The Skinny on Sugar
There’s a time in your life when you’re forced to confront your life choices in the rawest of manners. Staring at the bottom of an empty bag of Sour Patch Kids in disbelief five minutes after you opened them is one of mine. Definitely one of mine. I was stressed and hungry and emotional, and sugar, oh sugar, that trusty friend, was once again there for me at a low moment. But turning to write my HEALTH column right after this binge, fingers still sticky with the crystallized toppings of my sour little friends, really put things in perspective. I should probably cut down on my sugar intake.
I say this like it’s the easiest thing to do, but it certainly is not. Humans are wired to like sugar. Stocking up on the good stuff when it was plentiful gave us a better chance of survival when times were lean. And as we have evolved and pumped every processed food with additional sugars into the market, it’s become harder to avoid added sugar entirely, no matter if you’re eating a brownie or a sandwich with Wonder Bread. It’s no wonder ketchup is my favorite condiment, regardless of the fact that I hate tomatoes — one tablespoon of Heinz tomato ketchup contains four grams of sugar, more sugar than a Chips Ahoy! chocolate chip cookie.
But more research is beginning to link refined sugar to a variety of diseases: obesity, heart disease, depression, diabetes, arthritis, and more. Quitting sugar entirely is hard, but there are tangible steps anyone can take to reduce their daily sugar intake. The American Heart Association recommends that men only eat nine teaspoons, or 37.5 grams, of added sugar a day, and women only eat six teaspoons, or 25 grams of added sugar.
To start, be mindful of how many grams of sugar you consume, and eliminate soda and juices from your diet completely, as these are among the worst culprits for added sugar.
Try to wean sugary junk food like cakes, granola bars, and overly processed food from your diet, and replace them with fruit when the sugar cravings hit. Simple carbs like white breads and white pasta also act like sugar in the body, so try cutting those out too. While the process will be tough, and will most likely take several weeks, your taste buds will adjust, hopefully urging you to forgo the Sour Patch Kids and reach for that peach instead.
