ALCOHOL:

Sugar Alcohol (SA) is a polyol (identified as Erythritol, Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, Isomalt, Lacitol, Maltitol, Mannitol, Sorbitol, and Xylitol). SA contains about half the grams of sugar and is used as a sugar substitute in many dietary foods and candy. SA does not contain sugar or alcohol and is mostly manufactured from sugars and starches. SA, as compared to sugar, is not completely absorbed by the body, has less effect on your blood sugar level and produces a reduced glycemic response.

• STEP 2: Identifying the Sugar In Foods

To identify the sugar content in the foods you eat, read the Nutrition Facts label and the Ingredients label.

• Nutrition Facts label on the processed food's packaging will identify the content in grams. The sugars listed on the Nutrition Facts label include those naturally occurring (like those in fruit and milk) as well as those added to the food or drink. Avoid foods with a sugar content over 10 grams per serving. For example, if you want a 200 calorie protein bar, pick one with the lowest content (under 10 grams) and not one with a high content (over 20 grams).

• Ingredients label will identify the type of sugar, if any, added to the food. Ingredients are listed in descending order of weight (from most to least). Terms used for added sugar, not including those mentioned above, include: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, honey, malt syrup, molasses and syrup.

• STEP 3: Monitoring your Sugar Consumption - The Glycemic Index and Foods To Avoid

The Glycemic Index (GI) ranks carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Choosing low GI carbohydrates will produce small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels. This is the secret to long-term health reducing risk of heart disease and diabetes and is the key to sustainable weight loss.

High GI foods trigger strong insulin responses thereby exposing the body to all the negative effects of insulin. High GI foods cause rapid and strong increases in blood-sugar levels, increasing your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Over consumption of high GI foods has been linked to food cravings and distorted eating patterns, as a result of repeated surges and falls in blood-glucose.

Avoid foods with a high GI level (80 - 100). The lower the sugar content, the lower the GI level the healthier the food. The internet provides an abundance of information on the GI levels of all types of foods.

In conclusion, reduce your sugar consumption if you want to lose inches off your waist. Determine the sugar content of the foods you eat and avoid all foods with a high GI.