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Learning aims
1. To understand how sugar impacts our physical health and well-being
2. To apply my knowledge of nutrition when exploring the RDI of sugar
(Why am I doing this?)
1.So that I can make informed, healthy choices.
2.So that I can set myself relevant targets that will help maintain my physical health and well-being.
What is a balanced diet?
How do our choices impact our physical health and well-being?
What is a healthy choice?
Throughout topic 3 you will :
develop understanding of sugar and the impact it has on our physical health and well-being.
explore the recommended daily intake.
use the knowledge you have developed about balanced diets to set yourself targets.
Digital Work Booklet
Topic Three : Understanding Sugar
What Matters :
Developing physical health and well-being has lifelong benefits.
Lesson Resources
Select a learning aim below to explore the resources for each lesson.
1
1
To understand how sugar impacts our physical health and well-being
2
2
To apply my knowledge of nutrition when exploring the RDI of sugar
To understand how sugar impacts our physical health and well-being
To understand how sugar impacts our physical health and well-being
So that I can make informed, healthy choices.
Is sugar bad for you?
Discuss in your groups.
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate.
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate.
When our bodies consumer carbohydrates they are broken down into glucose.
When our bodies consumer carbohydrates they are broken down into glucose.
This is used for energy that allows our body to function and carry out our daily activities.
This is used for energy that allows our body to function and carry out our daily activities.
Glucose is the main sugar found in our blood. It provides nutrients to our organs, muscles and nervous system.
Glucose is the main sugar found in our blood. It provides nutrients to our organs, muscles and nervous system.
Glucose is very important because it is the primary source of energy for our brain.
Glucose is very important because it is the primary source of energy for our brain.
What happens to us if we eat too much sugar?
Too much sugar can lead to...
Too much sugar can lead to...
- Weight gain
- Tooth decay
- Skin issues (acne/early aging)
- Disrupted moods/highs and lows
- High blood pressure
- Increased risk of type 2 diabetes
- Increased risk of heart disease
- Increased risk of stroke
- Increased risk of kidney disease
Task 1 : Answer the following questions :
- What is sugar a form of?
- What happens to carbohydrates inside the body?
- Why is glucose important to the body?
- Eating too much sugar can lead to high blood glucose levels, this can lead to serious health problems. Can you name 4 of these?
The type of sugars most adults and children in the UK eat too much of are "free sugars".
The type of sugars most adults and children in the UK eat too much of are "free sugars".
These are :
These are :
Any sugars added to food or drinks. These include sugars in biscuits, chocolate, flavoured yoghurts, breakfast cereals and fizzy drinks. These sugars may be added at home, or by a chef or other food manufacturer.
Sugars in honey, syrups (such as maple, agave and golden), nectars (such as blossom), and unsweetened fruit juices, vegetable juices and smoothies. The sugars in these foods occur naturally but still count as free sugars.
Sugar found naturally in milk, fruit and vegetables do not count as free sugars.
Task 2 :
Separate the foods containing naturally occurring sugar and the foods that contain ‘free’ sugar (added).
Separate the foods containing naturally occurring sugar and the foods that contain ‘free’ sugar (added).
How much sugar can we eat?
Discuss in your groups.
The government recommends that free sugars should not make up more than 5% of the energy (calories) you get from food and drink each day.
The government recommends that free sugars should not make up more than 5% of the energy (calories) you get from food and drink each day.
This means:
This means:
- Adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to 7 sugar cubes).
- Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24g of free sugars a day (6 sugar cubes).
- Children aged 4 to 6 should have no more than 19g of free sugars a day (5 sugar cubes).
- There's no guideline limit for children under the age of 4, but it's recommended they avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and food with sugar added to it.
Use the link on the left to find out how you can get sugar smart!
How can we reduce our intake of 'free sugars'?
How can we reduce our intake of 'free sugars'?
Reducing sugar in drinks
Reducing sugar in drinks
Go for water, lower-fat milk, or sugar-free, diet or no-added-sugar drinks. While the amount of sugar in whole and lower-fat milk is the same, choosing lower-fat milk reduces your saturated fat intake.
