Tip #6…Decrease the Sugar!

There are many reasons to decrease the sugar you eat.  Start paying attention to how much sugar you are taking in.  You will be surprised by how much sugar is in food that you didn’t even realize.  Never buy sugar-free or fat-free.  Once you buy sugar-free, you have another unhealthy issue…artificial sugars! There are medical reasons that some people do buy sugar-free, but this should still be in moderation. We will discuss those artificial sugars later.  They are not better than sugar.  They are probably worse than eating real sugar.  Fat-free products are also worse than the real deal, because again you have artificial additives and usually a lot of unnecessary sugar!

Sugar has numerous ways that it can have unhealthy affects on our bodies.  Obviously, it can add unwanted weight and fat.  It also can make us feel lousy, adding laziness, lack of energy, depression, moodiness and even anxiety.  Sugar can cause highs and lows in our mood and energy.  You might find a high initially, especially in children, but get ready for the low that feels much worse following that high.

Sugar can also make you seem hungrier and not satisfied, leaving you wanting more to eat or something different to eat.  Headaches can also come from too much sugar.

Let’s not forget the health of our teeth when it comes to sugar causing decay and cavities.  Sugar has been linked to many more diseases and has shown other effects on just the way we feel from eating too much.

There are reports showing consumption of sugar increasing from 26 pounds per person per year to 135 pounds per person per year!  An easy way to avoid a lot of extra sugar is to avoid processed foods.  We have heard it before…shop the perimeter of the grocery store!

American Heart Association recommends 5 teaspoons/day for women, 9 teaspoons/day for men and 3 teaspoons/day for children.  Usually sugar is listed in grams, so 1 gram of sugar is equal to ¼ teaspoon of sugar.  The average American consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar per day. Wowza!

You don’t have to avoid sugars completely, but keep them in a healthy range.  My motto is moderation. Everything in moderation! Don’t avoid the naturally occurring sugars that you find in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy. These are part of a healthy diet.  Don’t waste sugar intake on junk food with empty calories.  Choose healthy foods that naturally have sugar, but also have ingredients like vitamins and fiber and provide other benefits. It can be tough for some of us to reduce our sugar, but over time you can do it.

Just think before you eat.

Enjoy all of today and enjoy real sugar in moderation. 🙂

Kelley