No Substitute

EVEN if you aren8217;t counting calories, it8217;s always advisable to watch what you eat. It8217;s easy to pick up nuggets of food info,...

EVEN if you aren8217;t counting calories, it8217;s always advisable to watch what you eat. It8217;s easy to pick up nuggets of food info, but what often gets left out is the fine print. For instance, while sugar spells empty calories, aspartame8212;an ingredient commonly found in sugar substitutes8212;could actually mean worse things for your body.

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CHUCKnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;CHOOSE

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White flour	nbsp;	Whole grain or mixed flour
Traditional snacks	nbsp;	Nuts, raisin bars
Colas and fizzy drinks	nbsp;	Lassi, nimbu pani, mango panna
Chocolate bars	nbsp;	Fruits dipped in light layer of melted chocolate
Fried food	nbsp;	Roasted food
Black tea	nbsp;	Herbal, peppermint or jasmine tea
Fruit juice	nbsp;	Fresh vegetable juice
Canned and frozen food	nbsp;	Fresh food

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Why does food need to be substituted?
Because of growing awareness of the negative side-effects of certain kinds of food, their substitutes8212;lookalikes or taste-alikes8212;do roaring business. 8220;Ideally, the substitute will not have the harmful properties of the original and should, in fact, pass on some additional benefits,8217;8217; says Delhi8217;s diet diva Shikha Sharma.

What is the harm in substitutes?
Very little, if the substitutes are natural. However, many of the substitutes available today are artificial, or chemically produced, and often more harmful8212;in different ways8212;than the original.

Dr Sharma provides the low-down on some common subs and their downside.

Margarine for butter: If you slather on margarine on your morning toast, or use it in baking, and believe you are doing your heart a favour, think again. Margarine is hydrogenated vegetable oil, processed by passing high pressure hydrogen through vegetable oil. The conversion process increases the level of d-form fatty acids, which gravitate towards the arterial walls and cling to them, aggravating the risk of heart disease.

Saccharine for sugar: Sugar is considered unhealthy because of its high calorific value and its ability to convert rapidly into fat. Saccharine, on the other hand, has no calories, but can cross the bloodstream barrier and deposit itself in the brain.

Diet drinks for fruit juice: While fruit juices have high calorific values and can induce weight gain8212;especially when fortified with sugar8212;diet drinks are completely chemical formulations. They may be low on sugar, but the barter is not beneficial for the body.

Do all substitutes impact negatively?
Not at all. Even processed foodstuff can be better for your body than some of the regular foods we use.