Create a Healthy Lifestyle: Choose the Right Sugar and Regular Exercise

Milla Nurjanati S,Gz
Nutritionist

“Health is invaluable wealth, and the key to achieving it lies in a healthy lifestyle.”

In a world filled with demands and achievements, maintaining a balance between mind, body, and soul is crucial. One of the principles of adopting a healthy lifestyle is a balanced and healthy diet. Understanding how to adjust sugar consumption is a particularly important part of this. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the recommended maximum sugar consumption per person per day is 10% of total energy (200 calories). This consumption is equivalent to 4 tablespoons of sugar per person per day or 50 grams per person per day – and the daily consumption of approximately 48 million Indonesians (almost 20%!) exceeds this amount. 

It is hard to give up sweet foods, we know! In addition to limiting daily intake, we can also choose healthsiapier types of sugar, to get the sweet without the drawbacks. But how?

The most popular foods are generally dominated by Cane sugar, commonly known as white sugar. Palm and Coconut sugars (Aren sugar, Coconut sugar, Lontar Sugar), however, provide a more healthy option due to promoting more steady blood sugar levels (measured as having a lower Glycemic Index) than Cane sugar.

What Type of Sugar Is Contained in YAVA Products?

YAVA uses Lontar sugar harvested by local farmers in Karangasem, Bali. Lontar sugar belongs to the category of palm sugar. Lontar sugar is sugar derived from nira from Lontar palm trees. 

Most Indonesians consume Cane sugar. However, compared to Cane sugar, Lontar sugar has several advantages:

1. Lower Glycemic Index (GI)
   Lontar sugar has a lower GI 54, compared to Cane sugar, with a value of 68. Foods with a low glycemic index with a score of <55 stabilize blood sugar release, preventing the pancreas from working hard to produce insulin after meals, thus reducing the risk of diabetes. Additionally, it also provides a feeling of fullness for a longer time, supporting weight management. Of course, it is important to combine Lontar Sugar with other low-GI ingredients and foods.
2. Higher Nutrient Content
   Lontar sugar is processed without refinement, so it contains many vitamins and minerals such as potassium, zinc, iron, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6. These help prevent anemia, aid in bone and nerve health, and boost the body's immune system. Additionally, Lontar sugar contains dietary fiber called inulin, which helps maintain blood sugar stability and digestive health.
3. Better Taste
   The sweetness of Lontar sugar will not alter the taste of the product when added, unlike Coconut sugar, where the taste of coconut will dominate the food product.

Balance Your Healthy Diet with Regular Exercise!

In addition to managing sugar intake and types, you should also balance your healthy lifestyle with regular exercise of at least 30 minutes at least five days per week. The benefits of exercise for body health are:

1. Improving Body Endurance.
   Regular exercise will improve hormone function in the body, which can increase body endurance, fitness, and immunity.
2. Enhancing Brain Function.
   Exercise can increase the amount of oxygen in the blood and improve blood flow to the brain, thereby enhancing brain function.
3. Reducing Stress.
   Exercise can help manage emotions, anxiety, and stress, resulting in reduced stress levels. Physical activity triggers the body, including the brain, to release hormones, including endorphins, which can affect mood positively.
4. Preventing Obesity.
   The body burns more calories during exercise, helping to reduce the accumulation of fat in the body. Regular exercise can also burn bad cholesterol, (LDL), and triglycerides while increasing good cholesterol (HDL), thus helping the body stay fit and reducing the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, and heart disease.

Are You Ready to Embrace a Healthy Lifestyle with YAVA as your partner?

Change will not come on its own; it all starts with the small steps we take. This includes choosing healthier food products. As explained, YAVA can be your choice for breakfast or snacks because of its healthier sugar content compared to white sugar. Of course, you also need to balance it with a healthy diet and regular exercise. 

Find YAVA Granola Cashew with flavor variants such as Chocolate Banana, Chocolate Vanilla, Coconut Banana, Rosella Cinnamon, and Tropical Fruits; YAVA Wild Harvested Cashew with flavor variants such as Cacao, Chili Lime, Sea Salt, Roasted, Garlic Pepper, and Sweet Spicy; and other YAVA products, all available at your favorite online stores:

• Tokopedia
• Shopee
• Lazada
• Blibli
• Tiktok Shop

Additional resources:

• Manfaat Gula Merah VS Gula Putih bagi Penderita Diabetes.
• Penting, Ini yang Perlu Anda Ketahui Mengenai Konsumsi Gula, Garam dan Lemak
• Palmyrah palm and its products (Neera, Jaggery and Candy)—A Review on chemistry and technology
• The Life-Giving Lontar Palm
• 3 Reasons why you should choose Coconut and Palm Sugar over white sugar
• Ini Segudang Manfaat Berolahraga
• Gula Siwalan Sebagai Bahan Pemanis Alami