It is no secret that some sugar is bad for you, but how much sugar is too much sugar? Although we are aware of the health problems that can come from eating too much sugar – obesity, heart disease, tooth problems – many of us don’t even know how many grams of sugar we should be consuming a day.
In the past, we have been told that 10 percent of our total daily calories should come from sugar. However, recently the World Health Organization (WHO) announced they are cutting the recommended sugar intake for adults in half! That means only five percent, about 25 grams, of our daily calories should come from sugar. Everyone interprets this recommendations differently, but cutting down your sugar consumption will almost never be a bad thing.
What can be just as important, is choosing the type of sugar we consume. The American Heart Association (AHA) has said that we need to make a distinction between naturally occurring sugars, like the ones found in fruits, and added sweeteners and refined sugars, like the ones found in soda, candy, and other sweet treats. It is much more beneficial for the body to receive its daily sugar limits from food items like fruit, milk and grains that contain natural sugars. Reducing the processed sugars in your diet has also been shown to help with excess weight loss.
Unfortunately, product labeling makes it extremely hard to distinguish the amount of calories coming from natural vs. processed sugars. But after a quick scan through the ingredients, you can quickly get an idea of how much added sugar is in the product. Some names for added sugars are corn sweetener, brown sugar, cane sugar, corn syrup, and fructose sweetener – just to name a few.
You may realize very quickly you are consuming too much sugar. However, cutting back on sugar can be a very hard adjustment for some. It is very easy to become addicted to sugar, resulting in cravings and withdrawals when cutting back. Luckily, there are ways to make cutting back easier.
A helpful way to begin cutting back on sugar could be through a cleanse. With time and especially less than ideal eating habits, your body becomes filled with toxins and unwanted waste. A cleanse helps the body purge toxins, purify cells and tissue, and remove waste. This ultimately cleans your blood and refreshes the body to allow you to more easily adjust the amount of sugar you crave and consume each day. There are many different ways of cleansing, however a majority of cleanses consist of consuming a product or food that contains detoxifying properties. Aloe itself can act as a very effective cleanse; having only four grams of sugar that come from raw, natural honey. You can read more about aloe acting as a cleanse here.
The bottom line is that for most of us, our diets contain way too much added and not naturally occurring sugars. It might be a little hard to start removing these from our diet, but starting is always the hardest part. Most find it much easier once a little effort is made, and prefer less sugar after a while. Healthier habits almost always follow as a result. You end up feeling better, looking better, and getting sick less. Who doesn’t want that?