Watch your sugar intake this summer

It’s too darn hot, as the Ella Fitzgerald song goes. The reluctant winter has given way to exceedingly high temperatures. It’s shaping up to be the warm season of our dreams, and with the appropriate precautions such as social distancing, wearing our masks and washing and sanitising our hands, the summer looks promising.  

 Those who have been itching to go out picnicking have obviously thought about what should go into their baskets. One of those things is juice; we know that keeping cool in a delicious way is a must. But a lot of people make the mistake of relying heavily on fruit juices, which often contain a lot of sugar.  When you drink them, these beverages cause a sugar high and then a sugar drop afterwards.  

On this page we have spoken about the dangers of too much sugar in the beverages we consume. At the same time, the Healthy Living Alliance was lobbying  to have fruit juices included in the sugar tax and to have the sugar tax increased from 11% to 20%. 

“Fruit juices in general are not good for you because of the high sugar. Fruit is good for you but you wouldn’t eat five apples at a time, we wouldn’t eat five oranges at a time,” says Lynda Stanton, a specialist sports therapist and life coach.

“So when you have a whole bottle of orange juice you’re literally eating five or six oranges. If you’re having a 300ml bottle of apple juice you’re probably drinking the equivalent of five apples. The sugar is just too high.”

Stanton is also the owner of Juice4Joy, a cold pressed juice company. The six-year-old business started as a service to her clients and after she’d done some extensive research she realised that the key to helping people feel well and to having vibrant energy lay in what they consumed and drank.  

“Fresh cold pressed juice was just starting to trend here although it was already trending overseas. I was one of the first companies to really do true, cold pressed, high-veg artisanal juice bottled in glass.  Most companies are bottling in plastic,” says Stanton.

“So at Juice4Joy we decided to be eco-friendly as well as health-friendly. So our juices are 80% vegetables with superfoods and then complimented with fruit. So it’s low GI and healthy for the gut. It’s brain food and it helps to heal quite a few things if you do cleanses and do the right stuff, because your immune system is built or broken from your gut,” she says.  

Stanton says both fruit and veggies are hydrating since they carry natural waters.

“There is a lot of good-quality mineralised water in the vegetables. A lot of your natural salts and minerals and a lot of vitamins in their natural form come through veggies and obviously a little bit of fruit  has some good substance to it,” she says.  

Stanton sells her juices for R42 for 300ml online. They’re also available at selected health stores. Her range consists of Gorgeous Green, which is high in greens; Liver Lover and even one called Dirt Detox, which contains activated charcoal, which draws toxins out of the body. The juices have between 12 and 16 ingredients; Stanton says it’s like eating a meal.

“We’re passionate about making people feel better and them making better choices for themselves nutritionally,” she says.

Another way to keep cool and healthy during the heatwave is by making yourself a sorbet. Below are some nutritional benefits and a recipe supplied by Jandri Barnard, a registered dietician and spokesperson for the Association for Dietetics in SA.

• Sorbets can make colourful (without adding artificial colourants), refreshing and delicious desserts.
• Sorbets can be served with meringues, biscuits, fresh fruit, sweet fruity sauces or frozen in ice lollies.
• Sorbet is made by freezing fruit syrup or puree and then beating it to a soft, smooth consistency.
• Sorbets consist mainly of sugar (diabetics should rather substitute sugar with a sweetener) water and fruit (fresh or frozen).
• It is the ideal dessert and ice cream alternative for those people with allergies, following a dairy, egg, gluten, nut  or soya-free diet.
• Orley whip can be added as a non-dairy substitute.
• Soya yoghurt or a plant-based milk like almond, rice or oat milk can also be added to make the sorbet creamier.

Berry Sorbet

Serves 6

Ingredients:

750g fresh or frozen berries – blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or a mix of berries

400ml sugar syrup – place 350ml water in a pan, add 375g castor sugar and 1 strip of lemon zest and bring slowly to a simmer, stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved. Boil the syrup until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Then pour the thickened syrup into a cold bowl to prevent it from cooking and thickening further.

Juice of 1 lemon

Fresh mint leaves, cut fine (optionally)

1. Press the berries, if fresh, through a sieve into a bowl, or if frozen, blend in a blender until smaller pieces of berries visible but not pureed.
2. Mix in the ready-made sugar syrup and lemon juice. Mint leaves can be added optionally.
3. Taste and, if necessary, balance the flavour with a squeeze of lemon juice or extra castor sugar.
4. Pour the berry mixture into a plastic container, cover with a lid and freeze for 4 hours or until half frozen.
5. Cut the freezing mixture into chunks or shred with a fork and blend in a food processor until smooth.
6. Return the sorbet to the freezer and freeze another 2 hours.
7. Beat once again and return the sorbet to the freezer until firm.
8. Remove the sorbet from the freezer 15 minutes before serving, to soften.
9. Garnish with mint leaves and berries or serve with a fruit sauce.