Monthly Archives: April 2012

Break the Sugar Habit

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The average American is sugar-logged, consuming more than 140 pounds of added caloric sweeteners per year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture — that’s a 20 percent increase since 1970. There doesn’t appear to be a single, conspiratorial cause — some point to technology, which allows us to refine thousands of tons of barley, corn, fruits, rice, and sorghum into concentrated sugars available year-round; others speculate that the low-fat trend swung our nutritional pendulum in the direction of sugar. The results of our collective sweet tooth, though, are unmistakable: Sugar’s abundance is jeopardizing our health.

Bringing your body and mind back into a balanced relationship with sugar can help you maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of illness, boost your energy, and even out your mood. And it doesn’t have to be a course in misery. Our three-week sugar-reduction plan is designed to help you break the sugar habit gradually and painlessly. You’ll still have plenty of sweet — fruit, whole grains, and milk all contain naturally occurring sugar. “Cutting back on the added sugar in your diet while eating whole, naturally sweet foods will give you the physiological balance you need for long-term health,” says Dr. Jana Klauer. Best of all, what initially might feel like deprivation may eventually become a bonanza. By stemming the deluge of added sugars that usually overwhelm your taste buds, you’ll awaken your palate, allowing naturally sweet flavors to come alive.

Are you a sugar addict? Take our quiz. Ready to start the process? Week 1.

Our experts: Dr. Jana Klauer, author of “How the Rich Get Thin”; Dr. Kathleen DesMaisons, author of “Potatoes Not Prozac”; Kate Gilday, an herbalist who pracitces in upstate New York; Dr. Darna Dufour, a nutritional anthropologist at the University of Colorado.

Week 1: Raise Your Sugar Consciousness
During the first week, your goal is simply to become aware of your relationship to sugar — without changing your diet at all. By scanning ingredients lists and keeping a food diary, you’ll discover where the added sugars are hiding in your diet and notice when you succumb to sugar-laden foods.

Search For Sugars
Be aware that sugar has many guises — in fact, there are dozens of varieties of added sugar. Although it is unlikely you’ll remember all of them, you can keep some of the most common in mind (see “Sugar Glossary” at bottom of page). Familiar sweeteners like cane sugar, honey, and molasses are easy enough to spot; other common sugars include dextrose, fructose, fruit-juice concentrates, maltose, and sucrose.

High-fructose corn syrup is especially abundant in processed foods — and especially problematic. Its use has directly paralleled the rise in obesity in America, says Klauer. Derived from corn and inexpensive to produce, high-fructose corn syrup is a very concentrated sweetener. “Also, because fructose is metabolized through the liver,” says Klauer, “consuming high-fructose corn syrup strains the liver and has been linked to increased levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol.”

In your hunt for sugars, don’t search just in the expected places; also check breads, cereals, sauces, soups, and yogurts — in short, anything with a label. Nutrition labels don’t delineate added sugars — “sugars,” listed in grams, includes naturally occurring sugars — so it’s hard to determine how much you’re getting.

Keep in mind, though, that ingredients are listed in order of quantity, so if any type of sugar is listed in the first few ingredients, the food is most likely high in added sugars.

Start A Food Diary
For the next three weeks, keep a food diary to track the foods and beverages you consume every day. Beside every meal, snack, or drink, record the time of day and your mood, and keep note of any impulsive eating behaviors and food cravings. For the first week, keep close track of all sugar-containing foods, without trying to cut down at all. Read labels, and don’t forget the small servings — the teaspoon of sugar you add to your coffee or the mint you eat after lunch.

After a few days, you may notice a relationship between your eating patterns and your energy level — for example, an afternoon lull in energy followed by an intense craving for chocolate, or a sluggish feeling after eating sugary cereal for breakfast. Knowing your patterns will help you prepare for the weeks ahead.

Take it to the next level - Week 2.

Week 2: Prepare for the Sugar Cleanse
During the second week, you’ll focus on balancing your diet with healthy foods and timely meals. Before eliminating sugar altogether, says DesMaisons, “it’s critical to balance your body chemistry by eating the right proportion of healthy foods.” For some people, cutting out sugar “cold turkey” can cause withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches and irritability.

Eat Breakfast, Lunch, And Dinner
Skipping meals results in low blood-glucose levels, which can lead to impulsive eating, often of sweets. Try to eat every three to four hours, says Klauer, and keep healthy snacks on hand. Breakfast is particularly important, since your body has been fasting all night; skipping breakfast can trigger late-morning cravings for sweetened foods. And be sure to eat a breakfast that contains adequate protein. Protein will balance your blood sugar and make you feel full, leaving you less susceptible to quick-energy cravings. So get up in time to make yourself eggs, or have a piece of whole-grain toast with almond butter.

