Reduce Sugar Intake and Your Weight

The average American consumes about 130 pounds of sugar each year which explains why weight-related health problems especially obesity are escalating.   The American Heart Association reports that men should have no more than 150 calories, or 9 teaspoons, of added sugar per day, and women should have no more than 100 calories or 6 teaspoons per day.

Weight gain and other negative effects of sugar should be reason enough to limit your sugar consumption.

What Researchers Are Saying:

Sugar is Addictive – Sugar can often have a drug like effect on the brain.

Sugar Causes Obesity – Sugar is believed to be one of the primary causes of childhood obesity and illness.

Sugar and Diabetes – Sugar is thought to be the main cause of Type2 Diabetes

Sugar and Heart Disease – Sugar is said to be the main cause of heart disease.

More reasons to avoid or limit your sugar consumption.
Sugar increases LDL (bad cholesterol)
Sugar increase the risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Sugar helps cancer cells grow
Sugar can cause hypertension

How to reduce sugar intake for better health and weight loss.
Start by eliminating the word forbidden since when this is attached to anything it seems human nature makes us want it more or leave us feeling deprived.  It is likely you will feel better and drop unwanted pounds when you adapt some of the following strategies to make lowering your sugar consumption easier,

Step 1:  Gradually reduce your sugar consumption.  Give your taste buds a chance to adjust without too much shock.  Reduce the sugar in your recipes by half of what you usually use.  Cut down the sugar in your coffee or tea to half as well.

Step 2:  Start your day with hot cereal such as plain oatmeal, grits or cream of rice.  Avoid instant or flavored hot cereals and/or cold cereal as they often contain a high amount of sugar.  For those of you who need a sweet to begin your day opt for a piece of fruit or a bowl of berries.   Avoid fruit juice as it is too concentrated in sugar. The ideal is to enjoy a bowl of plain hot cereal with some added fresh fruit.

Step 3:  Read food labels for sugar content.  A good guideline: maximum 10 grams of sugar per 100 grams of food is a good guideline.  Avoid processed and packaged foods that are high in sugar (*). Read the package before you buy it and especially before you take that first bite. You’d be surprised which foods contain sugar: bread, yogurt, sauces and peanut butter.
* Watch out for the other names for sugar such as molasses, corn syrup or sweetener, malt, sucrose, maltose, dextrose and anything else that ends in -ose, according to the American Heart Association.

Step 4:   Say NO to soda.
Get rid of it.  It is easily possible to consume a lot of soda in a short period of time.  This sugary beverages keep your sweet tooth alive.  Alternative to soda is flavored sparkling water or seltzer water with lemon or lime.
A report in the August 2013 issue of “Obesity Reviews” states that reducing your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages will reduce your risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.

Step 5:  Reduce and/or substitute the sugar in your recipes. As suggested earlier cut the sugar content in half is a good place to start.  You can also substitute the sugar for other ingredients.  Often you can substitute applesauce in place of sugar. Try some “sweet” spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg or apple pie spice, to add flavor to desserts.  Experiment and create your own very special recipe.

Step 6:  Take healthy, low-calorie snacks with you to work or when you are on the go.    Suggestions:  whole-wheat crackers, string cheese, an apple or banana. What a great way to resist temptation to ingest a quick-packaged snack with high sugar content.   We love Nature’s Box

Caution:   Use natural sugar substitutes such as Truvia, Stevia, Agave, Purevia, etc. in teas or coffees if you must have a sweetener, but limit the amount to keep your sweet tooth under control.  ..and please avoid the unhealthy sugar substitutes such as Splenda, Equal and/or Sweet and Low.  Sweet, fizzy diet soda may seem like a dieter’s delight but beware of the side effects. 

Suggested Alternatives
Sweet Snacks:   Try dried fruits, such as raisins, prunes or dates, to satisfy sweet cravings.
Salty Snacks:     Sometimes we are just looking for the crunch.   Try a salty snack, such as a pickle or pretzels, when you want sweets, as this can often curb the desire.

An average American eats 600 calories of snack food per day. Find out how you can cut out junk food.