SUGAR - NUTRITIONALLY

Basically, in a nutritional sense we really don't need added sugar. According to Audrey Cross, PhD, MPH, a retired professor from Columbia University's School of Public Health, "Sugar is a form of energy, or calories, and nothing else."  There are really two ways we get sugar.  One is by eating "sweets" and the other is by eating healthy foods that naturally contain sugar, such as fruits.  Yes, eating an apple floods your body with sugar just as a lollipop does.  There is, however, a difference in how your body receives these sugars. First, and this is important to remember, with the lollipop your body is just getting a jolt of sugar.  With the apple, your body is also getting fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, all important for your health.  Also, it is important to note that your body absorbs these two types of sugars differently.  The body converts natural sugar (from fruit) to glucose and breaks down the sugar more slowly, keeping the blood sugar levels sustained.  With the lollipop, etc, the body absorbs the sugar quickly causing problems with blood sugar levels. 

It is possible to eat refined sugar and still be eating a healthy diet.  But the amounts of refined sugar should be kept to a minimum.  In a 2000 calorie a day diet, 32 grams of added sugar is allowed.  The problem comes in to play when we fail to realize just how much sugar we are eating daily.  For instance, one cup of presweetened cereal can contain up to 20 grams of sugar.  That is well over half of ones daily allotment!

Learn to read food product labels.  You might be surprised the added sugar you are eating on a regular basis.  For instance, the following products often contain sugar: salad dressings, canned soup, breads, frozen foods, especially breakfast foods, etc.