Focus On Whole, Unprocessed Foods
Processed, refined foods are a double whammy when it comes to sugar: They often contain added sugar, and they’re low in vital nutrients that help your body metabolize sugar. Whole foods, however, contain a complement of fiber, minerals, vitamins, and water, all of which help stabilize blood sugar.

This week, choose foods that are as close to their natural state as possible: brown rice rather than white rice, whole wheat bread instead of white, an apple instead of apple juice, and home-cooked soup over canned.

Nutrients such as B vitamins, calcium, chromium, copper, magnesium, vitamins C and E, and zinc are particularly important for healthy sugar metabolism. Foods rich in these vitamins and minerals include high-fiber whole grains, such as barley, oats, quinoa, and long-grain wild rice; protein-rich foods such as free-range chicken, eggs, fresh fish, legumes, tempeh, and unsweetened yogurt; fruits and vegetables; and healthy fats such as avocados, flaxseed oil, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.

Balance Each Meal
Balance your meals by eating complex carbohydrates in the company of proteins and healthy fats. The proteins and fats will help stabilize your blood sugar levels and keep you satiated longer, says Klauer. So rather than eating an apple or a cookie on its own, combine it with a handful of nuts or a piece of cheddar cheese. If you have spaghetti for dinner, choose whole wheat pasta and top it with roasted chicken.

Try These Healthy Choices:
Choose Healthier Oils
Make Spicy Tomato Soup
Make a Spring Vegetable Salad
Make Quinoa with Toasted Almonds

Ready for the final step? Week 3.

Week 3: Go Sugar-Free for a Week
During the third week you’ll eliminate all added sugars. This means no chocolate or cookies, no sugar in your coffee or tea, no sweetened cereals, and no packaged foods that contain added sugar. Taking a hiatus will help cure your sugar cravings, break the habit of always reaching for something sweet, and reset your palate. When the week is over, you’ll be ready to reintroduce sugar in a healthier way: as an occasional treat, rather than a constant companion, and as a choice, rather than a compulsion or craving.

Clean House
You can’t eat what’s not there. Rid your fridge, freezer, pantry, and office drawers of tempting sweets. For some, this step may be the hardest. “Sweetened foods have become a source of comfort for many people,” claims Dianne Sullivan, a psychotherapist in Hartford, Connecticut, who works with clients on food-addiction issues. “Eliminating those comfort foods can feel like losing a close friend.”

Keeping up the good habits you focused on last week will help, says Klauer. “By eating nutritionally balanced meals and healthy snacks, and not allowing yourself to become overly hungry, you may find that your cravings disappear.” Remember that healthy foods that contain natural sugars aren’t the target — they may, in fact, help stem your cravings. So go shopping for fruits such as apples, dried apricots, bananas, figs, and mangoes and vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes. In addition to sweet fruits and veggies, be sure to have cheeses, nuts, seeds, and plain yogurt on hand.

Quell Your Cravings
“Initially, when eliminating sugar, you may feel an intense craving for it,” Klauer says. Sugar cravings, although not true hunger, can be overpowering. They signal an imbalance and have been linked to diminished beta-endorphins and serotonin levels in the brain. Succumbing to the sugar craving will initially raise the levels of these chemicals but ultimately leave you in a sugar “deficit,” only to crave again. When you feel a craving, try Klauer’s suggestions:

1. When the craving begins, set a timer for 15 minutes. Most cravings last only eight to 14 minutes.
2. Drink a full glass of water. Thirst is often mistaken for hunger, says Klauer.
3. If the sugar craving persists, eat a protein-rich snack, such as handful of almonds or walnuts, some unsweetened yogurt, or a piece of cheese.

Certain herbs, available in tea form in natural-foods stores, can help balance blood-sugar levels and cravings, according to Gilday. Look for teas made with blueberry leaf, holy basil (also called tulsi), or nettles, says Gilday, who suggests adding a pinch of powdered cinnamon for added potency. You also can try Sweet Tamer, an herbal tea designed by Gilday (who does not profit from its sale) to balance blood sugar, improve the function of the pancreas, and support the nervous system.

