Average Thai consumes 26 teaspoons of sugar per day: officials

[lucky11]

Coconut oil may help boost energy levels and endurance. It isn't stored in the body like other fats. It actually breaks down much quicker in the liver and is used like a carbohydrate. Athletes and bodybuilders often use it as a natural supplement in sports drinks and smoothies.

It can also give your metabolism a boost which, when used along with a healthy diet, could help with weight loss. Now the boost in energy you get from coconut isn't like the kick you get from caffeine, it's more subtle than that, but it's longer lasting. Unlike caffeine, the effects of the oil can last for many hours and you don't develop a dependence or addiction to it.

Who doesn't want a little more energy in their day, right? You can add a little to a cup of warm herbal tea, cocoa, juice, a smoothie, or oatmeal to boost your energy each morning.

You see, coconut goes straight to the liver and is used immediately as fuel and is not stored in the body as fat!!

[Jingthing]

The jury is out about coconut oil.

I personally use it occasionally in moderation but am not sold on eating a lot of it daily.

Because of the issue of it being high in saturated fat.

Anyway, this thread is focused on SUGARS, not fats.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Jingthing

[Radar501]

Check this packet of Starburst rattlesnakes (Australia)

Proudly highlighting the product is 99 percent fat free, but you have to read the fine print on the back to discover it is 40 percent sugar.

[Thai at Heart]

The jury is out about coconut oil.

I personally use it occasionally in moderation but am not sold on eating a lot of it daily.

Because of the issue of it being high in saturated fat.

Anyway, this thread is focused on SUGARS, not fats.

It is relevant to the extent that the whole world has been told that fat is bad and it has been replaced in food/diets with sugars.

Some of the worst products to consume are low fat and sugar has been added to improve flavour.

This low aft advice will probably be eventually debunked as wrong advice. That doesn't mean that high fat is the way either, but it isn't necessarily the evil it has been put out to be .

Of course Thailand also produces boat loads of palm oil. It's feeding all the good stuff to the world... Throw in Thai white rice and it is quite a state of affairs.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Thai at Heart

[Asheron]

Coconut oil may help boost energy levels and endurance. It isn't stored in the body like other fats. It actually breaks down much quicker in the liver and is used like a carbohydrate. Athletes and bodybuilders often use it as a natural supplement in sports drinks and smoothies.

It can also give your metabolism a boost which, when used along with a healthy diet, could help with weight loss. Now the boost in energy you get from coconut isn't like the kick you get from caffeine, it's more subtle than that, but it's longer lasting. Unlike caffeine, the effects of the oil can last for many hours and you don't develop a dependence or addiction to it.

Who doesn't want a little more energy in their day, right? You can add a little to a cup of warm herbal tea, cocoa, juice, a smoothie, or oatmeal to boost your energy each morning.

You see, coconut goes straight to the liver and is used immediately as fuel and is not stored in the body as fat!!

This is hilarious...

Even if that last sentence was true (which it isn't) the other stuff you eat, the so called "healthy food", would actually be stored as body fat. Only time bodybuilders for instance use coconut oil or "MCT oil" is when they are cutting to get leaner. And even then it's almost always a ketogenic diet as a bodybuilder and ketogenic diet as a bodybuilder is very rare. Almost all diets i have heard of for bodybuilders when they are cutting is about 50-70 grams of fat each day, not more.

You don't seem to understand that the human body uses whichever energy source it has that is the easiest and most effective as fuel for the body. If it happens to be MCT at a point it will use that first and store everything else as body fat. This is also the reason why ketogenic diet actually work as the body is forced to start using stored body fat as energy by producing ketones as a substitute for glucose.

[Jingthing]

That is a typical example of how insidious this is.

Yes this happened because fats were demonized and food companies realized that foods that are low fat and low sugar taste horrible.

So they added LOTS of sugars to replace the fats, and created delicious foods that people love to eat ... too much ... packed with massive amounts of added sugars.

Then sell them as healthy.

You couldn't make this up but that's the modern food environment.

[lucky11]

So let me get this straight lujanit - in 4 years training you learnt 'eat less, move more' very impressive!!

