Sugar and fat are two of the most discussed topics in nutrition. Have you ever wondered which one is better and which one is worse? Both have their own reasons to be our friend and our foe.
糖和脂肪是营养学中讨论最多的两个主题。您有没有想过哪一个比较好及哪一个比较不好呢？两个都有成为我们的朋友和敌人的理由。
Over the past few decades, low fat diet has become the most popular way to lose weight. Many food manufacturers come out with low-fat products which claim can help reduce weight but little that consumer knew that low-fat food products usually are high in sugar. Why? One issue that food manufacturers failed to consider when following this route was that without the flavour that fats provide, something else had to be added: sugar.
在过去的几十年里，低脂饮食已成为最流行的减肥方法。许多食品制造商都推出声称可以帮助减轻体重的低脂产品，但是很少消费者知道这些低脂产品通常都是含高糖量的，为什么呢？食品制造商在遵循这条路线时未能考虑到一个问题，那就是如果没有脂肪提供的味道，就必须添加其他东西，那就是糖。
Nowadays, diet trends seem to focus more on high fat and low carbohydrate. This is because they believed that sugar and carbohydrate are the culprit of the diseases. However, the key of healthy diet is not simply cutting those macronutrients. Remember, balance is the key. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends reducing both bad fat and sugar to get the most nutritious diet is possible.
现今，饮食趋势似乎更集中在高脂肪和低碳水化合物上。这是因为我们相信糖和碳水化合物是许多疾病的罪魁祸首。然而，健康饮食的关键并不仅仅是削减那些常量营养素。切记，健康饮食的关键是均衡。美国国立卫生研究院（NIH）建议减少坏脂肪及糖，摄取最有营养的食物。
The Sweet Killer / 甜蜜杀手
Since sugar is a carbohydrate, it acts as the main source of energy to your body. Simple sugar acts as an immediate source of energy when metabolized. Complex sugars can provide your body with long-lasting energy as opposed to simple sugars. Which one is the sweet killer? The refined sugar. Limiting this sugar should be a priority to all, not just people with diabetes. In fact, limiting sugar intake is a good way to start getting your blood glucose levels under control. Cutting back on the amount of processed foods you eat is also recommended as the majority contain added sugars. “Low-fat” products such as yogurts, peanut butter and jam usually contain high sugar. As a health-concern consumer, we should be wise to choose the best products. Read label before buying, and search for product that has the least sugar and saturated fat content.
由于糖是碳水化合物，它可以作为身体的主要能量来源。单糖在代谢后将成为直接的能量来源。而复合糖，它是提供身体持久的能量来源。哪一种才是甜蜜杀手呢？答案是：精制糖。限制摄取这种糖是所有人的首要任务，而不仅仅是糖尿病患者。事实上，限制糖的摄入是开始控制血糖水平的最佳方法。建议您减少食用含有大量添加糖的加工食品。“低脂食品”如酸奶、花生酱及果酱通常糖含量都高。作为一个关心健康的消费者，我们应明智地选择最好的食品。购买食品前，应谨慎阅读标签，并选择糖及饱和脂肪含量最低的食品。
The good sugar / 好的糖
Fruits contain natural sugar, which is also a very good source of fiber which can slow the absorption of sugar and negate any potential negative effects on health.
水果含有天然糖。天然糖也是非常好的纤维来源。它可以减缓糖的吸收，并消除对健康的任何潜在负面影响。
Fat- Friend or Foe? / 脂肪-朋友还是敌人？
Fat is the most energy dense nutrient and carries twice as many calories as the same weight of carbohydrate. This doesn’t mean you should avoid fat altogether, all you need to do is to be balance and have a knowledge about the good and the bad fat. Fats found in highly processed foods are not at all good for your health. Trans fats, for example, are found primarily in processed foods, and hydrogenated vegetable oils have been associated with a wide range of negative health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
脂肪是能量密度最高的营养素。它的热量是同等重量碳水化合物的两倍。这并不意味着您应该完全不摄取脂肪。您需要做的就是保持均衡并掌握好脂肪和坏脂肪的摄取量。高度加工食品对我们的健康没有任何好处，如反式脂肪。反式脂肪主要存在于加工食品和氢化植物油。它已证实与多种负面健康状况如心脏病和糖尿病有关。
The friendly fat, the unsaturated one is good for health. Unsaturated fats help lower a person’s levels of LDL cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and build stronger cell membranes in the body. Switching to healthful fats, such as sardines, avocados, olive oil, walnuts, flaxseed, and coconut products can be beneficial to our heart health.
反之，不饱和脂肪对健康有益。不饱和脂肪有助于降低人体内的LDL胆固醇水平、减少炎症，并在体内形成更强的细胞膜。改用健康的脂肪，如沙丁鱼、鳄梨、橄榄油、核桃、亚麻籽和椰子制品，对我们的健康有益。
Summary / 总结
The healthiest way to improve your health is to make minor changes for a healthier choice. Avoid high sugary food and added sugar but consume more fresh fruits. Avoid fried and oily food. Stay away from fast food and always choose unsaturated fat over saturated one. Remember to let the foods work for you, not against you.
改善健康状况的最佳方法就是做出小改变。尽量避免摄取高糖含量及添加糖的食物，食用更多的新鲜水果、避免食用煎炸和油腻的食物、远离快餐，并选择含有不饱和脂肪的食物。
切记，让食物使我们受益，而不是伤害我们。