Pique Your Palate
Humans recognize five distinct tastes — bitter, pungent, salty, sour, and sweet. The American diet, however, places heavy emphasis on sweet and salty foods. But it is the bitter-tasting foods, an important part of many cultures’ cuisines, that can help balance sugar cravings, suggests Dr. Andrew Weil. “If you crave sweet,” he says, “add arugula, radicchio, endive, or chicory to your diet.”

Other sources of bitter include broccoli rabe, collard greens, kale, and mustard greens. Bitter foods might taste unfamiliar to you at first, but they can help bring your tastes back into balance. Once that happens, the flavors of natural sugars, such as those found in apples, carrots, and even milk, may become much more pronounced.

Avoid The Artificial
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose are best avoided this week. Don’t add them to your coffee or tea, and check labels on “sugar-free” foods.

Although they do not have the same effects as sugar on the body, artificial sweeteners swing the palate in the direction of sweet and stimulate parts of the body’s sugar response. “They stimulate the cycles of sugar cravings without giving the body calories,” explains Klauer.

Sleep — And Rest
Preliminary studies have suggested that chronic lack of sleep can lead to a hunger for sugary foods. “Resting replenishes the adrenal glands, which grow fatigued in a culture of high sugar, over-stimulation, and overdoing,” adds Gilday. When you’re tired, she says, avoid “pushing through” with the help of sugar and caffeine. Instead, honor your body’s need to rest, be it with a nap, meditation, or a walk. After three weeks, you can slowly reintroduce added sugar in a healthy way. Stay conscious of its presence, keep reading labels, and celebrate sweetness sparingly. “Instead of eating large quantities of processed sugar,” suggests Klauer, “savor a small piece of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate or a warm cup of cocoa.”

You won’t see results overnight. But over time, you’ll make a profound nutritional shift, says Dr. Nancy Appleton, author of “Lick the Sugar Habit.” “Little by little, your cravings will diminish, and reducing sugar will get easier and easier.” We’ve built our sugar habit over many years. One gram at a time, we can help turn this habit back in the direction of natural sweetness. Success, in the end, lies in a bigger vision. “Reducing your sugar intake is not a revolutionary process,” says Appleton. “It’s an evolutionary one.”

Learn to tell the good sugars from the bad.

Do You Know?

-About 46 percent of Americans’ added sugar intake comes from beverages.

-Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup rose 1,000 percent from 1970 to 1990. Americans consume an average of 12.5 teaspoons daily.

-To burn off the average number of sugar-related calories consumed in a month, you’d have to walk 52 miles.

-A can of cola contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar. A bottle of sweetened iced tea may have up to 8 teaspoons.

-According to the USDA, we should consume no more than 10 teaspoons of added sugar daily. The average American consumes 20 teaspoons daily.

Sugar Glossary

Are All Added Sugars The Same?
Some would argue that the body cannot distinguish between a refined and an unrefined sugar. Others claim important nutrients, necessary for the digestion of the sugar, are lost in the refining process. Either way, a glut of any kind of sugar can cause health complications, so use all sweeteners sparingly. Sugar alcohols, or polyols, occur naturally in plants and are added to foods for sweetness. Compared with sugar, they’re less caloric and their effect on blood sugar is less dramatic; they can, however, cause stomach upset.

More-Refined Sugars
Brown sugar, confectioners’ sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, crystalline fructose, dextrose, glucose, granulated (table) sugar, high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, maltodextrin, maltose, malt syrup, polydextrose, sucrose, syrup.

Less-Refined Sugars
Agave nectar (sweet cactus nectar), amasake, barley malt, blackstrap molasses, brown-rice syrup, cane juice, date sugar, demerara, fructose, fruit-juice concentrate, honey, lactose, maple syrup, muscovado, raw sugar, sucanat, turbinado sugar.

Sugar Alcohols
Erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH), isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol.

From Whole Living Body & Soul
Link: http://bit.ly/JXLyTS
 
 

8 Surprising Foods That Contain More Sugar Than a Twinkie

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In Life by Wendy Michaels
 
food

 

High Sugar Foods to Avoid

If you’re trying to eat healthier these days, take note that not all of those foods that are marketed as “healthy” are any better than eating a Twinkie.

In fact, HuffPost Food compiled this list of 8 foods that have more sugar than a Twinkie.

Yogurt

Yogurt seems healthy, right? Sugar content in yogurts can be very high, however, as Keri Glassman, R.D. told the Early Show that yogurt naturally has about 12 grams of sugar per 6 ounce serving. The fruit flavored yogurts that most people eat actually have about 32 grams of sugar.

Look to Greek yogurt for less sugar instead.

