Sugar intake counter

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Princesspants78
Princesspants78 Posts: 24
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok so this sugar intake counter in the food diary is really starting to bug me....
I constanly go over my daily limits, but its all natural sugars that is found in the fruit I eat and this is bugging me cause I really love fruit and see it as my way of satisfying my sweet tooth.

So I guess my question is...does the type of sugar you are inkaking come into consideration? How do I properly keep track of the two? Or do I need to... Can someone please offer some clarity on this for me?

Thank you everyone in advance!


Amanda:flowerforyou:

Replies

  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    There's no way to track natural vs added sugars on MFP because they're not required to list them separately on food labeling. I'm trying to cut all added sugars out (except for a minor treat here and there) - and you can tell by reading the ingredients if something has added sugars or not. Some foods are obvious - fruits/veggies are all natural, cakes/muffins/etc. are mostly added. It's stuff like flavored milks, hot cocoa, etc. that get tricky because they could have a mix of added and natural (from the milk).

    I do think that natural sugars are way better than added... they're packaged with lots of goodness (fiber in fruit, protein in milk, etc.) Some people will tell you not to worry about natural sugar... It's my personal opinion (after lots of research/reading) that I want my total sugars (added and natural) to be at or under 10% of my daily calories, which is 30-40g of sugar depending on what my goal is that day. It can be hard to stick to, but as long as I'm conscious about buying no-sugar-added foods (which is easy when I cut out most processed foods) and I eat reasonable portions of fruit and dairy a day, then I'm fine.

    Edited to add: if you are worried about the effect of fruit sugar on your blood sugar levels, then take care to try and eat the low-glycemic fruits. A quick google search of the term will give you a list. These will not spike your blood sugar the same way as high glycemic fruits will.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    One more thing - keep in mind that added sugars in food may not appear as "sugar" or something obvious on the food label. Here's a list of most of the types of added sugar. If any of these are in the ingredients, then it is added sugar. Natural sugar is not listed on a food label.

    http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/discretionary_calories_sugars.html
  • kelzz193
    kelzz193 Posts: 120
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    sugar refined or natural is still sugar, that's why it registers the same. You have to watch how much fruit you eat, although it is way better than candy don't get me wrong! At my heaviest I was diabetic and can tell you a banana has more sugar than some cookies...for that fact a banana is actually two exchanges of sugar. Just like bread has tons of sugar + carbs. If you are really interested read some of the south beach stuff on line it breaks down very simply good v bad sugar and how your body metabolizes both. Bottom line moderation with everything including your beloved fruit is key!

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