CUT BACK ON THE SUGAR IN YOUR DIET

 Yes, I am a diabetic but that is not what this post is about.  We Americans just eat too much sugar.  I am not someone who lives by what Dr. Oz says as I think a lot of what he says just scares people and is a minor problem for the average person.  I did however notice something he said about sugar and I believe it is worth passing along.  Dr. Oz stated that sugar hurts us in two ways.  "First", he says, the sugar molecule itself is like a jagged piece of glass that scrapes up the arteries as it travels through your bloodstream.  That scarring catches plaque, allowing it to build up and narrow the arteries.  Second, because sugar is stored as fat, it leads to weight gain, particularly around the belly."  He has a rule he suggests we all live by.  His rule is, "If high fructose corn syrup is one of the first five ingredients in a product or there's more than 4 grams of sugar per serving (that is 1 teaspoon), skip it."

Most Americans eat about 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, much of it from sodas and fruit drinks.  The American Heart Association recommends that women (good idea for men, too) limit their consumption of added sugars to about 6 teaspoons a day!  Would you believe that is less than half a 12-ounce can of regular soda a day!

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