More thoughts about SUGAR...

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ldbenincasa
ldbenincasa Posts: 66
in Food and Nutrition
I went to a nurtition class about eliminating (or at least drastically reducing) sugar from your diet last night. Ironically, I came home and found a post on here from a man whose friend is on a diet that allows no sugar, even natural sugars. So today I added a sugar column to my food journal and WOW!! Holy cow do I consume a ton of sugar! I have reached my weight loss goal and thought I was eating relatively healthily, with an occassional treat in the evening. Interestingly, today for breakfast, for example I ate a 5 oz Oikos Greek yogurt with 1/3 cup Cascadian organic granola mixed in. Those two items alone were 18 grams of sugar (add in my Coffee-Mate and I was already at 28 g for the day). I am only supposed to eat 30 g/day. I went back and looked at my previous eating and I am consistently consuming 3 or more times my recommended amount of sugar (while staying at or slightly below my calories). Does anyone else track their sugar intake? This has been very eye-opening for me! I am definitely addicted, but frankly, am not sure if I want to eliminate sugar completely. I look forward to my little treats. I did learn a lot last night about the heath risks connected to sugar (and I thought I already understood the risks) and I am frankly a little scared. I just don't know what to do with my new knowledge!!??

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  • JStarnes
    JStarnes Posts: 5,576 Member
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    I track mine - I can keep mine under the 28g a day now - but when I first added the column, oh man was I going WAY over! :noway:
  • minekoq
    minekoq Posts: 10 Member
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    I think we should check with our doctors on this. My blood tests show that my sugar levels are fine and I exceed my sugar limit in the 3 pieces of fruit I have each day. I read somewhere on the internet that sugar from fruit isn't too bad as oppose to processed sugar. I need to read up on this more or ask my doctor about this.
  • McFatterton
    McFatterton Posts: 1,358 Member
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    I track mine to and never did I have any idea all the places sugar was hiding! I fail miserably everyday with keeping mine in check, but I have become much more aware of all the sugar I consume and continue to lower my intake slowly but surely.
  • vjar
    vjar Posts: 17
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    The take home message people are missing here is the type of sugar they are consuming. Milk sugar (lactose) is very different than glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltose, and dairy products offer MORE than just sugar, in the form of vitamins, and essential amino acids....You're body needs carbohydrates and prefers that as an energy source. This difference is the form that you are putting it into your body. Many people are missing the body chemistry involved in how this sugar is used. The simple fact is that people eat too much period. If you concern yourself with getting the proper amounts of vitamins and nutrients from FOOD and not pills, there's really very little left over for added "sugar" in the form of junk food primarily.
    This is my own battle, I eat a little candy...woops... and now I've increased my calories to a point that I'm now sacrificing NUTRIENT quality in order to compensate for the added non useful (other than quick glucose) "sugar".
    You can't eliminate groups of foods just because they contain this nebulous "sugar".....Dig a little deeper.
  • EKarma
    EKarma Posts: 594 Member
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    I track my sugar. I noticed the same thing.. I usually go over 15-20 grams of sugar a day. It really is unbelievable. Hey, do you have the link to the post about the guy that is on a no-sugar diet. I'd like to read. I watched that seminar on youtube about HFCS and that really helped me get my sugar to, ya know, only 15-20 grams over, but I don't know how I'm gonna get it any lower! I'll be eating dirt by the end of it all!!:tongue:

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