Tomato Sauce

Tomato sauce? You would think that a vegetable sauce would be pretty low in sugar, but keep in mind that many brands add sugar to their recipe, and that ups the count to 11 or 12 grams per half-cup serving.

Read those labels — ideally, you should be able to find brands that have no additional sugar in the ingredient listing.

Granola Bars

Granola bars always seemed like a solid pick, but some brands pack them with sugar, and depending on the brand and size, you could be looking at between 11 and 22 grams of sugar.

It may be better to find a healthier alternative to granola bars instead.

Fat Free Salad Dressing

Consumers got so conditioned to thinking that fat free products were good for them (no fat, right?) that they may have overlooked the fact that companies pump sugar into fat free dressings to give them some taste.

Check the labels and do some comparison shopping to find dressings with less fat (not necessarily fat free) and less sugar.

Muffins

When you break muffins down to their lowest common denominator, you’re really looking at a chunk of cake that you’re eating for breakfast. And don’t be fooled into thinking that bran muffins are healthier, because they’re usually loaded with sugar, too.

You’re better off skipping muffins entirely.

Canned Fruit

This one seems a little sneaky because you think that because it’s fruit, it’s healthy, but a lot of canned fruit is packed in a sugary syrup. Even light syrup can stack up 32 grams of sugar per cup serving!

Look for those packed in natural juices, and if you can, fresh fruit is always best.

Smoothies

Smoothies appear to be that perfect health food, but watch out for extra sugar in commercially prepared smoothies that have sugar listed early in the ingredient listing. They can have between 38 grams and 70 grams of sugar (some over 100).

It’s always best to make these at home where you have control over the ingredients — mainly fresh fruit and nonfat plain yogurt.

Cereal

We all know about those sugary cereals on the shelves, but even some of the healthier options may reveal a load of sugar when you closely inspect the nutrition info.

Good old Cheerios are always a top pick among low sugar, whole grain cereals.

Link: http://bit.ly/HIPF5X

Sugar: the public health crisis that won’t go away

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Evidence is mounting on the dangers of sugar consumption, linking the sweet stuff beyond obesity to heart disease and cancer. The catch: Our fate can be prevented if we seriously cut back on sugar. Is America headed toward a great political sugar debate?

Should government reduce sugar consumption?

Eliminating sugar from the typical American diet—or even a healthier diet—is shaping up to be the next big political battle. Remember when the government attempted to reduce fat in the 1970s? The result: heart disease and obesity rates skyrocketing, because when the fat was removed, sugar and HFCS was added back in for flavor. Sugar consumption has actually declined more than 70 percent since 1970—but HFCS has more than made up the difference because it is cheaper to produce.

Some sort of sugar is now found in everything from breads to sauces and yogurt to peanut butter. Americans consume 133 pounds of sugar per person per year. That’s one-third of a pound every day, according to 60 Minutes.

Under the umbrella that researchers have opened, even healthier processed food offerings that have organic cane sugar or alternative, caloric sweeteners are still sugar sources—and because “sugar is sugar” say researchers, none is better for you than another.

The Sugar Association’s take

Also featured in the 60 Minutes segment was the Sugar Association, which cautioned that eliminating sugar wrongly vilifies one food, and that we should instead work toward a long-term solution of moderation and exercise.

In a response to the program’s airing, the Sugar Association wrote: “We are extremely disappointed that 60 Minutes missed a teachable moment to provide a balanced segment and help inform its viewers and American consumers about the role all-natural sugar plays in healthy diets… 60 Minutes overshadowed the fact that total caloric intake remains the fundamental cause of a myriad of illnesses facing Americans.”

Interestingly, in her five-year study highlighted on 60 Minutes, molecular biologist Kimber Stanhope found that “a calorie is not a calorie anymore.” In her study, young, healthy people were observed in a hospital for weeks at a time and fed controlled meals to determine the effect of sugar on the body. Those subjects who were given too much fructose converted some of it to fat, which then became small-dense LDL, the bad cholesterol associated with heart attacks.

The Sugar Association went on to say that: “The assertion that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and all-natural sugar are the same and treated by our bodies the same is inaccurate,” but did not give evidence to back up this statement. Even nutritionist and food policy advocate Marion Nestle, who doesn’t want to see more HFCS sold, has said that there is no meaningful biochemical difference between the two.

Regardless of the HFCS vs. sugar debate, one thing is clear: the sweet stuff is harmful to our health. Are we headed toward another great political battle or will the issue die, only to resurface in another year? For all the emphasis and vilification placed on meat consumption, it’s scary to think that sugar could be just as bad for our health as a cheeseburger.

