America has a sugar problem, and it’s getting bigger every day. Did you know that an estimated one in four people has diabetes or is in a pre-diabetic condition?
In 1801, historians estimated that sugar consumption per person was about 8.4 pounds of sugar per year, which translates to about 2.2 teaspoons per day. Current consumption has ballooned to around 170 lbs. a year, or about a cup a day!
The increase in refined sugar consumption has created a nation of obese and malnourished people who eventually have to succumb to insulin to make it easier for blood glucose to enter cells for energy.
We are simply not aware of the relationship between health and sugar, which is not surprising, since sugar has many faces, a large part of which are much less obvious. Sugar isn’t just the sweet white stuff you sprinkle on cereal or add to coffee.
As for the obvious places where sugar is plentiful, there are cakes, cookies, cakes, and candy, which not only contain sugar, but are often loaded with excess sugar—more sugar than our taste buds require. In fact, there is an ‘extra icing on the cake’.
Then there are the soft drinks, sweetened with HFCS (high fructose corn syrup).
Also, all processed carbs are essentially sugar! In addition to the obvious places where sugar resides, it also hides in bread, bagels, cereal, canned goods, pasta sauce, crackers, yogurt, salad dressings, and peanut butter.
I have said this many times before, but it bears repeating. Learn to read food labels and do it for everything you consider putting in your shopping basket. Be aware of the many forms of sugar.
Most people are beginning to understand the dangers of high fructose corn syrup, the most common culprit. A highly concentrated and highly processed sweetener, it is widely used because it is cheap. As such, companies get untold mileage with just a small amount of HFCS. Be careful with products that have HFCS in the ingredients.
But HFCS is not the end. If you’re trying to avoid sugar, you should also look for corn syrup solids; fructose; dextrose; lactose; maltodextrin; ethyl maltol; barley malt; diastasis; sorbitol; modified corn starches; saccharose; and carob syrup.
To determine how many teaspoons of sugar are in a product, take the number of grams of sugar and divide by 4. So if a product has 28 grams of sugar, think about 7 teaspoons of sugar.
Examples:
• Half a cup of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey contains 28 grams or 7 teaspoons of sugar.
• A 16-ounce Starbucks Large Frappuccino with Strawberries and Cream, with whipped cream, includes 85 grams, or about 21 teaspoons of sugar.
• Big Gulp or Super Sized sodas are the worst and can have more than 20 teaspoons of sugar!
And while it’s tempting, don’t think of artificial sweeteners as part of the solution. Artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda, aspartame, and saccharin, present their own set of problems and should be avoided at all costs.
Offered plain or mercilessly marketed in the form of diet products or as products that are healthy or healthier than their ‘naturally sweetened’ counterparts, these sweeteners are actually nasty chemicals, possibly suitable for pesticides, but certainly not for human consumption. .
A good alternative to sugar is stevia, especially green stevia if you can find it. This herb is not only very sweet, but it also has health benefits and does not spike your blood glucose like real sugar. Agave nectar is also a better substitution.
Also, don’t be fooled into thinking that using more natural sugars like honey or raw sugar is a safe bet. If you have problems with blood sugar control, sugar is still sugar.
For many of us, an improved diet requires a better understanding of health and sugar, and usually translates to a reduction in our overall sugar intake.
At first, it may seem like something is missing: your body may even go into withdrawal, seeking sugar/sweetness like a drug.
Start dealing with your sugar cravings by adding sweet vegetables like carrots or beets, or snack on an apple or other fresh fruit. Although fruit has sugar, there are enough nutrients and fiber in these foods to slow digestion, preventing rapid spikes in blood glucose.
Eventually, you’ll learn to replace old sugar or artificially sweetened foods with better options. Your body will reward you, you will feel less irritable and more in balance.