Limit the amount of unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies you have to no more than 150ml a day.
If you prefer fizzy drinks, try diluting no-added-sugar squash with sparkling water.
If you take sugar in hot drinks or add sugar to your breakfast cereal, gradually reduce the amount until you can cut it out altogether. Alternatively, switch to a sweetener.
Reducing sugar in food
Reducing sugar in food
Rather than spreading high-sugar jam, marmalade, syrup, chocolate spread or honey on your toast, try a lower-fat spread, reduced-sugar jam or fruit spread, sliced banana or lower-fat cream cheese instead.
Check nutrition labels to help you pick the foods with less added sugar, or go for the reduced- or lower-sugar version.
Try reducing the sugar you use in your recipes. It works for most things except jam, meringues and ice cream.
Choose tins of fruit in juice rather than syrup.
Choose unsweetened wholegrain breakfast cereals that are not frosted, or coated with chocolate or honey.
Choose unsweetened cereal and try adding some fruit for sweetness, which will contribute to your 5 A Day. Sliced bananas, dried fruit and berries are all good options.
Task 3 : How can you be sugar smart?
Can you think of ways to reduce our sugar intake?
Can you think of ways to reduce our sugar intake?
In groups, consider how we can reduce our sugar intake.
Think of at least 4 suggestions to share with the class.
Why is it important to be aware of our sugar intake?
Task 4 : Create a graph to show how much 'free' sugar is in each of the foods below per 100g/100ml.
Task 4 : Create a graph to show how much 'free' sugar is in each of the foods below per 100g/100ml.
Extension : Can you calculate the sugar intake for 1 serving of each food/drink?
Task 5 : What are the physical side effects of eating too much sugar in a short space of time?
Task 5 : What are the physical side effects of eating too much sugar in a short space of time?
Include a title at the top of your graph.
Add the name of each food/drink to the horizontal axis.
Use the nutritional tables for each food/drink to identify the data you need to include in your graph.
Decide the data range for the vertical axis, label your graph and include titles for each axis.
Use the shape tool to create the bars to represent your data.
Look at the serving sizes for each food/drink, how much sugar is in a single serving?
Fat 0g
of which saturates 0g
Carbohydrate 81g
of which sugars 73g
Protein 4.2g
Salt 0.03g
Typical Values
Per 100g
Energy
1448kJ
341kcal
Typical Values Per 100g
Energy
478kJ / 116kcal
Fat 10.0g
of which sugars1.0g
Carbohydrate 4.7g
of which sugars4.2g
Fibre 1.4g
Protein 0.9g
Salt 0.41g
Fat 7.8g
of which saturates 2.3g
Carbohydrate 50.3g
of which sugars 11.4g
Fibre 2.5g
Protein 9.8g
Salt 1.1g
Typical Values
Per 100g
Energy
1330kJ
316kcal
Typical Values Per 100g
Energy
1683kJ / 397kcal
Fat 4.2g
of which sugars 2.3g
Carbohydrate 89.1g
of which sugars 73.7g
Protein 0g
Salt 0.02g
Typical Values
Per 100ml
Energy
201kJ
47kcal
Carbohydrate 12g
Of which Sugars 11g
Salt 0.19g
Vitamins
Riboflavin (Vit B2) 0.7mg (50%)
Niacin (Vit B3) 8.5mg (53%)
Vitamin B6 0.8mg (57%)
Vitamin B12 2.5µg (100%)
What is sugar overload?
A sugar overload is eating a high amount of sugar in a short space of time. A sugar overload can happen for many different reasons from simply enjoying your favourite food and overindulging to comforting yourself through a low mood or even attending a party or occasion. No matter the reason, once the euphoria of all that dopamine rushing through your body passes, your body is left to deal with the fallout. After eating too much sugar, especially quickly, your body will feel a physical effect.
Why does this happen?
Well, when you consume sugar, your body reacts by releasing insulin. Insulin helps keep the sugar level in your blood consistent. Once the sugar wears off, your body is left with an overabundance of insulin and not enough glucose to provide you with energy, which in turn causes the dreaded “sugar crash.”
