Sugar Glucose Guide

Inside this guide

SUGAR & GLUCOSE IN YOUR EVERYDAY DIET Nutrition Reference  Educational Use Steady sugar, strong muscle, better long-term health. Page 1 Sugar and Glucose in Your Everyday Diet What is highest, what is hidden, what is underrated, and how muscle helps Blood glucose rises after every meal, and that is normal. The goal is smaller, slower rises, not zero. Sugar comes from obvious sweets and from hidden sources, and fast starches like white rice and maida also turn into glucose quickly. This guide shows which foods are highest, where sugar hides, which low-sugar foods are underrated, how to pair foods to avoid spikes, and why building muscle gives your body a bigger place to store glucose and protects your health long term. All values are approximate. 1. Sugar and Glucose: The Basics Key terms Why this matters: Knowing the terms makes labels and advice much easier to understand. TERM WHAT IT MEANS EXAMPLE OR NOTE Glucose The sugar in your blood and the main fuel for your cells. Your body makes it from carbohydrates, and also from protein and fat in small amounts. Sugar (table sugar, sucrose) Half glucose and half fructose. Sugar, jaggery, honey, syrups and sweets. Starch Long chains of glucose that digestion breaks down. Rice, roti, bread, potato, poha and noodles all become glucose, sometimes quickly. Added or free sugar Sugar added to food, or found in honey, syrups and juices. This is the type health bodies advise limiting. Blood sugar spike A rise in blood glucose after eating. A rise is normal, but big, fast spikes strain insulin and can leave you tired and hungry. Glycemic index (GI) and load GI shows how fast a food raises blood sugar, and glycemic load adds portion size. A food with a high GI in a tiny portion can matter less than a big portion of a medium-GI food.…