SUGAR INTAKE
Healthy from the Start Resources for Shiftworkers
Lots of different foods contain sugar, but not all sugar is created equally. The way that your body uses sugar can contribute to how it impacts your energy levels, and this is measured by the glycaemic index (GI). High GI foods lead to a rapid spike in energy, while low GI foods provide you with a more long-term, consistent source of energy. For this reason, shiftworkers can benefit from choosing low GI foods, particularly when they’re on shift, for longer-lasting energy.
A lot of the foods and drinks that we consume contain sugar (a type of carbohydrate), but how these sugars are ‘packaged’ mean they can have different ratings on the glycaemic index (GI). GI ratings measure how foods or drinks affect your blood sugar and provide you with energy. Low GI foods are often associated with a slower rise in blood sugar and more consistent energy over time, while high GI foods can lead to a fast spike in blood sugar, which may provide you with a short burst of energy, but ultimately lead to a crash - fatigue, mood disturbances, and even higher depressive symptoms over time (30-33). Some examples of high versus low GI foods are included below, but you can search for the GI rating of specific foods here.
Being mindful of high GI foods is a good idea, but it’s also important to remember that all sugar isn’t ‘bad’ - it’s actually an important source of energy for our bodies, particularly our brains. It’s the way that sugar is packaged within foods that determines how useful it will be for our body. A handful of strawberries, which naturally contain sugar, also contain fibre and plenty of micronutrients, which will provide you with better long-term energy than a handful of lollies, which will only give you a brief ‘sugar hit’.