Sugar Detox Week One: Identify Hidden Sugar

When you think about 150+ pounds of sugar per person per year, you’ll ask yourself, “How can that be possible?” Consider this: according to Sparkpeople.com, the typical American now eats the equivalent of about 31 teaspoons (155 grams) of added sugar daily.

Do the math:

• 1 teaspoon sugar = 5 grams = 15 cals of sugar.
• 1 can of soda = 10 teaspoons (50 grams) = 150 cals of sugar.
• 31 teaspoons (155 grams) = almost 500 empty calories of sugar.
• 500 empty calories = 25% of the average daily caloric intake.
• YIKES!

The American Heart Association suggests no more than 6-7 percent of daily total calories come from added sugar, which does not include sugars from dairy products (lactose) and fruits (fructose). This table illustrates suggested maximum intake of added sugar per day depending on personal weight and caloric needs:

Daily Calorie Intake

Grams of Sugar

Teaspoons

1,200

21

5

1,500

26

6

1,800

31

7

2,100

36

9

2,400

42

10

2,700

47

12

Week 1: Identify Hidden Sugar

The first week of the de-sugar plan is all about becoming aware of hidden sugar in foods. Although it’s easy to ID sugar in things like ice cream and cookies, it gets harder and more confusing in foods typically kept stocked in the pantry and fridge. Nutrition Facts label are required on all packaged foods, but the food industries have found a sneaky, deceiving way to hide total sugar content: they list all sugars (including naturally-occurring fruit and milk sugars) together in one lump sum. This explains why one cup of milk, according to the label, has 11 grams of sugar, even though it doesn't contain “added” sugar. Do the math.

Beware—many foods advertised as “healthy snacks” have hidden sugar. For a mind-blowing visual, go to SugarStacks.com to see the sugar cube equivalent in seemingly harmless things like granola bars (12 grams), flavored yogurts (27 grams), fruit juices (26 grams), meal-replacement bars (23 grams) and many other sugar-loaded snacks. Remember, one gram of sugar = three calories. Do the math.

To become sugar savvy, it’s imperative to familiarize yourself with food labels and look for hidden sugars under different names. If sugar by any name is listed in the first five ingredients on the food label, throw it out or donate it to the local food bank. For a very long list, go to Sparkpeople.com. Remember, read the labels and do the math.

HOMEWORK—Buy a note book and keep track of all sugar in all the foods you eat in a typical, realistic day. It's quite an eye opener, and you'll become more aware of sugar in your food. 

Nobody wants to be considered “typical” or "average," so if you do fall in to the “typical, average American” pigeonhole description, it’s time to jump off the sugar addiction merry-go-round and de-sugar your life. DO-THE-MATH!

COMING UP

Week 2: Restock the kitchen with healthy, sweet alternatives to sugary favorites. The long-term goal is to replace added-sugar snacks with truly healthy alternatives that provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber to the diet, while quenching sweet tooth cravings.  

(Note: This is the first in a four part series about sugar addiction.)

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