Should government step in and mandate decreased sugar content in our food? 

 

Caren Baginski, newhope360
Link: http://bit.ly/Hv78sI

9 Sneaky Sources of Sugar

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Mens Health Magazine, Eat This, Not That! – Dave Zinczenko

 

9 Sneaky Sources of Sugar

Who’s the scariest supervillain of all time? Darth Vader? The Joker? Bruce Jenner’s plastic surgeon? All pretty nasty, it’s true. But let me nominate an evil force with greater powers. A villain who can be both solid and liquid, who can be as fine as dust or as hard as rock, and who lives inside of almost everything you eat. I’m talking, of course, about sugar.

I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t occasionally crave something sweet—ice cream, cookies, candy. We think to ourselves: “One brownie won’t kill us. It’s harmless.” And that’s true—one brownie is harmless. But it accounts for only a fraction of the sugar you’ll eat in a day.

According to the American Heart Association, Americans down about 22 teaspoons of the sweet stuff every day. (Imagine choking that down all at one time.) And most of that comes from less-than-obvious sources. Manufacturers today put sugar in everything from the bread in your pantry to the turkey on your table. That makes sweet ol’ sugar the ultimate supervillain—or at the very least a driving force behind heart disease and diabetes.

So let’s put this into perspective. If you’re currently taking in more than 120,000 sugar calories each year—as is the average American—then you’re adding 35 pounds of sugar-induced flab to your body annually. But here’s the good news: Every dark thriller has a path to salvation. To help you find the way, I’ve identified the most nefarious sources of sugar currently crouching in the dark shadows of your diet. Start dodging these villains today and you’ll earn a body worthy of a sequel.

 

 

9. #9: Asian Sauces:

Asian sauces—or at least American versions of Asian sauces—are notorious sources of hidden sugars. The viscous liquids that give us sesame chicken, sweet and sour pork, and beef teriyaki aren’t all that dissimilar from pancake syrup. Check the nutrition label for ingredients like corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup, and watch out for anything that ends in “-ose” (dextrose, maltose). These are all forms of sugar. Then be prepared to do some math—most bottled sauces list nutrition information for impractically small serving sizes. Who uses only 1 tablespoon of sauce?

EAT THIS!

La Choy Stir-Fry Teriyaki Sauce & Marinade (1 Tbsp)

10 calories, 0 g fat, 1 g sugars

 

 

8. #8: Fruit Spreads:

Jams, jellies, and preserves seem like healthy breakfast alternatives to butter and cream cheese—and they are if they contain only fruit. But many fruity toppings house a shocking amount of added sugar. Smucker’s, for instance, packs three different sweeteners into its classic Strawberry jam. Why three? Because if the company used only one, it would have to list “sugar” as the first item on the ingredient statement. By spreading the impact over three sweeteners, it can push fruit to the top of the ingredient list and hide the sweeteners below. It’s a common trick used by food processors to make their products look healthier than they are. Just remember that fruit is its own natural sweetener. Opt for an unadulterated version like Polaner’s All Fruit spreads, which—true to name—contain nothing more than fruit and fruit juice.

EAT THIS!

Polaner All Fruit with Fiber, Strawberry (1 Tbsp)

35 calories, 0 g fat, 6 g sugars

 

 

7. #7: Salad Dressing:

You’ve likely heard that fat-heavy dressings like ranch and blue cheese can convert a salad from fresh to fattening, but you may not be aware of the other salad saboteur lurking in your pantry. When the so-called “light” dressings take out fat, they often add sugar in its place. Take Ken’s Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette, pictured here. It contains as much sugar in each serving as some ice creams do in each scoop. And what’s worse, it’s laced with food starch. Although technically not sugar, it reacts in your body in almost exactly the same way. That means that in addition to the 12 grams of sugar on the label, you’re also taking in a heavy dose of blood-sugar-spiking starch. Let’s call this dressing what it really is: salad frosting.

EAT THIS!

Kraft Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan (2 Tbsp)

40 calories, 2 g fat (0 g saturated), 3 g sugars

 

 

6. #6: Spaghetti Sauce:

There’s no need to add sugar to tomato sauce because tomatoes are naturally sweet. So why do processors insist? Because instead of using fresh olive oil and vegetables, they’re often making their sauces from cheaper vegetable oils, dehydrated veggies, and other subpar ingredients. Sugar is a quick fix: It makes everything taste like candy! To that point, Francesco Rinaldi lists sugar as the second ingredient in this sauce, which brings the total impact to nearly 3 teaspoons of sugar in each serving. Your best bet? Go with a no-sugar-added option like Ragu’s Tomato Basil. It contains just tomatoes, onions, and spices. And be sure to also look out for the sugar count of barbecue sauces—another tomato-based sauce notorious for sneaky sweeteners.