[Thai at Heart]

That is a typical example of how insidious this is.

Yes this happened because fats were demonized and food companies realized that foods that are low fat and low sugar taste horrible.

So they added LOTS of sugars to replace the fats, and created delicious foods that people love to eat ... too much ... packed with massive amounts of added sugars.

Then sell them as healthy.

You couldn't make this up but that's the modern food environment.

And it is as if the companies didn't know. This discussion was held with tobacco, and now it is processed foods. The accumulated knowledge of the food industry is enormous.

And they have added more and more sugar to products apparently without knowing the effects this can have on the health of people.

Heinz, Kraft, Coke, Kellogs and all the other have a lot to answer for.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Thai at Heart

[lucky11]

That is a typical example of how insidious this is.

Yes this happened because fats were demonized and food companies realized that foods that are low fat and low sugar taste horrible.

So they added LOTS of sugars to replace the fats, and created delicious foods that people love to eat ... too much ... packed with massive amounts of added sugars.

Then sell them as healthy.

You couldn't make this up but that's the modern food environment.

And it is as if the companies didn't know. This discussion was held with tobacco, and now it is processed foods. The accumulated knowledge of the food industry is enormous.

And they have added more and more sugar to products apparently without knowing the effects this can have on the health of people.

Heinz, Kraft, Coke and all the other have a lot to answer for.

Trust me, they know the effects all right!! They know exactly what sugar does to the human body

It is a powerful drug that destroys health and causes cancer, only to become the fuel for the growing tumours.

If anyone wants to know about nutrition then Ocean Robbins is your man.....and for curing cancer try Ty Bollinger.

[Jingthing]

Which is why this is bigger than pointing only to personal free will choice. Free will choice matters a lot, especially for adults, but it is just part of the picture. To be effective this global epidemic needs to be addressed in multiple ways. Not only morality lectures.

[Gonsalviz]

So are there any drinks sold at 7/11 that are 'healthy' and do not contain sugar, carbohydrates etc.

All I see are sweetened drinks.

Any specific drinks/brands to look out for?

Oichi Unsweetened tea. I buy it in 1.5 liter bottles but at Lotus. Even the small Lotus stores have it.

[mommysboy]

Sugar is one big part of the jigsaw, no more no less. Overall it is about over eating, and this is made possible because there seems to be unlimited opportunity. Very unfortunate and not a lot to be done imo as once on sugar and overweight most people simply can't give up, youngsters anyway.

Just to clear up a common misconception, sugar does not cause diabetes. It is a big factor in people becoming overweight/obese, and that is a common cause of type 2 diabetes.

[mommysboy]

Sugar is one big part of the jigsaw, no more no less. Overall it is about over eating, and this is made possible because there seems to be unlimited opportunity. Very unfortunate and not a lot to be done imo as once on sugar and overweight most people simply can't give up, youngsters anyway.

Just to clear up a common misconception, sugar does not cause diabetes. It is a big factor in people becoming overweight/obese, and that is a common cause of type 2 diabetes.

[Jingthing]

Oh please. Excess sugar strongly associated with obesity and obesity strongly related to diabetes.

[beammeup]

Sugar is the latest demon or bandwagon, to distract everyone from the fact that they screwed up on saturated fats and cholesterol (actually healthy). Its certainly not poison as most everything we eat gets converted to sugar for cellular respiration. Too much of anything is unhealthy, I would have thought that common sense would stop people from putting 10 spoons of sugar in their coffee though. White rice is just as bad if not worst. The thing that is killing everyone is all the oxidative stress caused by the polyunsaturated oils that they use here. I wish they would go back to lard.

[lucky11]

Sugar is one big part of the jigsaw, no more no less. Overall it is about over eating, and this is made possible because there seems to be unlimited opportunity. Very unfortunate and not a lot to be done imo as once on sugar and overweight most people simply can't give up, youngsters anyway.

Just to clear up a common misconception, sugar does not cause diabetes. It is a big factor in people becoming overweight/obese, and that is a common cause of type 2 diabetes.

