Sugar tastes great, but…
Sugar…
Mmmmmm…
Do you have a sweet tooth? I confess that I do–I love desserts.
Last week I discussed SuperFoods–leafy greens, colorful vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains–they are all GOOD for you! I promised to write about some foods this week that aren’t. I planned to have a list of foods to suggest that you avoid or eat very sparingly. However, as I did more research, I felt the call to write about only one…
Sugar…
Not the smooch kind (I still recommend that you get a daily dose of kisses). Today I’m focused on the dangers of added sugars.
Although sugar tastes great, it’s not great for us. Sugar adds empty calories. This means that we don’t get any actual benefits from sugar (except the taste). There are no beneficial nutrients in sugar. And, if we eat a lot of sugary foods (junk), we are less likely to get the recommended amounts of nutrients that we need for a healthy diet.
Did you know that consumption of sugary drinks is a strong contributor to obesity in children and adults?
One can of soda has 9-10 teaspoons of sugar–that’s up to 150 calories!
Sugar occurs in foods naturally–fruits, vegetables, and milk. These aren’t the culprits.
Added sugars are the problem…
Foods with added sugars include:
- Regular sodas, sweet tea, energy drinks, sports drinks (or sugar we add to coffee)
- Fruit drinks (i.e. lemonade, fruit punch)
- Candy
- Sweetened cereal
- Cakes, cookies, brownies
- Pies and cobblers
- Sweet rolls, pastries, doughnuts
- Ice cream
What are the dangers of eating too much sugar?
According to healthline.com, a diet with too much added sugar consumption can contribute to tooth decay, the development of liver disease, insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, and heart disease.
Ouch!
So…how can we cut down on added sugars?
- Read the labels of foods you eat or drink. Know what you’re putting in your body.
- Cut down on sugary drinks; reduce the amount of sugar in coffee or tea (diet drinks aren’t a healthy substitute).
- Drink more water and less sweet drinks.
- Eat fruit for dessert instead of cookies, cake, ice cream, etc.
- Swap sugary cereals for unsweetened cereal with fruit.
- Cut down on prepackaged or prepared food.
- Be careful when eating out. Make healthy substitutions whenever possible to reduce added sugar.
If we consume a lot of sugar, our bodies don’t recognize when we are full and our stomachs call for food more quickly, thus we eat more. Some researchers claim that sugar can be addictive. I’ve met many health conscious people that have chosen to eliminate all added sugar from their diets. That’s a strong step toward lifetime wellness.
We don’t have to give up all the foods we love, but we can reduce our intake of added sugar by making some healthy changes. And, remember, EAT THOSE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES!
Some additional resources you may find useful:
www.fruitandveggiesmorematters.org
www.doctoroz.com
www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-disturbing-reasons-why-sugar-is-bad
www.choosemyplate.gov
Please let me know if you have questions or if you would like for me to pray for you to make healthier eating choices. You can reach me on the contact tab.
Wishing you blessings!