Sugar: What You Need to Know

Not just table sugar.

• Sucrose
• Glucose
• Fructose
• Corn syrup
• Maltodextrin
• Dextrose
• Hidden added sugars

And distinguish naturally occurring sugars from added sugars rather than treating every source identically.

Sugar: What You Need to Know

When most people hear the word sugar, they immediately think about the white table sugar sitting in a sugar bowl.

But that's not the only thing I want you looking for.

Sugar can show up on an ingredient list under different names, and if you're trying to reduce your sugar intake, you need to start recognizing those names instead of assuming that a product is low in sugar simply because you don't see the word “sugar” printed on the front.

In the material we've already developed for this guide, the names I want you learning to recognize include:

Sucrose.Glucose.Fructose.Corn syrup.Maltodextrin.Dextrose.And other hidden added sugars.

It's to teach you something practical:

Turn the package around and read what you're actually eating.

Sugar Doesn't Always Say “Sugar”

This is one of the most important lessons.

You pick up a food.

You look at the ingredient list.

You don't immediately see:

“Sugar.”

So you think:

“Okay, there's no sugar in this.”

Not necessarily.

The material we've already developed specifically warns you that sugar doesn't always appear on an ingredient list simply under the word “sugar.” It identifies sucrose, glucose, fructose, corn syrup, maltodextrin, dextrose, and other hidden added sugars as names you should start recognizing.

That's why I don't want you making your decision based only on how the package looks or what the marketing says.

Remember what we talked about in the previous chapter:

“Healthy.”

“Natural.”

“Keto.”

“High Protein.”

“Zero Sugar.”

“Low Carb.”

Those words are on the front of the package.

I want you turning it around and looking at what's actually inside.

Sucrose

Sucrose is one of the names I want you to recognize when you're reading ingredient lists.

You don't need to memorize a complicated explanation.

For the purposes of this guide, remember:

If you see sucrose, don't overlook it simply because the ingredient doesn't literally say “table sugar.”

It's one of the sugar-related ingredients specifically identified in the PayToCommit material as something readers should learn to recognize.

Glucose

The next name is:

Glucose.

We've already talked about glucose earlier in this guide when discussing blood glucose and insulin.

Here, I want you looking at it from the food-label side.

If you're reading an ingredient list and you see glucose, recognize that name.

Don't assume:

“Well, it doesn't say sugar, so it doesn't count.”

The entire point of this section is teaching you to recognize sugar-related ingredients even when the manufacturer isn't simply using the word “sugar.”

Fructose

Another name you're going to see is:

Fructose.

Again, recognize the word.

This is especially important because later I'm going to explain why I don't want you treating every source of sugar as if it exists in exactly the same context.

Your source specifically tells us to distinguish naturally occurring sugars from added sugars rather than treating every source identically.

That's an important distinction, and we'll come back to it.

Corn Syrup

Next:

Corn syrup.

This one should be fairly easy to recognize because the word “syrup” is right there.

If you're trying to reduce added sugar and you're reading an ingredient list, this is one of the names your PayToCommit material specifically tells you to watch for.

And remember where added sugars can show up.

Not just candy.

They can be in:

Sweetened cereal.Flavored yogurt.Sauces.Syrups.Desserts.Packaged snacks.Drinks.

And other foods where you may not immediately expect them.

That's why reading ingredient lists matters.

Maltodextrin

Another name I want you to recognize is:

Maltodextrin.

This is exactly the kind of ingredient that somebody who hasn't learned to read food labels may see and think:

“I don't know what that is, so I'll ignore it.”

Don't ignore it.

For this article, the important lesson from your material is simply that maltodextrin belongs on the list of names you're learning to recognize while looking for hidden added sugars and refined ingredients.

You don't need to memorize hundreds of ingredients.

But you should start recognizing the ones that repeatedly show up in the foods you're buying.

Dextrose

The same applies to:

Dextrose.

When you see dextrose on an ingredient list, recognize the name.

Again, the point isn't to make food complicated.

It's actually the opposite.

The more you learn to recognize what you're looking at, the easier it becomes to pick up a product and decide:

“Does this fit the way I've chosen to eat, or doesn't it?”

Dextrose is one of the specific names already identified in your source material for this article.

Hidden Added Sugars

Now we get to the bigger issue:

Hidden added sugars.

I use the word “hidden” because people often don't realize how many foods can contain added sweetness.

You may expect sugar in:

Candy.

Cake.

Cookies.

Ice cream.

But you may pay less attention to:

Sweetened cereals.

Flavored yogurt.

Sauces.

Syrups.

Packaged snacks.

Drinks.

That's why I want you to develop the habit of actually reading the ingredient list instead of judging a food by how sweet it tastes.

Your existing kitchen-cleanout section also specifically identifies foods with added sugar, including candy, desserts, sweetened cereals, flavored yogurts, syrups, sauces with added sugar, and other foods where sugar has been added.

