sugar scare/confusion

undohoney

i’m having an urge to start watching my sugar intake because i watched a documentary a few days ago saying how the maximum amount of sugar we should be having a day is 7 table spoons which is like 28 grams but bc there’s hidden sugar in so many things people have like 40 table spoons a day.

i just noticed that a banan has 12 grams of sugar which is so much when it’s supposed to be healthy but yeah it’s fruit and fruit has sugar in it but how am i supposed to eat anything and keep sugar levels low??

pinuplove

Watch added sugar if you want (it's a fairly easy way to cut out unnecessary calories), but unless you have a medical reason there's no need to limit consumption of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables based on their naturally occurring sugar content.

concordancia

When measured in teaspoons (NOT tablespoons!) those recommendations usually specify added sugar.

But yeah, tropical fruits have a ton of sugar in them. It's what makes them so popular.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

you also dont need to watch your sugar unless you have a specific health issue. you can like the others said watch added sugar.but if you dont have a health issue then no worries

kimny72

Don't get health info from documentaries, their goal is to get ratings, not give you sound health advice

Any guidelines out there are for added sugar only. If you have no health conditions that specifically require monitoring blood sugar, there is no reason to be scared of sugar. Feel free to try to minimize added sugar if you really want, but don't lose sleep over it.

IsETHome

I have had to watch my sugar intake for years, be aware of the sugar you are eating. For example, juice is very high in sugar, as is soda - instead of a 20 oz glass of juice, you should drink a kids cup worth, and/or add ice on top of it. Liquid sugar - meaning beverages is the worst. Sugars in fruits that also have fiber, and other things to slow down the digestion, helps our body to manage it. I opt for things like Jams, and puddings with splenda, and just don't add sugar to coffees. I will eat fudge or something else with high sugar like ice cream, from time to time, - but usually a childs cup portion.

CindyJNC1963

Welcome to MFP. I try to keep my sugar at less than 50 grams a day. Most of the sugar I do get is from fruits.....I stay away from sugary soft drinks, candy, cakes, etc. 28 grams seems really, really low if you don't have a medical reason to go that low.

lynn_glenmont

undohoney wrote: »

i’m having an urge to start watching my sugar intake because i watched a documentary a few days ago saying how the maximum amount of sugar we should be having a day is 7 table spoons which is like 28 grams but bc there’s hidden sugar in so many things people have like 40 table spoons a day.

i just noticed that a banan has 12 grams of sugar which is so much when it’s supposed to be healthy but yeah it’s fruit and fruit has sugar in it but how am i supposed to eat anything and keep sugar levels low??

7 tablespoons of sugar is about 90 grams.

The sugar isn't hiding if you read the label.

You don't need to worry about sugar in fruit unless you have a medical condition like diabetes. Even focusing on added sugar is really a proxy for ensuring you get sufficient nutrients and don't consume too many calories, so why not track those things directly (which MFP makes pretty easy) rather than getting all out of sorts over something that doesn't matter directly (unless, of course, you have a medical condition for which it does matter).

NadNight

Like most people have said, the 28 or so grams applies to added sugar. My nutrition goals on MFP are currently set at maintenance with a goal of 60g sugar a day so that will include naturally occurring sugars in fruit and milk.

That being said, 28g of sugar is easily done! One chocolate bar an have upwards of 20 g sugar, pasta sauces often have added sugar, cereals, jam, condiments, bread, yoghurts (I was so shocked to find how much sugar is added to flavoured yoghurt!) so it’s easy to use up a days limit before you’ve even contemplated a sweet treat.

Whilst yes, fruits ARE very high in sugar, they’re also very nutrient dense. That banana for example is a great source of potassium, B6 and fibre. As a rule, i stick to 2-3 servings of fruit a day and aim for 2-3 veg at least (why is it so much easier to eat loads of fruit than veg?).

I’d do a bit of research into sugar contents of foods you like. Fruit wise, things like berries have a fairly high water content and relatively less sugar whereas fruits like mango, pineapple and Sharon fruit (aka my favourite fruits) are pretty damn high in sugar. This applies to treats as well. For example you could be choosing between a peach yoghurt or an orange-chocolate cake bar. You’d think the yoghurt would have less sugar? But my favourite brand of yoghurt has 13g of sugar and 85 cal a pot, the cake has 9g of sugar and 90 cal!

Above all, keep nutrition in mind. Aim for whole foods and cooking from scratch where possible, make informed but not overly restrictive choices, enjoy a range of highly nutritious foods and as long as you’re not eating 5 chocolate bars a day (uh unless it’s Christmas...I’ve eaten at least that much chocolate every day since Christmas) then don’t worry about sugar too much.

kimny72

Something else to remember is that dairy also comes with a fair amount of natural sugar, lactose. A half a cup of plain no sugar added yogurt will have around 8g of sugar. And it comes with protein, fat, calcium, and vitamin D

lemurcat2

undohoney wrote: »

i’m having an urge to start watching my sugar intake because i watched a documentary a few days ago saying how the maximum amount of sugar we should be having a day is 7 table spoons which is like 28 grams but bc there’s hidden sugar in so many things people have like 40 table spoons a day.

As others have mentioned, those are about added sugar.

I also think the claims about "hidden sugar" are way overstated. It depends on your diet, but I didn't find that anything I ate with more than a tiny amount of added sugar was surprising -- it was typically things like dessert foods. If you buy cereal or flavored yogurt, that may have it, but hardly a surprise, right? Some pasta sauces will have added sugar, but the labels include naturally-occurring sugar in tomatoes too (I make my own and so I know you can get a decent amount just from veg).

What I did was track sugar for a while and look to see if there were any surprises, and there weren't.

Rather than focusing so specifically on sugar, I think a better idea is to look at protein, fiber, and overall healthiness of the diet. If my diet is balanced and has sufficient protein, fiber, healthy fat, and lots of vegetables (which also have some sugar), I will eat as much fruit as I like within my calories. There are simply no credible recommendations suggesting that you need to worry about sugar intrinsic in fruits and veg or dairy (unless you are lactose intolerant).

A type 2 diabetic may need to worry about carbs in general and what they are paired with, but not sugar alone.

cwolfman13

1. There's no such thing as "hidden" sugar...it's right there on the label.
2. Be very careful with any documentary...in most cases, they are biased and agenda driven
3. Sugar recommendations are typically for added sugars
4. If people are eating 40 Tbsp of sugar a day, they're doing a lot more than just having some pasta sauce with a little added sugar or some fruit...like they're washing down their cake with Big Gulps.
5. I personally emphasize veg over fruit...I limit fruit to a couple servings per day...usually some blueberries in my breakfast oats and an apple in the afternoon.
6. If you're not eating a ton of sweets and things that you would obviously know are sugar laden and aren't eating copious amounts of tropical fruits, you're probably just fine.

jgnatca

Do you swear off clowns after watching a horror movie?

I find fear to be a terrible motivator. It makes for emotional and rash decisions.

I suggest looking up alternate views of that scary “documentary” so you have a full picture on what sugar can do for you.

Everyone can make healthier choices every day and picking a piece of fruit or a carrot over, say, a sack of potato chips is sure to be better for you.