The not so "sweet" truth

We all know that sugar is not good for us.  But why do we continue to eat it?  What are healthy alternatives?  How much is too much?  Is it harmful?  Well, I'm sorry to say that the truth isn't so sweet.

 

Refined Sugar

Sugar comes in so many forms. The average American consumes more than a whopping 150 pounds of sugar per year.  There are a number of issues you need to consider. According to an article in Prevention, there are 57 different names for sugar.  That makes label reading very difficult.  One idea is to look at the grams of sugar on a label. You may not know that 4g of sugar = 1 teaspoon.  So something containing 20 grams of sugar has 5 teaspoons of sugar.  And be sure to check the number of servings on a package as those grams as up fast!  There is a lot of concern and controversy over alternative sweeteners.  Since I'm not a doctor or researcher I'll skip the debate but there is interesting research that shows using alternative sweeteners promote weight gain, as it messes with our natural receptors that tell our body what to do.  On this topic, beware of labels that read "no added sugar".  That usually means they are using alternative sweeteners, so read the ingredients.  If it tastes sweet, something was added!  It's important to note that we do not need sugar.

According to a Forbes article, one can of Coke contains more sugar than 2 frosted Pop-tarts and a Twinkie combined!  So what is really wrong with that?  Outside of the obvious issues - that sugar causes weight gain, likely contributes to Metabolic Syndrome*, type 2 diabetes, and many other common illnesses, it's also proven that sugar exacerbates the growth of cancer cells.  That alone is a reason to get off the sugar train!

As you consider alternatives, look for pure stevia.  Stevia is a plant that is used to make natural sweetener.  The leaves of the plant are 30 times more sweet than sugar!  I highly recommend SweetLeaf Sweet drops.  SweetLeaf drops are made from stevia leaf extract.  It's organic, non-GMO, has zero calories, fat, trans-fats, cholesterol, sodium or carbs.  It even comes in flavors which are great for hot or cold beverages.  And all natural!  

Stevia Leaf

So do your research, make wise choices and try to get off the sugar train.  Once you do, you will find that you don't crave as much, and you will need less and less sweetener in items that you used to load up.  Ant that is sweet!

In good health,
Jackie

*Metabolic Syndrome is defined as a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, a high blood sugar level, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels — that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Coming next issue:  Mindful or Mindless?