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What to Do When Sugar Sneaks up on You

By Sandy Schroeder

Most of us manage to avoid the sugar bowl, but still find that we are surrounded by sugar in our food and drinks.

I drink unsweetened black and green tea, and black coffee, but still find myself dipping into jellies, sauces and an endless list of other sugar-loaded products.

Harvard Health says sugar is becoming "hard-wired into our palates," as we routinely add some 17 teaspoons of sugar to our daily diet. The acceptable amount is more like six teaspoons.

Researchers say sugar is added to our salad dressings, sauces, breads, ketchups, nut butters, canned goods and dairy products. In addition to sweetness, it is used to stretch shelf life and create appealing body and color in foods.

How to Hunt Down the Sugar

If you are ready to reduce the sugar in your diet, you may want to start with sweetened drinks. Sugar sweetened drinks account for some 50 percent of the total sugar added to our food supply in the U.S. Check the list to see what you drink.

  • Energy drinks
  • Sports drinks
  • Regular soda
  • Fruit punch or juice cocktails
  • Sweet tea
  • Sweetened coffees
  • Sweetened waters
  • Other drinks with added high-fructose corn syrup

Overall, we get about 200 more calories a day from sugared drinks than we did in 1965.

Look at All of the Other Sources

Get serious when you shop as you read the labels and weed out the sugar.

Sugared Treats

Just look around the supermarket aisles when you shop and see how many sugar-loaded temptations there are. Doughnuts, ice cream, pies, puddings, cakes, brownies, pastries and sweet rolls all contribute extra sugar and create an ongoing sweetness addiction.

Syrups and Honey

Hot drinks, pancakes, waffles and other sweetened confections all get shots of honey or syrups, which adds up to a lot of extra sugar.

Sauces, Dressings and Salsas

Sugar also shows up in tomato ketchup, relish, salad dressing, salsa and barbecue sauce unless we check the labels or create our own whenever we can.

Check Labels on Prepared Foods

To hold down the sugar, check the labels on all of these items.

  • Breakfast cereals
  • Breads
  • Soups
  • Tomato sauces
  • Ready-to-eat meals
  • Cured meats
  • Snacks
  • Fruit-filled yogurts

Stick to Whole Fruits

You can also lower sugar by adding more fresh whole fruit to your diet and subtracting juices. If you buy juice, look for unsweetened ones.

As you start to eliminate extra sugar, you will probably notice pastries and sugared drinks all seem a little too sweet. Gradually you will lose the taste for overly sweetened foods and drinks, and be on the road to a much better diet.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Upland, Calif.

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