Sugar in its many forms can be confusing, but if there’s one to get your head around it’s fructose. You might know fructose as the fruit sugar – I know I certainly used to a few years ago, before I got wise. It helps to understand fructose in a bit of detail, so here are the essentials you need to know (Don’t worry, I’m not going to bombard you with biochemistry here!).

What is fructose?

Fructose is a simple sugar that’s found naturally in fruit and in small amounts in some vegetables. It’s the sugar that makes things taste sweet … More about this

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There’s no doubt about it, sugar substitutes like xylitol, the artificial sweeteners and ‘natural’ sugar sources can all be confusing. I’ve been reading, researching and filling my head with this for over a year now, and I still find it all overwhelmingly baffling at times.

I wanted to get to the bottom of Stevia. Sarah Wilson, my faithful sugar guru, goes with it. Others say it’s processed and natural honey would be better. I decided to do some deeper research and form my own opinion on the new kid in sugar-free town.

What is Stevia?

Stevia is touted … More about this

Now I was in a quandary when Natural Balance Foods wanted to send me some of their Nakd cereal bars to review. I actually had to sleep on it. Why? Because at one point, these little bad boys fed my sugar addiction. They are not the most sugar saintly thing on the planet. Would it be right to review on my blog? And could I live in peace with a whole box of them in the house?

I thought about those who actually might be reading the post, and I figured I could put together quite an insightful piece on … More about this

Sugar can get a little confusing. Can you explain what the difference is between a banana and a croissant? I’ve been self teaching myself for a while now, and still sometimes I find it hard to explain quickly and painlessly the differences between various foodstuffs.

If you aren’t clear what the difference is between our yellow friend and the French speciality, then read on for where I’ve come to on these two…

• A banana and a croissant are made up of different types of sugar that are metabolised differently by the body
• A banana contains some fructose (in fact, quite

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The sugar in drinks these days is nothing far from shocking.

It’s one of the most deceiving places for hiding an insane amount of sugar and the easiest way to glug your way over a sensible amount.

Obviously soft drinks are the king of sugar drink sinners, but fruit juices, flavoured waters and the rest of them are all pretty bad. There’s really no way around this one I’m afraid.

The ‘Rethink your drink’ campaign is trying to raise awareness with powerful pictures. I struggled to find one based on drinks we have in the UK but I might … More about this

Dried fruit was one of my former sugar weaknesses. Oh gosh how I loved raisins, candid peel, dried apricots and prunes etc. Unfortunately, dried fruits are loaded with sugar despite having various health benefits. They contain a lot of fructose which is metabolised in the same way as any sugar.

In an ideal sugar free world, I would cut dried fruit forever and stick to fresh, but there will be lapses, especially with Christmas around the corner. When Go For Life sent me some dried mulberries as one of the healthiest dried fruit alternatives, I thought I would give them … More about this

So you’re standing in the supermarket, it’s a bit cold because you’re in the fridge section and you want to move towards the warm bakery section ASAP.  Bamboozled by yoghurt choice this post is about to save you some serious chilly time.

Yes we’re talking o’mighty yoghurt, a staple product for any health conscious soul. Yoghurt is a delicious source of protein that is an ideal keep it steady blood sugar snack or breakfast component. Nevertheless, it needs some serious awareness so please read on.

Natural vs. Fruit

For a start, when it comes to sugar content, natural yoghurt comes … More about this

A few weeks ago I had something to celebrate and cocktails were order of the day. It didn’t take long before one my friends asked ‘I wonder which cocktail has the most sugar?’. Have you ever put thought to how much you might be guzzling down on an average night out?

Whilst I will always promote a number of healthier alcoholic drinks to choose over the cocktail, I understand that sometimes only a fancy glass with bright umbrella will do. You’re by the pool on your oh so tropical holiday, it’s the last five minutes of happy hour, or you … More about this

How do you fancy a nice glass of red with your cheese board or Sunday roast? I know I’ve certainly matured to this popular pastime in recent years. I started enjoying red wine when I was wining and dining as part of my job with a colleague who was least to say a bit of a connoisseur and allowed me to sample only the good stuff – so of course I was going to grow partial to a nice glass of Merlot here and there. What are the benefits of consuming red wine and how much sugar are we really … More about this