Sugar Free for Thirty Days

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Article by Dr. Carrie Jones

How many of you could go sugar free for 30 days? Reading labels and watching the amount of sweets (real or artificial) our society consumes is concerning especially as the rate of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease increases. Everything from yogurt to spaghetti sauce, cereals to protein bars appear to have extra added sugar. As Americans, we definitely have a sweet tooth.

As many of you are already aware, sugar can cause a number of health problems but it can also be addicting just like drugs. Sugar can worsen or cause: diabetes and pre-diabetes, tooth decay, weight gain, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, fatigue, skin rashes, mood issues, wound healing problems, foggy thinking, allergies, asthma, gout, acne, hot flashes/night sweats, and more.

So the question is, how much sugar are you eating? If you are the average American, you’re eating 22 teaspoons per day! If one teaspoon is equal to 4 grams of sugar, then 22 teaspoons means you are swallowing 88 grams per day. It’s time to start reading labels.

Did you know that the average yogurt container has 17 grams of sugar? A popular candy bar has 30 grams of sugar. Your basic mocha (12 ounce skinny no whip) has 25 grams of sugar while a 12 ounce skinny latte has 15 grams of sugar.
The organic spaghetti sauce in my cupboard has 6 grams of sugar per 1/4 cup.

Try going sugar free for 30 days and see how you feel. The first few days could be a little rough if you’re a sugar addict, but after that you may notice less bloating, better skin, more energy and clear thinking. Start reading labels and make sure you are way under the American average.

References:
1) Johnson R. Dietary Sugars Intake And Cardiovascular Health. Circulation. 2009;120:1011-1020.
2) Anderson A. Highest Mortality Risk Seen With High-Fat Dairy and High Sugar Intake Journal of the American Dietetic Association, January 2011; 111: 84-91.
3) www.heart.org