Most health experts will agree that eliminating food groups is not an effective way to improve your eating.  However, taking a look at certain ingredients, one at a time, can be a simple way to improve your daily nutrition, and eventually your overall health. 

Because it is your body’s most easily utilized energy source, too much sugar can decrease your body’s likelihood of utilizing fat.  Sugar is important for workouts, and placed around exercise, it can help burn fat during activity.  However, for inactive periods of the day, or for more sedentary days in general, sugar hinders our ability to burn fat stores because it affects a hormone called insulin.

Too much insulin is blamed for the development of metabolic syndrome, a conglomerate of disease states that include such things as high blood sugar, high blood pressure, increased cholesterol, and obesity.  Insulin is also blamed for the development of central fat.  One action that can reduce insulin levels is to reduce sugar intake.  This makes the body turn to other sources of energy during the day, and will force the body to burn more fat stores.  It helps make exercise more efficient, because the body learns how to use fat during the day and has a greater memory of that during exercise.  In turn, a more even use of carbohydrate and fat happens during aerobic exercise.  Why is that important? The result of burning fat and carbohydrate during exercise is greater endurance and a better calorie burn!

The World Health Organization currently suggests limiting added sugars to 10% of your daily calorie needs. This equates to about 48 grams of sugar for a 2,000 calorie diet.  Examine a small bag of Skittles and you may or may not be surprised at the 30-40 grams of sugar per package. Take a look at a “No Added Sugar” organic apple juice box and you might be a little more intrigued at its 24 grams of sugar. 

Since sugars in fruits (fructose and sucrose), vegetables, and milk (lactose) are naturally occurring, they don’t count toward your daily goal.  This is confusing for some people.  For example, the 24 grams in the no added sugar apple juice comes from the fruit- which is a naturally occurring sugar and doesn’t count toward your 48 grams.  Looking at ingredient labels can help you determine whether juices and other products contain “added” sugars.  The following are examples of added sugars that appear on ingredient labels. If, beyond fruit juice, water, and added vitamins, any of these are listed, they are added sugars. 

• brown sugar
• corn sweetener
• corn syrup
• dextrose
• fructose
• fruit juice concentrates
• glucose
• high-fructose corn syrup
• honey
• invert sugar
• lactose
• maltose
• malt syrup
• molasses
• raw sugar
• sucrose
• sugar
• syrup

It is possible that a Nutrition Facts label contains some added and some naturally occurring sugars, and the labels do not discern between them.  That is when it gets tricky to track your intake of added sugars. To be sure, only drink juices that contain “no added sugar” and are 100% fruit juice.  Other ways to eliminate added sugars from your diet include cutting back on the following:

• regular soda

• candy, cookies, cakes, pies, doughnuts, granola bars, pastries, and other sweet baked goods

• fat-free cakes, cookies, and ice cream as they may have as much added sugar as their fatty counterparts and they’re often high in calories

• Breakfast cereals with more than eight grams (about 2 teaspoons) of sugar per serving.
• Sweets served in restaurants: ice cream, shakes, and pastries. Their huge servings can provide a day’s worth of added sugar. For example, a large McDonald’s Vanilla Shake and a Cinnabon each have 12 teaspoons (48 grams) of added (free) sugar.

Try this easy recipe for a great no added sugar breakfast. Just be aware it is a lighter breakfast choice with only about 100 calories. Most people need another source of carbohydrate and healthy fat for a more substantial and satisfying breakfast.  A piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter is a great example.

Balanced Breakfast:

• 2 large egg whites
• 2 TBSP oatmeal (plain)
• 1/4 of a small banana, sliced/diced
• 1/2 packet Stevia, Splenda, or similar
• dash cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and cook like an omelette/pancake

If desired, top with 1 tsp sugar free syrup (10 cal), ground cinnamon, or 2 TBSP Redi Whip (15 cal)
Nutritionals:  <100 calories, 12 carb, 10 protein