Is sugar the root of all evil? 80% of food in U.S. grocery stores contain added sugar. This “hidden sugar” found in processed foods adds up quickly and increases the glycemic index, a measure of how quickly food raises blood sugar.
Higher glycemic foods increase body fat and central obesity more than lower glycemic foods. A recent study from the University of California San Francisco found increased sugar in a food supply was linked to higher rates of type 2 diabetes, independent of obesity.
Researches in Japan found sugar to be the greatest predictor of weight gain in men. Every 5g of sugar a man consumed daily resulted in 1/2 lb weight gain that year.
The World Health Organization recommends limiting added sugar to 25g (2 tbs) for women and 37g (3 tbs) for men daily. That is equivalent to 13 candy corn or 3 fun sized snickers bars or less than 1 can of soda.
Sugar intake can add up quickly when you consider other sources that might be less obvious, such as 1 tbs of ketchup has 1 tsp sugar, 1/2 cup tomato sauce has 2 tsp sugar, and 1 single serve vanilla Greek yogurt has over 3 tsp sugar.
A healthy lifestyle allows some treats from time to time, after all total deprivation can lead to binge eating later on. Learning to eat treats in moderation is an important skill to acquire, so this Halloween enjoy treats in moderation, staying at 2-3 tbs of sugar per day.
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