My idea of healthy eating is basically if I eat healthy 90% of the time, its totally fine to eat something crazy the other 10%. Most times I avoid white sugar (most refined things really) but on occasion I will indulge and not feel bad about it.
Sometimes things like honey would just add too much of its own flavor, so something neutral like white sugar works.

Most of the time, yes.

I try to balance the sugar out but I won't avoid it all together. I avoid artifical sweeteners.

I never buy or make anything using refined/white sugar, flour, pasta but if I'm out to dinner or at someone else's house, I won't not eat something because I don't know the ingredients. Still, I try to avoid it whenever possible and feel much better when I do.

I try to avoid sugar because I have a low-grade allergy to it, but that doesn't mean that I won't risk it and have a Drumstick Ice Cream Cone!!!

As a challenge, I eliminated refined sugar completely for a few months. It's really impossible to find bread, cereal, or snacks without at least some refined sugar.

Bleh, I usually avoid refined sugar with no problem because I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but for some reason today I couldn't stop myself from buying a packet of peanut M&Ms from the office vending machine. I can feel the sugar headache and yucky bloat creeping up on me already.

It's hard. I try to eliminate artificial sweeteners but after using them for years it's hard to accept natural sugar. I just opt for brown sugar now, which (I hope) is the best choice.

Depends - I usually avoid things like cereal or fruit juices because they're full of sugar, and instead squeeze oranges or roast plain cereal with brown sugar.
But if I decide to have a sweet treat, I NEVER pick the sugar-free/aspartame one. I'd rather have sugar than even more chemicals.

Sometimes...but I like my ice cream.

Nah, but I don't avoid HFCS either.

I eat what I eat :-9 Yes I try to be healthy, but I eat what I feel like and sometimes its unhealthy - but most of the time the things I'd like to have are healthy (If you don't consider the amount og bread I consume) - but I'm lucky as I don't have to watch my weight (I'm actually under weight) so if I'd only eat healthy and exercise on the side I'd be skin and bones - and so I choose to eat what I'm craving and exercise.

I usually eat foods that are naturally sugar-free, but try not to add extra sugar to my foods. I do use Splenda or Equal in my coffee, but that's about it. I actually prefer the taste of my coffee with the Splenda in it over sugar-sweetened coffee. I know, it's weird, but true.

When I'm baking though, I always use white sugar and don't substitute anything for it because otherwise things don't turn out the same way.

Yep. I bake on an almost weekly basis, but only with natural fruit sugars or a little pure maple syrup. I think I would find things made with refined sugar a little too sweet now. Your sweet tooth really changes after awhile. Having said that, I'm going to the UK for a month in June and both staying with family and doing a Contiki tour, so I won't be making my own food and will just have to eat whatever comes. But with the intention of dropping the sugars when I get back home and the hope that I don't end up on a huge sugar high! Also, in terms of using brown sugar, the standard brown sugar is usually just white sugar that's been coloured with molasses. But demerara or rapadura sugars are the most unrefined sources of cane sugar, so probably the best choice if you're concerned about using refined.

i find that in some foods i don't really mind the sugar - similar to the post - ice cream and things like that just kind of need sugar. in many cases though i don't mind using splenda or something else like that.

I don't try to avoid it in ice cream, but I check labels on other stuff (like pasta sauce) because I don't want sugar in stuff like that.

It depends. I try not to indulge too much, but I'll take white sugar over HFCS and aspartame *any* day.

I avoid "diet" sodas because I would rather have sugar than artificial sweeteners.

It hard, because I do get sweet cravings, but I don't drink soda and try to avoid high fructose corn syrup, and try to use only unrefined sugar when I do use it.

Absolutely! I've actually pretty much completely given up grains and of course sugar. In my opinion refined sugar is one of the worst thing you can put into your body, it's a toxin. I don't have sugar/carb-cravings anymore, my skin has cleared up, i've lost fat from my body and i feel much more energetic! Nothing bad has come from this, its just the beginning that was darn hard but if you do it gradually you'll manage I started last july and am still doing it! no problem.

Generally, yes. These days, the only time I have sweets is during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and when I'm celebrating a birthday with someone (I would enjoy a slice of birthday cake). Last week (mid-March), I attended a birthday celebration, and had a slice of birthday cake. The last time before that, I had sweets in Christmas. Really, I just have sweets on occasion.

I avoid sugar at all costs! I have already lost a significant amount of weight since I cut out simple sugars. One of my new favorite alternative is stevia. It is an all natural herb that is sweeter than sugar and has zero calories.

All Sport Natural Zero is coming out in April 2009 and is sweetened with stevia. It contains vitamins B6 and B12 and is high in potassium and low in sodium.

I work out constantly and I am so excited that I will finally have a sugar-free alternative to water.

Everyone should try it! Don't forget April 2009!!

visit www.drinkallsport.com for more info!

I kinda gotta. I am allergic to cane sugar.

All Sport used to be so popular... I'm happy to hear they are coming out with a new product for those of us who watch out sugar and calorie intake. I've read up on stevia and it looks like a winner in my book.

artificial sweeteners for my tea/coffee and thats about it

I know artificial sugars are bad for you, hence I don't mind white sugar.

i mostly avoid foods with ingredients theat sound "chemical-y", over the top preservatives, anything that should be simple but has over 15 ingredients. yuck.