Sugar, how can an ingredient that makes everything taste so good be so bad for us? I don’t know either but it just does. It is a fact that women should have no more than 6 teaspoon of sugar, or 100 calories of adder sugar per day. That’s right my coffee drinking friends. The recommended limit of sugar for men is 9 teaspoons, or 150 calories per day. Now let me say this, the sugar that I am talking about here is added sugar, in other words the sweeteners and syrups that they add into foods and drinks during manufacturing and processing at a plant or by you at the table. The good news is that this does not apply to sugar that occurs naturally such as those found in fruit, vegetables or even in dairy products.

Unfortunately, sugar is everywhere and in just about everything from sauces and seasonings, to drinks and flavorings. So if sugar is in almost everything then how are we supposed to avoid it? Take a good look at your diet and try to trace where the extra added sugar is coming from and cut back on it. For example, an 8 ounce container of fruit flavored yogurt has approximately 5 to 6 teaspoons of sugar added to it. An 8 ounce glass of low fat chocolate milk has almost 4 teaspoons of sugar in it. These foods are relatively safe compared to soft drinks. I’ve found that a 12 ounce soft drink is loaded with about 8 teaspoons of sugar. If you are a woman this would push you over the limit.

Since sugar is an abundant compound it is very hard for most people to cut back on it. Try to pay close attention to the ingredients on the foods and drinks that you consume. Some foods and drinks are obvious to eliminate like deserts, candy, and soft drinks. Other products are not so obvious to avoid. In this case you look for key ingredients such as corn syrup, molasses, dextrose, fructose, evaporated cane juice, and (of course) sugar. Once you eliminate excess sugar you eliminate excess calories from your diet. For those who are trying to lose weight this means a lot because losing excess calories means losing excess pounds. So remember, pay close attention to your sugar intake. It’s OK to use a little sugar in your coffee or tea but don’t go overboard.