what do you do to lower your sugar intake?

I use sugar packets in my tea rather than spooning the sugar out of a larger container. That gives me much more consistent sugar amounts.

There's sugar in so many things that you wouldn't even think of. I eat plain Greek yogurt and add fruit, but no other sweetener. I don't drink sodas or juices. Pretty much, besides fruit, the only sweet thing I eat is a square of dark chocolate, almost daily. The most recent studies I've read implicate sugar, more than fat, as increasing cholesterol. I can't point you to them though because I don't know where I found them. Watch out for dried fruit, the sugar is more concentrated. Read labels. I wouldn't worry too much about fruit, unless you're eating tons of it, then you may want to check your macros and see how much.

Another thought: up your healthy fats. In some people I think the sweet cravings are really for the fats that so often accompany sweets when they are trying to stay too low in fats.

longlostsea wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

I don't eat much in the way of processed foods and/or foods that contain added sugar. I eat a few servings of fruit per day and place a greater emphasis on vegetables...i.e. I eat 2-3 servings of fruit and 4-6 servings of veg.

What are your go-to's so to speak for veggies?

You name it...broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, carrots, kale, spinach, and other greens, lettuces, cucumbers, onions, green onions, tomatoes, bell peppers (mostly red or green), peas, etc...I like a lot of variety and there's not really a veggie I've met yet that I didn't like.

I also eat a lot of root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, etc. I also eat a lot of whole grains and legumes and lentils...

I'm not a vegetarian, but "plants" are a significant part of my diet.

I've decreased my sugar intake, gradually, in roughly this order: cut out fruit juice, stopped eating sweetened yogurt, stopped sweetening my own yogurt, stopped eating fruit regularly, except berries, cut back on sweetened chocolate and started using xylitol to sweeten occasional desserts instead. At this point, I eat very little, if any, added sugar, and only small amounts of grains and starchy vegetables.

Newer research does indicate sugar is implicated in unhealthy cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. Research lots of articles on this subject and check out pub med for the actual scientific studies. Learned this in my nutrition classes in school.

circ.ahajournals.org/content/106/4/523.…

Sugar Consumption in the United States

Added sugar was not a significant component of the human diet until the advent of modern food-processing methods. Since then, the intake of sugar has risen steadily. The average US sugar utilization per capita on the basis of food disappearance data was 55 kg (120 lb) per year in 1970, and it reached 68 kg (150 lb) per year in 1995 (almost 0.5 lb per day).1 Sugar (simple carbohydrate) intake averages 25% of total energy intake. Data from the 1989 to 1991 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals indicate that soft drinks and sugars added at the table (eg, sugar/syrups and jams) are 2 of the top 4 carbohydrate sources for US adults.2

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Sugar and Coronary Heart Disease

Yudkin and colleagues in the 1960s3 and 1970s4 found that a higher intake of sugar was associated with increased CVD in both within-country and cross-country comparisons. A few recent studies have examined the link between sugar consumption and coronary heart disease (CHD). The Iowa Women’s Health Study5 showed no relation between the intake of sweets or desserts and risk of ischemic heart disease in 34 492 women monitored for 9 years. However, some major sources of sugar such as soft drinks were not considered. The Scottish Heart Health Study6 of 10 359 men and women found that neither extrinsic nor intrinsic sugars were significant independent correlates of prevalent CHD after adjustment for other major risk factors, but the data were not adjusted for other dietary variables. A recent report from the Nurses’ Health Study showed that women who consumed diets with a high glycemic load* (increased blood glucose excursions associated with intake of sweets or highly processed starches and sweets) had an increased CHD risk, with those in the highest quintile having a >2-fold risk during 10 years of follow-up.7 Simple carbohydrate alone was also predictive but did not reach statistical significance. This analysis controlled for total energy intake and other major dietary and nondietary risk factors.

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Dietary Sugar and Plasma Lipoproteins

A number of studies link dietary sugar with adverse changes in lipoproteins. Several studies have shown an inverse association between dietary sucrose and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.8,9⇓ Data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development In young Adults (CARDIA) study show a consistent inverse association between increased dietary sucrose intake and HDL cholesterol concentrations, in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in blacks and whites, in both men and women, and after adjustment for other covariates.10

A diet high in sucrose (ie, >20% of energy) is associated with an elevation of plasma triglyceride concentrations.11,12⇓ This increase is due to both increased hepatic secretion and impaired clearance of very-low-density lipoprotein. Triglyceride response to dietary sugar may vary, however, according to the amount of sugar and the presence of other nutrients.12

longlostsea wrote: »

Hello just wondering what changes any sugar lovers out there have made to lower their sugar intake?
I have a sweet tooth so to speak and have high chloresterol, and have been reading that it may contribute a bit to that. So as well as a healthier diet and more excersize I want to watch my sugars as well. I'm not sure about lowering the amount of fruit I eat because of nutrient content + I am a vegetarian.
Opinions? Methods?

• I replace full sugar items (like when I have a soda) with sugar free.
• I buy plain yogurt and sweeten with Vitafiber, which adds soluble fiber to my diet.
• I stopped drinking my coffee with fancy flavored creamers and just use enough half-and-half to cut the acidity.
• I make most of my own soups and stews in my crockpot so I can control the ingredients.
• I buy single servings of things like a candy bar or cookies when I really want a treat
• I enjoy the cake when I am at a party, I just don't buy any for the home
• I eat my fruit instead of drinking juice

rabbitjb wrote: »

bisky wrote: »

Conclusion of above article from American Heart Association:
The studies above, taken in total, indicate that high sugar intake should be avoided. Sugar has no nutritional value other than to provide calories. To improve the overall nutrient density of the diet and to help reduce the intake of excess calories, individuals should be sure foods high in added sugar are not displacing foods with essential nutrients or increasing calorie intake.

Exactly it's about excess calories and overweight

Now fair enough if cutting down on sugar means you are hitting your calorie goals and nutritional requirements

But sugar does not cause high blood cholesterol

Unless somebody has info that proves otherwise I'm sticking with the advice to lower trans and sat fats and lose weight

True. My suggestions above are all ways to lower calories overall and (for me as a diabetic) to lower carb consumption.