EAT THIS!

Ragu Light No Sugar Added Tomato Basil (1/2 cup)

50 calories, 0 g fat, 8 g sugars

 

 

5. #5: Oatmeal:

Oats have been linked to heart health, weight loss, and cancer prevention, so it’s natural to assume that oatmeal is always a nutritious breakfast choice. But many food producers spoil the whole-grain goodness by flavoring their oats with artificial ingredients and loads of sugar. Quaker’s Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal Express, for example, takes its name very seriously—it contains as much sugar as two Pillsbury cinnamon rolls! A touch of sugar is one thing, but unless you want to eat dessert for breakfast, go with a lower-sugar option. Or better yet, make your oatmeal from scratch so you can control the sugar load. (Tip: Berries are the perfect way to sweeten naturally.)

EAT THIS!

Quaker Lower Sugar Instant Oatmeal Maple & Brown Sugar

120 calories, 2 g fat (0 g saturated) , 4 g sugars   

 

 

4. #4: “Wheat” Bread:

Studies have shown that whole grains improve your heart health, keep you full, and help you lose weight, but not all bread products labeled “wheat” are true whole grains. Restaurants and supermarket aisles are rife with whole-wheat imposters containing enriched flours and sugars intended to improve the taste of wheat products. So even though you don’t typically file bread under the “sweets” category, your daily sandwich could be loaded with refined carbs and sugars. The best example of the whole-wheat bait-and-switch is the “Honey Wheat” bread Arby’s uses on its Market Fresh sandwiches. First, it’s not whole wheat (enriched flour is the first ingredient). And second, there are 15 grams (!) of sugar in every two slices. That’s more sugar than you’ll find in a Hostess Ho Ho!

EAT THIS!

Arby’s Cravin’ Chicken Sandwich (Roast)

370 calories, 12 g fat (2 g saturated), 9 g sugars

 

 

3. #3: Yogurt:

Yogurt is low in calories and high in protein, which is why a recent Harvard study found that regularly consuming the stuff helps you lose weight. The problem? Many producers pump their “fruit flavored” yogurts with sugar. Case in point: The cups in Yoplait’s Original 99% Fat Free line pack as much sugar as a bag of peanut M&M’s. Unless yogurt is your weekly diet splurge, go with a less dessert-y option like Dannon Light & Fit, or opt for plain yogurt and add your own healthy toppings like fresh fruit and nuts.

EAT THIS!

Dannon Light & Fit Peach (6 oz, 1 container)

80 calories, 0 g fat, 11 g sugars

 

 

2. #2: Frozen Dinners:

The idea of a frozen meal packed in a nuke-able box probably doesn’t get your taste buds giddy with anticipation. Food manufacturers are aware of this fact, so they go heavy on the sugar and/or salt. Some of the worst offenders? Low-cal or otherwise “light” entrées. When food companies remove fat or carbs from their items, they usually replace those calories with excessive doses of sugar or sodium. Take Lean Cuisine’s Roasted Turkey Breast entrée, for example. Chances are you don’t think of turkey as dessert, but with 7 teaspoons of sugar, that’s exactly what you’re getting if you pop one of these babies in the microwave. Again, it’s all in the nutrition label. Don’t just focus on fat and calories; make sure to look out for sneaky sugars and sodium as well.

EAT THIS!

Smart Ones Bistro Selections Slow Roasted Turkey Breast (1 entrée)

200 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), Sugars <1 g

 

 

1. #1: Bottled Tea:

In recent years, tea has received a lot of good press for its impressive antioxidant properties, and beverage companies have taken advantage by flooding the market with options. But the taste of plain herbal tea doesn’t draw in the crowds, so many drink purveyors pump their teas with high-fructose corn syrup and other cheap sweeteners to boost flavor. Before you buy a bottle, flip it over and read the nutrition label. If you’re looking at Arizona’s Green Tea, you’ll notice that it has more sugar than a Snicker’s bar.

DRINK THIS!

Honest Tea Jasmine Green Energy Tea (16 oz. bottle)

34 calories, 0 g fat, 10 g sugars


Link: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/9-sneaky-sources-sugar