A happy Diwali to all Guyanese, especially our Hindu brothers and sisters! Guyana, one of the most blessed countries in the world with a unique blend of races, cultures and religions, not only demonstrates tolerance for personal differences, but also actively celebrates each other’s holidays. However, be mindful, especially diabetics, of your sugar consumption from the delicious sweet meats that will be easily accessible at this time.

The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that the maximum daily consumption of sugar for a male is nine teaspoons (37.5g or 150 calories) versus women six teaspoons (25g or 100 calories), taking your total caloric intake and physical output into consideration.

So, a 12oz. can of coke which has 42 grammes of sugar or 140 calories and a 52.7g of snicker bar which contains 33 grammes of sugar plus fats and proteins or 250 calories, both exceed the daily sugar intake limit for a female and male respectively. It is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that added sugars should not be more than 10 per cent of your total required daily caloric intake.
So, during this Festival of Lights, enlighten your choices as you indulge, taking this information into consideration:
> A serving of kheer (sweet rice pudding made with milk) has 247 calories.
> Two pieces of gooja (deep fried with coconut and sugar stuffing) is 400 calories
> Two gulab jamun (soft syrup soaked balls that melt in mouth) is 350 calories
> A serving of halwa (parsad made from ghee) has 181 calories
> Two rasgulla (panner balls soaked in sugar syrup) has 300 calories
> Two laddu (sweet flour balls ) has 415 calories
> Two pieces of barfi (milk sugar cake with nuts) has 320 calories

So, go low on sugar consumption during celebrations. Apart from festivities, daily consumption of foods such as white bread, white rice, English potatoes and soft drinks, foods with a high glycemic index, can all be considered likewise.

Sugars from naturally occurring foods (like mangoes, banana and pineapples) are different from refined crystalline sugar that we buy from the supermarket, whether brown or white. Natural sugars are digested slower since it has fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

Investigative research into the actual eating habits of persons suffering from certain illness may unfold life-altering findings and may make significant impact into reducing pain and suffering in humanity.
It has been established that excessive sugar consumption is linked to major chronic illnesses or lifestyle diseases such as obesity, type two diabetes, heart diseases, certain cancers and fatty liver disease. Free radicals released from sugar metabolism can cause migraine headaches and high blood pressure. Also, it was established that too much sugar causes excessive oxidative stress due to excessive production of free radicals and has been linked to rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, mental illness and neurodegenerative disease. Tooth decay and acne are the less serious consequences but sometimes stigmatized conditions. Additionally, hyperactivity, anxiety and lack of concentration are some spinoff effects from excessive intake of sugar.

Sugar can be classified as complex or simple. Simple sugars like the ones in candies and aerated drinks are absorbed very quickly into the blood stream causing the release of insulin from the pancreas. Repeated and frequent consumption of simple sugars trigger this mechanism constantly and later can cause insulin resistance and excessive fat storage from the unused glucose.

Elevated levels of glucose in diabetic patients have an adverse effect on the arterial walls and endothelium, increasing the likelihood for cholesterol deposit and clot formation; hence heart attacks, strokes and deep vein thrombosis to name a few. Accumulation of excessive fat usually increases your body mass index (BMI) above the ideal limit of 25, which enhances your risks for a plethora of other diseases.
Complex carbs such as those found in brown rice, barley, sweet potatoes, legumes, beans, peas, lentils and oats takes a longer time to digest and breakdown hence feeling of satiety for a longer period.

Conversely, the opposite effect is created when using artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin. Products marketed to have zero calories such as diet sodas, jello and ice cream are sometimes used initially to wean off from too much sugar consumption but in reality artificial sweeteners can be addictive. Over time, high levels of consumption of artificial sweeteners have been linked to obesity, clotting, strokes, heart attacks and death, especially in women over 50.

For further discussion, contact the pharmacist of Medicine Express PHARMACY located at 223 Camp Street, between Lamaha and New Market Streets. If you have any queries, comments or further information on the above topic kindly forward them to medicine.express@gmail.com or send them to 223 Camp Street, N/burg. Tel #225-5142.