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10 Ways to Cut Back on Sugar
Americans are consuming way more sugar than they should — 22 teaspoons a day. It's clear we need to cut back, but it's hard to break old habits. The American Heart Association (AHA) is urging people to aim for no more than 100 calories of sugar a day (six teaspoons).
Guess Which Contains More Sugar?
Many processed foods are loaded with added sugar these days. Since you want to limit your added sugar intake to 40 grams a day, it's important to know the sugar content in the foods you eat. Are you sugar savvy?
America's Sugar Lovers Need to Cut Back
I have a huge sweet tooth, and it looks like I'm not alone because a new report shows that Americans are consuming tons of the white stuff — an average of 22 teaspoons a day! That's about 355 calories from sugar, which is equivalent to two cans of soda and a chocolate bar. No wonder America has an issue with obesity.
Laid Out in Cubes: Sugar Alert!
Sometimes we all need a visual reference to help understand exactly how many calories we are actually eating. While the website This Is Why You're Fat has covered the territory of crazy fast food splurges, Sugar Stacks lays out the sugar content of foods in the easily identifiable measurement of sugar cubes. One sugar cube contains about a teaspoon of the sweet stuff and 11 calories.
Glycemic Index: Where Do Sweeteners Fall?
If you don't know much about the glycemic index (GI), it could be affecting your health. The GI ranks specific carbohydrates from zero to 100, based on how they affect your blood sugar levels after eating them. Typically, eating foods that have a high GI (such as white bread and soda) causes a spike in blood sugar levels.
Healthy Eating Tip: Limit Your Added Sugar Intake to 40 Grams
I have a huge sweet tooth, so I can relate to your cravings for cookies, chocolate, and the like. The problem is, too much sugar can lead to weight gain, metabolic disorder (a precursor of type 2 diabetes and heart disease), and possibly even certain cancers. Added sugars should make up only six to 10 percent of your daily calories.
Is Agave Nectar Healthier Than Sugar?
Natural sweeteners are gaining popularity since people are trying to avoid overly processed white sugar and high fructose corn syrup. You may have seen Truvia and PureVia on store shelves, which are both made from the stevia plant. Another plant-derived sweetener is agave nectar, which comes from the agave plant.
Do Take Your Coffee With Sugar?
When I was working on losing my baby weight I learned to live without a few things. One of those things was sugar in my coffee. When I was able to get back on the bean post-breastfeeding, I learned to love my coffee without adding any sweetener.
Fittingly Mad: "Natural" Foods That Really Aren't
Starting this month, Pepsi is rolling out a new drink called Pepsi Natural that's made with sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. The soda company is touting the drink's "all-natural ingredients," including natural caramel and kola nut extract; the glass bottles will even be stocked in natural foods aisles.
Despite the ads from the Corn Refiners Association trying to position HFCS as a "sweet surprise," the New York Times reports that more and more brands are using real sugar as a selling point.
Do You Avoid White Sugar in Foods?
Sometimes you can't avoid eating white sugar, because it's a pretty common ingredient in some healthy foods such as yogurt, cereal, and energy bars. I definitely try to look for foods that contain natural sugars though, such as fruit juice, barley malt, honey, or agave. The thing is, since I have quite a sweet tooth, some foods like ice cream and chocolate just taste better when made with real sugar, so I don't avoid the white stuff completely, I just don't overdo it.
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