So don't think:

“It doesn't taste like candy, therefore there's no added sugar.”

That's exactly the assumption I want you to stop making.

Naturally Occurring Sugar Is Not the Same Question as Added Sugar

Now I want to make an important distinction because I don't want this article to become:

“Every molecule of sugar in every food is exactly the same thing in every practical situation.”

That's not how your own outline says to teach this.

The material specifically says to distinguish naturally occurring sugars from added sugars rather than treating every source identically.

Here's the practical distinction I want you understanding from the source.

Sometimes sugar is naturally present in a food.

Other times, a manufacturer adds sugar or sweeteners to a product.

Those are different questions when you're evaluating what you're eating.

For example, your Zapp the Fat material says that if sugar is consumed at all in your personal approach, it comes only from foods that are naturally low in sugar with no added sugars.

That's an important part of your philosophy.

Your broader food philosophy is built around choosing foods that are:

Naturally low in sugar.

and

Free of added sugars.

So when I tell you to watch sugar, I don't want the lesson reduced to:

“All foods containing any naturally occurring sugar are identical to a product where manufacturers added sugar, corn syrup, syrups, and other sweeteners.”

That's too simplistic.

Added Sugar Means Someone Put It There

Here's a simple way I want you thinking about it.

If a food naturally contains some sugar, that's one situation.

If a manufacturer takes a product and adds:

Sugar.Syrup.Honey.Or another sweetener.

that's another situation.

Your existing kitchen-cleanout section specifically tells readers to remove table sugar, honey, syrups, and other added sweeteners routinely used in foods or drinks.

That's why I want you asking:

“Was sweetness added to this food?”

That's a useful question.

Don't Let the Front of the Package Fool You

This is especially important with foods marketed as:

“Zero sugar.”

or:

“Low sugar.”

or:

“Healthy.”

Your source already makes the larger point that a diet label on the package doesn't automatically make something a good food.

That's why you need to:

Turn the package around.

Read the ingredient list.

Look at what you're actually eating.

If you're reading the front of the package and stopping there, you're letting the manufacturer do your thinking for you.

I want you doing your own thinking.

Start With the Obvious Sugar

Now don't make this harder than it needs to be.

Maybe you're reading this and thinking:

“Now I have to memorize every possible name for sugar.”

No.

Remember my philosophy:

Keep it simple.

Start with the obvious things.

Get rid of:

Sugary drinks.

Candy.

Desserts.

Sweetened cereals.

Sweetened snacks.

Syrups.

Foods with obvious added sugar.

Then start becoming better at reading ingredient lists.

Over time, names like:

Sucrose.Glucose.Fructose.Corn syrup.Maltodextrin.Dextrose.

will start standing out to you automatically.

You don't have to learn everything today.

Incremental action is key.

Don't Forget What You're Drinking

And remember what we just talked about in the last chapter.

Some of the easiest added sugar to remove is the sugar you're drinking.

Soda.Sweet tea.Sugar-sweetened energy drinks.Sweetened coffee.Fruit juice.Smoothies.Sports drinks.Sugary alcohol mixers.

The rule was:

Don't Drink Your Calories.

Your existing material specifically recommends removing sugar from coffee, tea, soft drinks, juice, smoothies, sports drinks, and sugary mixers as part of reducing sugar and carbohydrate intake.

So if understanding every food label feels overwhelming, start with your drinks.

That's an easy win.

Make Your Environment Work for You

And just like we talked about with ultra-processed food:

Don't make yourself fight the same temptation all day long.

If your kitchen is filled with:

Candy.

Cookies.

Sweet cereal.

Syrups.

Sugary drinks.

Desserts.

and other foods with added sugar, you're making your challenge harder.

Your PayToCommit material tells you to make your environment work for you instead of against you by removing the foods you're trying to stop eating and replacing them with foods that fit your plan.

That's accountability too.

You're not simply saying:

“I hope I make better choices.”

You're changing the environment so the better choice becomes easier.

The Simple Sugar Rule

Here's what I want you remembering:

Sugar doesn't always say “sugar.”

Learn to recognize:

Sucrose.Glucose.Fructose.Corn syrup.Maltodextrin.Dextrose.And other added sugars.

Read ingredient lists.

Don't assume a food has no added sugar simply because it doesn't taste like candy.

And don't treat naturally occurring sugar and added sugar as if they're automatically the same practical situation.

For the Zapp the Fat approach, my preference is simple:

Naturally low in sugar. No added sugar.

That's part of the larger philosophy behind the way I personally eat.

And remember why we're learning this.

Not so you can become obsessed with labels.

Not so you can make eating more complicated.

We're doing it so you can become informed enough to make better decisions without guessing.

Read it.

Recognize it.

Make the decision.

Then follow through.

Simple = Success. Commitment = Accountability. Accountability = Results.

PayToCommit — Where You Put Money on the Line to Lose Weight by a Deadline.