Why Eating Too Much Sugar is Dangerous—No Matter
How Fit You Think You Are
How little sugar qualifies as "too much"?
By: Allison D. Salibian, B.S., CPT, January 2, 2015
A recent study from the
Centers for Disease Control analyzed data that tracked U.S. sugar consumption
from the years 1988 to 2010. They also looked at mortality rates from
cardiovascular disease, still the top killer of both men and women. The CDC’s
conclusion: There is a substantial link between obtaining more than 15 percent
of your daily calories from sugar and a greater likelihood of heart disease.
So, if you're consuming 2,000 calories a day (and many Americans take in at
least 30% more than that), you should be taking in no more than 300 calories
from foods that contain added sugar.
Note from the author: That’s
crazy – only 300 calories from processed, sugar-containing foods! Where do people get the other 1,700 calories (or more) from? Do they think we all live on farms
and only eat food that we grow ourselves?! Actually, it can be done. I do it almost every day. I do cheat for a birthday party or holiday celebration, but those are rare occasions.
Back to the info: Just one 12-ounce can of
regular soda a day added enough sugar to a person's diet to boost their odds of
developing heart disease by one-third (33%). Don't drink soda? The results
still apply to you: bread, crackers, salad dressing, ketchup, yogurt, honey,
nectars, jam, syrup and alcoholic beverages—they all contain added sugar, even
though some may not actually taste sweet.
You may not even realize
how much of the sweet stuff you're consuming, unless you’re tracking your sugar
intake with a software, such as My Fitness Pal or Weight Watchers. If you scribble down your food at the end of
the day, you must be sure to tally up the grams of sugar in each serving you
eat (and don’t assume you’re only eating one serving, unless you measure
it). You may be surprised to find that
more than the recommended 15% comes from added sugars.
The study findings were consistent across all age groups, genders,
and dietary and fitness habits—so even if you practically live at the gym and
read nutrition labels obsessively, you shouldn't blow off this new research.
Take a look at your consumption of sweets and processed foods, and see if your
sugar intake exceeds the American Heart Association's recommendation that women
get no more than 100 calories a day from added sugar (that comes to about 25
grams of added sugar). If it does, swap in some of the
following healthy foods that satisfy salt and sugar cravings. Your life may depend on it.
Low-sugar snack alternatives: nuts, whole wheat pretzels, popcorn,
low-sugar protein bars, plain rice cakes.
Yes, these may seem like “diet foods”, but they will help prevent
overdosing on sugary foods. If you’re
serious about your health and your waist line, you will begin tracking your
sugars online or on your smart phone and make sure to stay under the 25g mark,
unless you are at a celebration (granted, you don’t celebrate more than one per
week). The risk of heart disease and
death by sugar alone, not to mention sodium (salt), is too serious to ignore.
Want to know more about staying on track with healthy eating
habits? Contact Allison Salibian through
her website: www.LittleMrsBad.com and
join her “12-Weeks to Transform” program or inquire about personal training.