Kick Your Sugar Habit

According to a USDA report in 1999 the average American consumes more that twice the maximum recommended amount of sugar of 40 prams per day. We already know that consuming too much sugar can be detrimental to your health. Additional calories that can not be used for energy will be stored for later as fat. Too much sugar can lead to Type II diabetes. Am I saying all sugar is bad? No absolutely not. As I write this I am drinking my coffee with my Natural Creamer that has 5 grams of sugar per T and let's be honest, who really uses only 1T of creamer. However I make sure that my sugar is limited for the rest of the day and only comes from natural sources. 1. Read labels! Look for items with no added sugar or better yet gain control by adding your own. I buy plain organic yogurt & add a tsp of honey. 2. Beware of hidden sugars! Other names for sugar: Maltose, dextrose, glucose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, corn sweetener, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, maple syrup, malt syrup, brown rice syrup (notice the key word here!) 3. Avoid fat free! When they take something out they have to put something in. Nine times out of ten it will be replaced by sugar or some other random filler that can not be pronounced. What exactly is fat free cheese? 4. Lay off the sauce or make your own. Most spaghetti sauces will have added sugars. Watch out for ketchup, the "fat-free" condiment. How many people dump on the ketchup? Again 4 grams of sugar per tablespoon. Imagine what that half of bottle you just put on your baked fries contains! 5. All-natural does not mean "sugar free". Sugar is natural in it's raw form. I eat only all natural and organic but that does not mean that it is sugar free. Swap it out! - 2 T d honey mustard salad dressing with lemon juice (yum!) - 1 T ketchup for 2 tomato slices - brown sugar on your oatmeal and make with apple sauces - jarred pasta sauce with homemade tomato sauce