The average American eats roughly 34 teaspoons of sugar each day.  The American Heart Association recommends that we eat no more then 10 teaspoons per day.  Preferably, 6 teaspoons for women.  One teaspoon is equal to 4 grams.  So, in other words we should be eating no more then 40 grams of sugar per day.  Start reading your labels and you will quickly realize that we eat way too much sugar.  For example a 6 oz container of low-fat Yoplait flavored yogurt contains 27grams of sugar this is as much sugar as a Snickers Bar!! 

Here are some tips on what to eat or not to eat to help reduce the amount of sugar in your diet. 

1.  Eliminate soda and juice from your diet.  A 12 oz can of Coke has 40.5 grams of sugar.   This is your whole days worth of sugar!!!
     An 8oz serving of the average 100% juice apple juice from concentrate has 27 grams of sugar.  A medium apple contains about
    11 grams of sugar.

2.  Avoid light and low-fat items.  This might mean less calories but it might not and in the yogurt example above you are often getting tons of sugar in place of the fat.

3.  Eliminate artificial sweeteners.  Lots of studies are now being done showing that these sweeteners intensify sugar cravings and are harmful and unrecognizable to the human body. 

4.  Avoid processed foods.  Start reading labels and you will be amazed at some of the sugar contents in boxed crackers, cookies, frozen entrees, cereals, and breads.  READ YOUR LABELS.

5.  Eliminate caffeine.  This can lead to spikes and crashes and blood sugar levels and cause sugar cravings.

6.  Eat protein.  It will help you better digest the sugar and it will make you feel fuller thus avoiding the sugar crash. 

It is amazing how stable your energy levels will be by cutting your sugar content.  Give it a try.  It is not easy to eat less then 40 grams of sugar per day but can be done by eating lots of whole fruit and vegetables and lean proteins. 

Let me know how it goes.

Amy