One of the biggest addiction in America, is the over abuse of sugar and artificial sweetener in the diet. It is the major contributing factor in obesity and diabetes in the USA. I know some of us love sweet food and drinks and once in a while, a good piece of cake and a can of soda as dessert is added to the menu. These food and drinks pack on the pounds, and eventually you become overweight, because one piece of cake becomes two pieces, and one can of soda becomes more than one. That rush of sugar feels good for a moment, but later on, you are feeling guilty when you cant fit into your favorite outfit.
Our bodies provide the sugar needed for our brain, and it is called “glucose,” which is needed to survive. Glucose is a very important fuel that the body makes and needs to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Sugars are naturally in foods such as, fruits and vegetables and are beneficial for a healthy body and diet.
The over consumption of sugar in America, resulted in an obesity epidemic not only among adults, but children as well. About 15-20% of the calories in an adult diet, is added sugar, which equals to about 22-25 teaspoons of added sugar each day. Sugar is added to make food taste better, especially for someone who might have a sweet tooth. These food sometimes are already high in calories, and is not healthy, and do not offer the health benefits of fruits and other naturally sweet foods.
Artificial sweeteners added to sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas, energy drinks and sports drinks, are the major leaders in the source of added sugar in american diet. These drinks have so much sugar that it takes a toll on your body and cardiovascular problems worldwide. This is a major concern, that major health organizations are asking people to cut back on the piling on of added sugars in the diet. The problem is that, so much added sugars is so wildly used in over processed foods, that it is hard to identify.
Reading labels should be a part of your daily routine when you go grocery shopping at your favorite supermarket. For example, ingredients such as, sucrose (table sugar), corn sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, nectars, raw sugar, malt syrup, fructose sweeteners, liquid fructose, honey, molasses, anhydrous dextrose, or other words ending in “-ose,” the chemical suffix for sugars. If you see these words as the first ingredients on a food label, this means the food is likely to be high in sugar. The total amount of sugar in the food label is listed under “Total Carbohydrate” on the nutrition facts label.
People sometimes try to go on a diet, and as a result, turn to diet soda and food. The artificial sweetener use in these food and drinks, sometimes are much sweeter than regular table sugar, so smaller amounts is needed for your diet if you cannot avoid it at all. I would say avoiding these diet sodas is more beneficial for your health. Because of the over consumption of these drinks loaded with artificial sweeteners, the former Mayor Bloomberg tried to restrict the sale of the super size soda drinks. The law was eventually turned down. The Bronx assembly man, Mr Jeff Dinovith now wants to have sodas, energy drinks, and sports drinks, to have warning labels to show the excessive amount of sugar, and especially in energy drinks where the ingredients is very much dangerous with the over abuse of drinking it. These drinks, young adults in particular have become addicted to them. I am in favor of warning labels, especially for children who consume too much soda and fruit juice concentrate. The warning labels will help adults monitor the intake and over consumption of sugar in the diet.
In the end, one needs to develop and establish a healthy lifestyle that contains unprocessed non GMO foods, less calories and more exercise. A well balanced diet with variety of foods and plenty of physical activity should be the motto in ones lifestyle. Focus on nutrition rich whole foods and fruits, example, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, apples, oranges, bananas, blueberries , all without added sugars is a healthy start to your wellbeing.
Change your diet Change your life.
