Sugar

Hidden Sources of Sugar


Let's get something straight — I want you to stay far, far away from high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Seriously, this stuff really puts the "junk" in junk food! It's the most abundant source of calories in a lot of foods out there and it's terrible for you because it boosts your fat-storing hormones. Look at your labels and you'll find HFCS in so many foods that line the shelves in our grocery stores. But just because high-fructose corn syrup is evil doesn't necessarily mean halos are hovering over other sugars. There's more sweet stuff out there that you need to avoid!

We still have far too much of the noncorn variety of sugar in our diets, and it's definitely not doing anything good for our health or our waistlines. The average American eats more than 30 teaspoons of sugar a day — that's more than 114 pounds of sugar a year!

While sugar is everywhere, you must do your best to eat it in extreme moderation. The World Health Organization recommends no more than 12 to 15 teaspoons a day, or 48 to 60 grams. I prefer that you keep the amount as low as possible. Check your food labels — anything with "sugar" should obviously be avoided. However, sugar has many aliases. I'll give you a hint: Anything that ends in "-ose" is a sugar. See what I mean in the list below, and beware of these sweeteners in the foods you eat!

Dextrose

Evaporated cane juice

Fructose

Fruit juice concentrates

Galactose

Glucose

Honey

Invert corn syrup

Lactose

Malt

Maltose

Malt syrup

Maple syrup

Molasses

Rice syrup

Sucrose



Sugar in Fruit

Want to avoid wild blood sugar spikes? Eat whole fruits instead of fruit juices. Not only will they help your blood sugar stay in check, you'll also get beneficial fiber from the whole fruits as well. Just be aware that some fruits are high in sugar — even though they're nutritious and relatively low in calories. Some of the highest-sugar fruits are mangoes, pineapples, and bananas. I'm not saying to avoid these. (Trust me, you'd have to eat more fruit than you can imagine for it to be deemed unhealthy.) However, if you've been diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes, it's time to limit your intake. If you want to eat fruits with less sugar, go for berries, tomatoes, and oranges.