Eating too much added sugar is a major issue in today’s society leading to:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Heart Disease
• Tooth Decay

 

The American Heart Association recommends 100 calories of added sugar (about 6 teaspoons) per day for women and 150 calories (about 9 teaspoons) per day for men.  This is referring to added sugar, not the naturally occurring sugars found in dairy and fruit.

 

Most of us are not aware of the amount of sugar in the foods we consume each day.  Sugars are added to many processed foods for flavoring and are labeled with several different names, such as high fructose corn syrup, dried cane syrup, honey and any word ending is “-ose”, such as sucrose.  A helpful hint is to buy foods labeled “no added sugar” or “unsweetened”.

 

Food labels record sugar in grams and there are 3.87 sugar calories/gram.  The recommendation is for women to consume 29 gms/day and men 39 gms/day.

 

To reduce your daily sugar intake remember to cut back slowly – this will increase the chance of long term success.  Do not switch to artificial sweeteners as they may cause your body to crave something sweet, calories and nutrition.  This may be why artificial sugars are associated with weight gain.

 

Pairing protein, healthy fats and fiber with your meal with help control the rise and fall of blood sugar, making you feel full longer without cravings.

 

To be successful with reducing your added sugar intake remember to STICK WITH IT!!