FitSugar

Tame Your Sweet Tooth With These Tips to Cut Back on Sugar

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:50:29 PDT

I know that eating too much refined sugar increases my risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke, but it's so hard to resist sweet treats. If you have a hard time saying no to all things sugar-sweetened and chocolate-covered, here are some ways you can cut down on the white stuff.

Don't go cold turkey. This plan usually backfires and you end up missing the sweet stuff so much you binge on an entire bag of M&Ms. It's best to limit the amount of sweets you eat gradually.
Decrease the amount of sugar you add to foods. Stir less into your morning cup of joe and sprinkle less brown sugar on your oatmeal.
Choose one sweet treat per day. Moderation is key, so if you can't live without a piece of chocolate after lunch or ice cream after dinner, then don't. Designate one time each day to indulge in a little dessert and limit your sugar intake for the rest of the day.
Read labels and watch out for natural sugars. Brown sugar, molasses, Sucanat, and organic sugar are still sugar.

Curb your sweet tooth with these other tips when you

Is Agave Nectar Healthier Than Sugar?

FitSugar — Tue, 11 May 2010 08:53:35 PDT

Recently I asked FitSugar readers to share their tips on how to cut down on their sugar intake, and it sparked a whole discussion in the comment section about using agave nectar. Some said it's a natural sweetener which makes it healthier than sugar, and others debated against that idea, saying it is highly processed and just as bad as high fructose corn syrup. So what's the truth?

To see if it's healthier than sugar

read more. As you can see from the chart below, they're pretty similar nutrition-wise. What you can't tell from the comparison is how the body processes and reacts to each. Agave is praised for being low on the glycemic index (GI) rating, which means it won't cause a spike in your blood sugar levels the way sugar does. High-GI foods like white sugar tend to make us feel hungry sooner since they are digested quickly. So foods made with agave nectar may keep you feeling fuller longer than foods made with the white stuff, which translates to eating less.

	One tbsp sugar	One tbsp. agave nectar
Calories	46	60
Total Fat	0	0
Carbs	12	16
Fiber	0	1
Sugar	12	15
Protein	0	0

But many brands of agave nectar are highly refined, containing almost 100 percent fructose, which is a higher percentage than that found in high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Fructose is a sweetener known to raise triglycerides, promote belly fat, and contribute to fatty liver, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Another thing to note is that some distributors of agave nectar have been labeling HFCS as agave nectar, so the FDA recommends looking for labels that say "hydrolyzed inulin syrup," which means it's real agave. Although both sugar and agave nectar come from plants, both are sweeteners and provide little to no nutrition value. I know it's not what you want to hear, but sweeteners like these should be used sparingly in your diet. If you're having a sugar craving, you're better off reaching for a piece of fruit since the fiber will help with digestion and satiate your hunger.

Your Tips For Cutting Down on Sugar

FitSugar — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:30:09 PDT

In order to cut down on my sugar intake, I made the switch from fruity flavored Greek yogurt to plain. Here are some of your suggestions on how you cut down on your daily sugar intake. There were so many great ideas, so be sure to check out the comments section of the original post to see even more ways to scale back on the added sweetness.

"Cut out hidden sugars by shopping at health food stores instead of buying the well-known brand names. For example, a lot of the popular brands of 'healthy' whole wheat bread actually have added sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup in them. Brands like Peter Pan and JIF have added sugar, so switching to natural peanut butter is an easy way to reduce your sugar consumption." - chloe bella
"Plain oatmeal can be sweetened with fruit instead of brown sugar. Use canned pumpkin, unsweetened applesauce, and plain yogurt to make baked goods. You need about half the sugar of the original recipe!" - acfreema
"The thing I really had trouble getting? Chocolate. So instead of milk chocolate, I started gradually working my way up the dark chocolate ladder so that I could acquire a taste instead of just pushing it all on myself. Once I got used to the taste of 50% dark chocolate, I started buying 60%, and then 70%, and now I'm up to 85% and sometimes even 90% dark chocolate, where the first two ingredients are no longer sugar, but cocoa solids and cocoa butter." - laellavita
"When baking, I use about 1/4 cup less sugar than what the recipe calls for." - tamaradulva
Spectra says, "I use Truvia to sweeten my coffee instead of sugar and it really tastes good. Since I like my coffee really sweet, it saves me a lot of added sugar. Also, I put cinnamon on my oatmeal instead of lots of sugar. For whatever reason, it adds a lot of sweetness."
"I prefer to add my own stuff to plain yogurt, because I like the nutritional profile of plain better than flavored, plus the taste is better. Real fruit is better than 'fruit jelly' or 'natural and artificial flavorings' any day." - julea

Speak Up: Tricks For Cutting Down on Sugar

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:00:06 PDT

Vanilla yogurt was always part of my go-to breakfast, and I never thought of switching to the plain variety - too sour. When I discovered that eating the plain yogurt saves me seven grams of added sugar per day, I decided a change was needed. I know that doesn't seem like much, but after five days, that's 35 grams of sugar. The little bits of sugar you can do without really start to add up.