The symptoms of a sugar crash include:
Headaches
Irritability
Fatigue and difficulty concentrating
Feeling jittery or anxious
Feeling shaky or dizzy
Hunger
Bloating (which can result in stomach and chest pain in severe cases)
For people living with diabetes, these crashes are typically more severe and are treated as a condition called hypoglycemia. (There are occasional cases of hypoglycemia in individuals who do not suffer from diabetes.)
So, is sugar overload dangerous?
While sugar overload and the subsequent sugar crash can be uncomfortable, it is not typically dangerous in healthy individuals. For those with diabetes, however, even a one-time sugar overload can have more severe effects. The long-term impact of excessive sugar intake, can be alarming for everyone and should be something everyone is aware of. Increasing your knowledge and understanding of how our bodies are effected by the food and drink we consume allows us to make healthy, informed choices.
To apply my knowledge of nutrition when exploring the RDI of sugar
To apply my knowledge of nutrition when exploring the RDI of sugar
So that I can set myself relevant targets that will help maintain my physical health and well-being.
Can you remember the RDI for sugar?
Discuss in your groups.
The NHS recommendation is :
The NHS recommendation is :
- Adults should have no more than 30g of free sugars a day, (roughly equivalent to 7 sugar cubes).
- Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24g of free sugars a day (6 sugar cubes).
- Children aged 4 to 6 should have no more than 19g of free sugars a day (5 sugar cubes).
The NHS do not have a guideline limit for children under the age of 4, but it's recommended they avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and food with sugar added to it.
The NHS do not have a guideline limit for children under the age of 4, but it's recommended they avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and food with sugar added to it.
The British Nutrition Foundation offer a further breakdown of the recommended daily intake for sugar.
The British Nutrition Foundation offer a further breakdown of the recommended daily intake for sugar.
Task 1 : Complete the RDI table for the following people.
Remember these are not daily targets as everyone is different, your age/size, health, lifestyle and activity level will affect how much you eat and drink.
Remember these are not daily targets as everyone is different, your age/size, health, lifestyle and activity level will affect how much you eat and drink.
Task 2 : Evaluate Pamela and Gavin's diet.
Look at the food Pamela and Gavin have eaten throughout a single day and answer the questions below.
This is Pamela and her 14 year old son Gavin. They are moving house today which means they have emptied and switched off their refrigerator.
How has this influenced their food choices today?
Have they made healthy choices?
Answer the questions below, use the space provided in your digital booklet to show your workings.
Answer the questions below, use the space provided in your digital booklet to show your workings.
A. Calculate how many grams of sugar are in each full meal.
This includes any side dishes and drinks eaten with the meal.
Breakfast
Dinner
Lunch
Snacks
B. Pamela ate all of these meals, what was her sugar intake?
This means Pamela ate everything that is listed.
C. Gavin did not have anything from Starbucks but he did have a whole portion of fries at dinner, what was his sugar intake?
D. Compare Pamela and Gavin’s sugar intake to the RDI, what is the difference?
Are Pamela and Gavin eating the recommended amount of sugar or could they be eating too much? You will need to compare how much they are eating to the RDI for their age.
E. What choices could Pamela and Gavin make to reduce their sugar intake?
You can access the online menus for each restaurant by clicking their logos.
You can access the online menus for each restaurant by clicking their logos.
Remember you are looking for the sugar content of each meal, snack or drink.
This information is available for all food and drinks however some restaurants will not advertise all nutrional information clearly. You will need to access their nutritional table. This will look like the example below (this one is from Starbucks).
This is the Nutritionix Database.
This is an online website that is free to access.
You can use this database to find the nutrition information for thousands of foods, including restaurant meals, snacks and drinks.
Use the link on the left to find the nutrition information for your favourite snack or restaurant meal.
Task 3 : Setting yourself targets
Think about your own sugar intake, set yourself 2 targets for the next half term that will have a positive impact on your physical health and well-being.
Think about your own sugar intake, set yourself 2 targets for the next half term that will have a positive impact on your physical health and well-being.
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