You hear it all the time. The experts tell us to stop eating so much sugar, to even eliminate it as much as possible. But is this even realistic? It can be, but it isn’t easy. Sugar is added to so many foods that if you aren’t reading labels, you likely are consuming much more than you think.
Sugar is added to pasta sauce, salad dressings, ketchup, peanut butter, baked beans, barbecue sauce, bread, and crackers, to name a few. Anything that is touted as being low in fat is often high in sugar, as manufacturers try to make their products more palatable. An average can of soda contains about 11 teaspoons of sugar.
Action – Two hundred years ago, the average American ate about 4 pounds of total sugars per year. In 1970, that amount had increased to 100 pounds, and in 1972 a British professor of nutrition named John Yudkin wrote a book called Pure, White and Deadly. It was a warning that high-sugar consumption was dangerous, and if we knew how harmful it was as a food additive it would be banned. Prominent nutritionists at the time in collaboration with the food industry combined forces to destroy his reputation, and he never recovered.
Today, average sugar consumption has increased in some people to an estimated 152 pounds per year, but the range varies widely. The current dietary recommendation is set at 10% of total daily calories, or about 13 teaspoons on a 2000-calorie diet. Guidelines from The American Heart Association call for even less, with 6 teaspoons for women and no more than 9 for men. The current average consumed by teenagers is 29 teaspoons per day.
Steps – Why does this matter? Excess sugar consumption has been linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Sugar provides no nutrition and can be reduced to zero with no negative effects and only positive benefits. While a zero level is difficult to attain, reduction is crucial.
Begin to read food labels and assume that most processed food you eat contains sugar in some form. Opt for more whole, plant-based foods to assure a wide range of vital nutrients with no added sugar.
Why It Makes You Feel Better – Our preference for sweet tastes was an evolutionary tool that helped us to survive. Sugar stimulates dopamine, the feel-good hormone in the brain that results in us wanting more. Sugary fruits were higher in calories and provided our ancestors with energy which was important for survival, while also helping with fat storage. The difference is that now we eat refined sugar that is added liberally to food in excessive amounts.
Replacing sugary snacks with fruit or sweet vegetables like carrots, beets and sweet potatoes provides a satisfying taste and multiple nutrients at the same time. A sugar habit can be difficult to break but, after reducing or eliminating it completely, you will find that the cravings go away.
Example – Sugar goes by 56 different names and finding it on a food label can be a bit confusing. Watch for some of the more common ones, including sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, galactose, lactose and maltose. Consume soda or fruit juice infrequently or not at all, and make your own sauces at home.
While it is nice to enjoy a sweet treat on occasion, it is important for your health to understand how much you are consuming and that you may be causing yourself serious health consequences in the future.