The Skinny on Sugar Consumption

So many of us battle with our desires for delicious sweets.  And while many of us may beat ourselves up for our sweet tooth it is something that is ingrained in the history of our species.  In earlier times sweet little fruits would have been plentiful for short periods of time.  Or a sweet stash of honey that we found would have lasted us for a whole season.  Our current problem is two-fold.  The first is that our lifestyles have shifted in that our little sugar rush rarely comes from fresh fruit anymore and more often comes in the form of processed sugars.  While it can still be possible to overdo fruit, in particular dried fruit, when whole fruit is eaten with the fiber, as it naturally grows, we don't get such a sugar rush and it is harder to overindulge.  The other issue related to this is that with modern agriculture sugar and the products it is in are cheap and readily available.  It is no longer a little sugar rush and is more like an ongoing sugar crash, day after day!  Can you relate to that cycle of mid-afternoon slump followed by a candy bar snack that lifts us for a bit and then crashes us again!? If so you are not alone.

In 1822 the average American consumed 45 grams of sugar per week. We now consume almost 3 lbs of sugar per week on average!  This leads to increased fatigue and increase in blood sugar swings. Ultimately, for many, it leads to insulin resistance, an increase in fat around the belly section, and a pre-diabetic state.

Would you like to change your relationship with sugar?

Let's start with 3 quick tips to try once you are ready to take action!
1.  Track how much you are actually eating - Step on is to know thyself! Take a look at your labels and keep a quick log of how often you are eating sugar. Once we know here our weaknesses are we can begin to truly see where we are and make healthier choices.

2.  Avoid sugar drinks - For most of us this is where we find most of our empty calories and excess sugar consumption. Just one can of pop/soda per day every day adds up quick, to the tune of 15 lbs of added weight per year! The American Heart Association recommends no more than 9.5 teaspoons of sugar per day but on average adults consume 22 teaspoons and children consume a whopping 32 teaspoons per day.  Take a look here to learn more! 
​http://www.hepfdc.info/files/SodaEng8.5x11P1-6Opt.pdf

3.  Make baby steps towards healthier snacks -  If you'd really like a mid-afternoon pick-me-up sugary snack try making your own trail mix!  Add in just enough dried fruit or chocolate chips to keep it interesting but try to make sure there are brain boosting walnuts and macadamia nuts with healthier fats.