I'm afraid that it is much more than that!! sugar in its various forms and under it's numerous guises (in order to hide it on the label to deceive people) is the primary factor along with omega 6's from cooking oils such as canola, safflower, vegetable and any other processed oils.

Cut these 2 killers out or significantly reduce them in the diet (like I do as I don't buy processed garbage) and you will see the obesity and type 2 diabetes levels plummet - not to mention liver disease, heart attacks + strokes and very much so the cancer levels.

Make these obscene 'profits before people' big food companies change their ways by imposing heavy taxes on sugar in all it's forms (apart from unprocessed natural sugars) and make sure that it is watertight by encompassing all of these harmful ingredients to prevent them from getting around paying the taxes. Force them to look for healthier alternatives as designated by truly independent scientists with no conflicting interests ie: don't let them place their people in positions of power so that they can water down the policies such as has happened with the FDA, media, universities and various health groups/organisations that promote and pass 'killer drugs' such as statins, and well, a majority of drugs on the market at present to receive the hefty fees that big pharma pay them for the privilege of introducing these synthetic poisons to the health market place!!

[mommysboy]

Oh please. Excess sugar strongly associated with obesity and obesity strongly related to diabetes.

That is just restating what I said, "It (sugar) is a big factor in people becoming overweight/obese, and that is a common cause of type 2 diabetes".

But sugar does not cause diabetes, being overweight in varying degrees does.

[Jingthing]

You're splitting hairs and it's just not very interesting.

It is established that sugar in moderate portions is perfectly fine for most people.

We're talking here about sugar in great excess and yes it is known science known about the long term consequences of that.

Obviously occasional overindulgence in sugar is not going to instantly make someone obese, leading to diabetes.

[mommysboy]

You're splitting hairs and it's just not very interesting.

It is established that sugar in moderate portions is perfectly fine for most people.

We're talking here about sugar in great excess and yes it is known science known about the long term consequences of that.

Obviously occasional overindulgence in sugar is not going to instantly make someone obese, leading to diabetes.

No I'm not, just ask a few people you know. Surprising how many people have this misconception.

I do agree with just about 99% of all else that is written about added sugar.

But the distinction is subtle because it shifts attention away from the main cause which is over eating and makes it sound like sugar is the culprit.

Sadly, I don't think a reduction in sugar in products, or health education will stop this. It just seems that given an oversupply of food a significant proportion of people will eat and eat and eat. They then get fat, and then that leads to health issues like type 2 diabetes as we know. In fact most adults know this but many if not most overeaters seem powerless to stop. That is the real problem. And a very sad one at that for all concerned.

[Jingthing]

I think the over-consumption of sugars (and arguably artificial sugars) is actually LINKED to body cravings that result in overeating in general.

This gets into the issue of GUT BACTERIA as well.

It's a matter of emphasis.

Bottom line, people are really going to be doing themselves a big favor if they can manage to only eat sugars in moderation. You have to be very conscious of all the hidden sugars to manage that.

Obviously that isn't everything, nobody is saying that, but it IS very important.

[mommysboy]

I think the over-consumption of sugars (and arguably artificial sugars) is actually LINKED to body cravings that result in overeating in general.

This gets into the issue of GUT BACTERIA as well.

It's a matter of emphasis.

Bottom line, people are really going to be doing themselves a big favor if they can manage to only eat sugars in moderation. You have to be very conscious of all the hidden sugars to manage that.

Obviously that isn't everything, nobody is saying that, but it IS very important.

Worse still I fear that once exposed to added sugar, it makes us desensitized to natural sweet food. So presented with a choice of a banana or jam donut, guess which gets chosen. I experience this very frequently; shocking really.

Edited November 7, 2015 by mommysboy

[cmsally]

Easy for me to gauge as I have been the same size for about 20 + years. However relative to the general population I am becoming thinner! It used to be only in the west but the last 10 years Thais are calling me thin and they are looking fat to me. Only my Japanese friends seem to stay the same size as well as my active sporty Western friends.

[Basil B]

So addressing a Thai woman as "Sweetie" is not being sexist...

though I would not extend such greeting to a male or one of the undefined sex...

