Craving something sweet?  You are not alone.  Did you know that the average American eats 100 pounds of sugar in a year? 
I consider myself a fairly healthy eater & I try to help my kids to make wise choices also.  However, I still love to bake (I ‘healthy up’ most recipes the best that I can), sometimes sweeten my coffee & oatmeal with the sweet stuff, and love cookies.  Even though I kicked the soda habit a couple years ago and try to STRONGLY advise my clients against diet soda (it’s worse than the regular)…. I still find myself wondering if I’m still addicted to it.  I question,  “Is it hurting my progress?”  If I’m eating too much of the sweet stuff, then others are drowning themselves in it!! 
Sugar is mainly fructose and glucose and when we eat if, the pancrease releases insulin, which helps our bodies use it as fuel and creates a drop in blood sugar.  However, if we eat more sugar than our bodies can process, the insulin tells our body to store the excess as fat and we gain weight.  Also, the insulin drops blood sugar and soon we feel fatigued, tired, and craving more sugar!  The more weight you carry on your body, the higher your risk for Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease. 
There are many professional opinions about sugar… but the main problem is that many people are eating WAY TOO MUCH OF IT and they don’t even know it.  Sugar is not the problem, it’s how much we eat that is the problem. 
So, back to my question – Did you know that the average American eats 100 pounds of sugar in a year?  Do you know if you are eating that much?  Most of the sugar we eat is not table sugar from coffee and oatmeal, but from packaged foods.  Even ones we ‘think’ are healthy such as peanut butter, wheat bread, pasta sauce, salad dressings, orange juice, crackers, yogurt, etc.  Maunufactures had sugar simply because it tastes better.  If your child would only eat spaghetti with one kind of sauce, then you would purchase that kind, correct?  They have favorites and usually it’s because it’s sweeter than other brands.  The sweeter the food gets, the less nutritious it is.  I always tell people to stop eating processed foods…..they are full of sweetners and do not have many vitamins/minerals to satisfy hunger.  Think about it…. Many people think a ‘heathy’ diet should have yogurt, wheat bread, those 100-calorie snack packs, juice, fruit, and much more.  Well, fruit packs it’s own sugar called fructose….and you don’t need a lot more than that!!  Check out your yogurt labels and you will see 15+ grams of sugar on most of them. 
You can bet your sweet backside that the sweet stuff only creates MORE cravings for sweet stuff.  It’s a cycle that you can’t escape unless you make changes. 

 “Lisa, how much sugar should we be eating?” Doctors recommend about 140-180calories of your daily intake can be sugar related.  One gram of sugar contains 3.87 calories.  I typically tell people….. 30-50 grams, but try to stay around 40 if possible, because it’s difficult!!  The less processed foods you eat, the less sugar you will consume.  Read that again!!!  The less processed foods you eat, the less sugar you will consume…. Helping to break the cycle and lose weight.  YOU tell your body what to eat…… YOU rid it of addictions.  It cannot rid itself. 
Train your tongue to eat less sugar by mixing half your regular yogurt with half of the plain kind for a couple weeks.  Eat regulary to avoid low blood sugar and the cravings for sweets.  Dessert should consist of fruit (which is naturally sweet….hello pineapple!) and less of the manufactured treats.  

Read your labels. 
Did you know that whatever is listed as the FIRST ingredient, means that product has the MOST of that ingredient.  For instance, if the first ingredient is ‘high fructose corn syrup’ put it down and walk away!  Sugar shows up on labels as high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, maltose, dextrose, honey, molasses, maple syrup, evaporated can juice, fruit juice concentrate, and agave nectar.  Often times…..all that sugar added up is more than any other ingredient.  YIKES!!  Choose items that say “no added sugar” and be aware of those that say “Lightly sweetened’ or ‘low sugar’.  WHY?  Because the FDA does not regulate those phrases.  Going all artificial  isn’t good either.  A study in the journal Appetite found that using artificial sweeteners could also result in weight gain.  Hello Diet Soda!!  Experts believe they leave you hungry because they have the sweetness without the calories, leaving you unsatisfied.  Which is another reason I tell clients that if you MUST drink a soda every so often, drink the real stuff and get it out of your system vs. wasting time on the ‘diet’ sodas which leave you craving more and causing weight gain.  Sodas, sweetened tea, and fancy coffee drinks are full of sugary ingredients.  Be aware!! 

By making smart swaps, training your tongue, and being aware of hidden traps in food choices, you are creating a healthier life for you and your family.  Don’t allow your children to get addicted to sugar, by limiting processed foods.  I’m not saying “Never eat a cookie” – I’m just saying there’s no need for them to eat chips, candy, soda, and crackers on a daily basis.  Those are ‘treats’ not daily staples.  That goes for YOU too!  Treat your body well.  Now you are educated and have more of an understanding on sugar and what it creates in the body.  I hope the next time you reach for a diet soda, crackers, or spaghetti sauce, you read the labels or think, “hmmm…this isn’t going to do anything for me except make me want more” and realize that it’s not worth it. 

Check your yogurt….. you will be amazed. 
I can hear parents already, “But at least my kid is eating yogurt!” Yep, you are correct and mine kiddos eat it too.  But, are you allowing them to eat chips, candy, crackers, & fruit juices daily too?  If so, then you need to rethink your actions.  You are doing them NO favors.
Most kids will be drawn to a big plate of colorful fruit/veggies more than cracker and chips anyways.  Allow them to make choices…… just give them better choices. 

Remember, sugar itself isn’t ‘bad’…. It’s how much of it we eat that is the problem!  
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Stay Sweet!