It’s sweet,
it tastes great and it’s nearly
impossible to avoid—especially since it’s
added to so many foods and beverages.
We’re talking about sugar, an
ingredient in all kinds of things, from
good-for-you fruits and vegetables to not-
so-good-for-you sodas and baked goods.
Sugar isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
(Tink of those fruits and veggies, which
naturally contain sugar.) But too much
sugar—particularly the kind added
to processed or prepared foods and
drinks—isn’t good for your health, says
Odessa Syryczuk, Memorial Health Center
registered dietitian.
Tese added sugars can make your
blood pressure go up, raise your risk
for heart disease, harm your teeth and
expand your waistline.
If your diet is high in added sugars, it’s
probably high in total calories.
Too much sugar is a problem for most
Americans—who get, on average, more
than 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily,
according to the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey.
Add it up
Most women should consume no more
than 100 calories (about 25 grams,
or 6 teaspoons) of added sugars a day,
Syryczuk says.
For most men, the goal is no more
than 150 calories (about 37.5 grams, or
9 teaspoons) a day.
To help keep added sugars to a
minimum in your diet, look at the labels
on the foods and beverages you buy.
Ingredients are always listed in order
of quantity, from most to least. Look for
foods that don’t have added sugars at the
top of their ingredient list, Syryczuk says.
In addition, look for cereal with grams
of sugar in the single digits. If you’re
shopping for something like yogurt,
bread or canned soup, just compare the
sugars and buy the item with the least
amount.
Another thing to keep in mind as
you’re scrutinizing food labels: Added
sugars come in many forms. According
to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, all of the following are
considered added sugars:
➜
Invert sugar,
raw sugar and brown sugar.
➜
Honey
and molasses.
➜
Syrup, malt syrup, corn
syrup and high-fructose corn syrup.
➜
Corn sweetener.
➜
Dextrose, sucrose,
lactose, maltose, fructose and glucose.
➜
Fruit juice concentrates.
Be picky
Added sugar isn’t something you need to
avoid completely.
Some foods with added sugars, such as
favored yogurts or whole-grain breakfast
cereals, can ft into a healthy diet.
Choose wisely, and you can still enjoy the
occasional sweet treat.
American Heart Association; American Dietetic Association
Want tips on
how to change
your eating
habits? Call
715-748-8886
and sign up for a
future session of
Memorial Health
Center’s Heart
Healthy Cooking
class.
can sour a good diet
Sweet nothings
Odessa Syryczuk,
RD/CDE
14
Memorial Health Center
•
Well
aware