[Jingthing]

Easy for me to gauge as I have been the same size for about 20 + years. However relative to the general population I am becoming thinner! It used to be only in the west but the last 10 years Thais are calling me thin and they are looking fat to me. Only my Japanese friends seem to stay the same size as well as my active sporty Western friends.

The Japanese government has a very aggressive program in effect to prevent obesity. They mandate intervention at modest levels of overweight.

[Prbkk]

That is a typical example of how insidious this is.

Yes this happened because fats were demonized and food companies realized that foods that are low fat and low sugar taste horrible.

So they added LOTS of sugars to replace the fats, and created delicious foods that people love to eat ... too much ... packed with massive amounts of added sugars.

Then sell them as healthy.

You couldn't make this up but that's the modern food environment.

Oatmeal is a classic example of that very point. Plain old oatmeal has almost no sugar, in fact none other than the natural. But it's not sexy so it's now boxed up in about 30 different flavours, all with high sugar additives, all aimed at kids pressuring parents. The Australian varieties have 25g sugar per 100 grams...ie a MASSIVE sugar load, highly addictive . Add to that the sugars in milk, including low fat and it's extremely unhealthy for kids(and adults) . Cost is about 150 Baht per box, the plain homebrand no added sugar version is under 30 Baht.

It's all about creating addicts and maximising profits

[Thai at Heart]

That is a typical example of how insidious this is.

Yes this happened because fats were demonized and food companies realized that foods that are low fat and low sugar taste horrible.

So they added LOTS of sugars to replace the fats, and created delicious foods that people love to eat ... too much ... packed with massive amounts of added sugars.

Then sell them as healthy.

You couldn't make this up but that's the modern food environment.

Oatmeal is a classic example of that very point. Plain old oatmeal has almost no sugar, in fact none other than the natural. But it's not sexy so it's now boxed up in about 30 different flavours, all with high sugar additives, all aimed at kids pressuring parents. The Australian varieties have 25g sugar per 100 grams...ie a MASSIVE sugar load, highly addictive . Add to that the sugars in milk, including low fat and it's extremely unhealthy for kids(and adults) . Cost is about 150 Baht per box, the plain homebrand no added sugar version is under 30 Baht.

It's all about creating addicts and maximising profits

Granola is another. Supposedly healthy until they fill it up with extra dried fruits, honey, or a dose of hfcs.

Change to plain Porridge. All good

[mommysboy]

And in truth the humble spud (potato) is a great food with plenty of good characteristics that has been absolutely ruined with processing, frying, and salting.

[beammeup]

That is a typical example of how insidious this is.

Yes this happened because fats were demonized and food companies realized that foods that are low fat and low sugar taste horrible.

So they added LOTS of sugars to replace the fats, and created delicious foods that people love to eat ... too much ... packed with massive amounts of added sugars.

Then sell them as healthy.

You couldn't make this up but that's the modern food environment.

Oatmeal is a classic example of that very point. Plain old oatmeal has almost no sugar, in fact none other than the natural. But it's not sexy so it's now boxed up in about 30 different flavours, all with high sugar additives, all aimed at kids pressuring parents. The Australian varieties have 25g sugar per 100 grams...ie a MASSIVE sugar load, highly addictive . Add to that the sugars in milk, including low fat and it's extremely unhealthy for kids(and adults) . Cost is about 150 Baht per box, the plain homebrand no added sugar version is under 30 Baht.

It's all about creating addicts and maximising profits

People have a choice and should have a choice what they want to eat. The inteligent ones will educate themselves. I grew up on twinkies. wagon wheels, cookies, candies, chocolate, icecream, coke, mountain due etc... I am not overweight or sick. I wish everyone would just worry about themselves and stop saying to ban this and tax that and regulate the other. Mind your own freakin business.

[Jingthing]

It is the business of societies. When you have a high rate of obesity in your population, besides the disease and early deaths, overall national productivity is reduced. Is that too crass? Sorry. It's real.

[sotsira]

So are there any drinks sold at 7/11 that are 'healthy' and do not contain sugar, carbohydrates etc.

All I see are sweetened drinks.

Any specific drinks/brands to look out for?

Apart from water, this is probably the next best drink to have from a 7/11 store.