Fine white granules are so difficult to resist. The more you have it the more you want it! How do you get away from it? Is sugar really all that bad? What can you do?

Experts agree Americans eat too much sugar and eating it in excess has been linked to increased risk of type 2 diabetes, elevated triglyceride level, low HDL(good) cholesterol and heart disease. Sugar is the leader for binge eating and let’s not forget it wreaks havoc on your waistline.

 The real problem with sugar is that it seems to be hiding everywhere. It sneaks into your ketchup, BBQ sauce, spaghetti sauce, teriyaki sauce, and we even find it hiding in our yogurt and “healthy” breakfast cereals.

The American Heart Association recommends we limit our daily sugar intake to about 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men. That may sound like a lot but consider flavored yogurt, which may have: 5-7 teaspoons of added sugar, a 12-ounce bottle of lemonade has 11 teaspoons of sugar, chocolate milk has 3 teaspoons of added sugar and breakfast cereal 2 or more teaspoons of sugar per serving. 

Foods with lots of added sugar are usually high in calories, chockfull of empty calories that fill you up and can be a replacement for nutrient dense foods that contain vitamins and minerals, antioxidants plus anti-inflammatory properties.

What to do to satisfy those sugar cravings:

1. Top unsweetened applesauce with walnuts and a dash of cinnamon
2. Dip sliced apples into a spoonful of nut butter and sprinkle each side with raisins
3. Top cottage cheese with chopped dates a dash of cinnamon and scatter unsweetened dried coconut
4. Nosh on a homemade ripe frozen banana
5. Gobble up 100% fruit juice cup
6. Munch on dried fruit

Whenever possible choose foods with no added sugar, eat sweets in moderation, limit them to no more then 2 times a week.

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