I started thinking that there must be other ways to cut down on my added sugar intake. Since you FitSugar readers always have such great suggestions, please share some of your sugar-cutting tricks below.

Label Able: Erythritol

FitSugar — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:00:59 PST

While researching light foods recently, I came upon an interesting ingredient I'd never heard of: erythritol. Sounds like some kind of chemically-derived alcohol that shouldn't be anywhere near wholesome and natual apple juice.

The nutrition label for this light juice reads "certified organic erythritol is a 100 percent natural low calorie organic sweetener derived from GMO free organic cane juice." Approved for use in foods in Japan in 1990, in the US it has been characterized as being Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) since 1997. I also found that it's classified as a sugar alcohol, and comes in granulated and powder forms, but it also occurs naturally in grapes, melons, mushrooms, and fermented foods such as wine, beer, cheese, and soy sauce. This sugar alcohol is about 70 percent as sweet as regular sugar, but has almost no calories. Another plus is that it doesn't cause digestive issues such as diarrhea like other sugar alcohols can, including sorbitol and xylitol. What's more? It doesn't contribute to tooth decay. Seems like this ingredient gets the green light, but I'll still stick to sugar and other all natural sweeteners such as honey and agave nectar and just watch my portions of sweets.

10 Ways to Cut Back on Sugar

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:00:45 PDT

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). Here are some easy things you can do to lighten up on the white stuff.

Cut back slowly. If you give up sugar cold turkey, you'll probably end up going into shock and consuming every kind of dessert you can get your hands on. So make the change to less sugar in your diet gradually.
Try to ween yourself off of the sugar you add to foods. Stir less sugar into your cup of joe and sprinkle less sugar on your cereal or oatmeal.
Choose your sugar vice for the day. If you can't live without sugar in your coffee, M&Ms after lunch, or an after dinner bowl of ice cream, then don't, but be sure to limit your sugar intake for the rest of your day. Keep in mind that one soft drink, a small candy bar, a few plain cookies, or a small portion of light ice cream or frozen yogurt is equal to 100 to 150 calories of added sugar.
Don't be fooled by natural sugars. Brown sugar, molasses, Sucanat, and turbinado sugar are still sugar.

To see the last five tips,

Label Able: Vegetable Glycerin

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:30:50 PDT

I was going on a trip and picked up some Kashi TLC Trail Mix bars. I trust their products completely so don't feel it's necessary to read labels before buying them. While in the car, I happened to check out the list of ingredients and saw vegetable glycerin.

If you're curious to know what it is or why it's used keep reading

Label Able: Sorbitol

FitSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:03:14 PDT

I'm a very picky label reader, and I won't buy anything at the grocery store unless I scan the label first. If you're the same way, you may have come across the ingredient sorbitol. It's a sugar substitute you'll often find in diet or "light" foods, in sugar-free gum, candy, and mints, and in diet drinks. You'll also find it in mouthwashes, toothpaste, and cough syrups. Sorbitol is made from glucose, and is 60 percent as sweet as sucrose but has one-third of the calories. This sweetener has been safely used for over 50 years, and the only requirement of the FDA is that companies write on the label, "Excess consumption may have a laxative effect." Yes, it's true. If you eat too much of this sweetener, you can end up with extreme abdominal cramping and regular trips to the ladies room. Proving once again that moderation is key - even with low-cal sweeteners. Sorbitol is OK for diabetics and has been found to be non-carcinogenic. I'm not big into diet foods, but at least I know this ingredient is safe.

Do You Avoid White Sugar in Foods?

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:00:00 PDT

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. I definitely prefer white sugar over artificial sweeteners, though, and I guess many companies such as Snapple and PepsiCo feel the same. They're switching ingredients in some of their products from high fructose corn syrup back to sugar because they feel it's more "natural." So how do you feel?

Are Sweeteners PureVia and Truvia Safe?

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:00:00 PST

There's been a lot of talk lately about the natural sweetener stevia. Being calorie-free, it seems like a great alternative to sugar for people trying to lose weight. A few months ago, Coca-Cola announced it would begin using its stevia-derived sweetener Truvia in a few products, prior to being approved by the FDA. Not to be left in the cold, PepsiCo has also created a no-calorie stevia sweetener, PureVia. However, PepsiCo announced that it would be waiting for FDA approval before using its new sweetener. Recently, I saw both Truvia and PureVia on the shelf at my grocery store. Does that mean they're both approved by the FDA now? To find out

read more. Both PureVia and Truvia are made by extracting rebaudioside A (Reb A) from the leaves of the stevia plant. While the FDA has not yet approved the use of whole-leaf stevia or stevia extracts as sweeteners, they have issued a "No Objection Letter" to the use of Reb A, saying that it's "generally safe." If you want to give PureVia or Truvia products a try, it's recommended to do so in moderation. Have you used either of these sweeteners? Tell me what you think of them in the comments section below.