When I got sick with a stomach bug, I had to cut milk from my diet because it is difficult to digest, so I switched to almond milk instead. The results were so positive that I have not gone back to regular milk since. That, and the fact that breakfast alone gave me my entire day’s worth of sugar before my day had even gotten started.
Every article out there tells us to cut back on sugar: we are supposed to consume on average around 25 grams (six teaspoons’ worth) daily. Men (as always) are given a break because they burn energy differently, so they can consume 36 grams (nine teaspoons), while women should go for 20 grams (five teaspoons). Children are supposed to get 12 grams (three teaspoons). The average soda can has 40 grams. You see where this is going.
A couple of weeks ago my weight was down and I was feeling pretty good, so I bought a new ice cream treat in a small hand sized portion, without reading the nutrition label. Big mistake. That handful of ice cream was certainly scrumptious with its toppings and flavors, but it was also nearly 60 grams of sugar. Because I had it in the evening, that means I slept on over a dozen teaspoons of sugar coursing through my system.
The American Heart Association (AHA) claims we are consuming nearly 300 calories more per day than we used to, but we don’t exercise it off like we used to, either. The old saying that eliminating 500 calories a day can equal a pound of fat off your body in a week is not a bad idea to follow. The AHA recommends tracking total sugars, especially if your nutrition label does not indicate when sugar is added to a food rather than occurring naturally in it (such as fruits in the ingredients). My excuse for not reading the label on the sundae was that the print was microscopic and I didn’t have my glasses available at the time. Either I need to carry a magnifier around with me, buy a third pair of glasses or go on a campaign to get either the stores or the manufacturers to make their print easier to read.
Then again, our salad dressings on the grocer’s shelf are also laden with sugar. How can one stay healthy by eating salads if the dressings aren’t good for you?
Our obsession with sugar has a cure, though, through substitution and moderation. The Europeans don’t overindulge in sugar; it’s a treat rather than a daily (if passive) supplement. A more alert attitude has helped me switch some bad habits for good ones and, though I may indulge in another one of those tooth-rotting sundaes again, I will plan it rather than go hog wild with it for no reason.
Better health for the long-term always should prevail over momentary sweet tooth pleasure, and I’m going to try to remember that.
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