Are you like most Americans who are extremely addicted to sugar? According to the American Heart Association, the average adult in America eats 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day or 150 pounds a year. While an average teen eats considerably more, closer to 34 teaspoons a day; this is twice the sugar than is recommended. Although it tastes good, sugar is extremely dangerous to our health, especially to children. Too much sugar has been shown to play a significant role in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, early aging, an immune suppressant and lack of energy. Because sugar is everywhere and is extremely addictive, it is very challenging to cut sugar from your diet but it’s well worth the effort. Your skin will clear up; you will have more energy, lose weight and strengthen your immune system.
The first place to start is to eliminate beverages with sugar (sweetened coffee, teas, sodas, and juices) and stick to water, carbonated water and unsweetened tea. Recognize all names of sugar and read your labels such as brown sugar, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, and particularly high fructose corn syrup as it is the most prevalent in sweetened beverages. The sugar used in today’s sodas and snacks is not the same as it used to be. It is sweeter and more addictive. Even the sugar-free sodas and sugar-free food cause you to gain weight by perpetuating your desire for the highly sweet taste and eventually giving in to sugar. Beware of fat free food, as it often means more sugar to compensate for the lack of fat and maintain the indulgent taste. It is very important to accurately read labels to be able to calculate how much sugar is in a product. 4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon. You will be shocked by how much sugar is in your drinks or fat free yogurt. Don’t forget to calculate sugar based on number of servings in a container. We will say it again because it is worth repeating from our last blog, “if it’s white it isn’t right”. Any carbohydrates made out of white flour (bagels, breads, cakes, pasta, etc) immediately convert to glucose when consumed. Although fruit is a natural sweetener, be careful not to eat more than 5 servings, as it is sugar too.
There are many things you can do to eliminate the craving for sugar. First, drink plenty of water, get a good night’s sleep and exercise daily. When we are run down, the first think we crave is sugar for quick energy. Eliminate caffeine as some times this stimulation can cause sweet cravings. Try to eat sweet vegetables with fiber, like sweet potatoes and yams. Fiber slows the sugar’s digestion into your blood stream; it will make you feel satisfied and reduce sugar spikes. Finally, take a dropper of marine plankton in some coconut water when you are tired and need energy. If you are craving something sweet have a shot of De Nude Chocolat, filled with antioxidants and over 20 energizing, mood-elevating superfoods and herbs to improve your immune system.