Easter is over but the Easter candy is lingering. What makes that candy taste so good? No surprise here....its the sugar. But what is that sugar really doing for you?
Sugar is a silent killer. According to the USDA, the average american consumes 150 to 170 POUNDS of sugar every year. Obviously we're not just straight up eating sugar, but go take a look at your pantry and see how many items contain over 2g of sugar.
An average male should consume 35g or less of sugar a day and an average woman should consume 24g or less. How much do we typically consume without actually knowing? Anywhere from 2-3 times our daily allowance. This comes from a lot of sodas, candies, and even what you may think are "healthier options".
What does this mean for our health? While you may be exercising and eating "healthier foods", you could be consuming more sugar. When brands label their products with "fat-free" or "lite" or other jargon, they add more sugar to make the taste better. Recent studies have shown that eating the full fat foods are actually better in terms of amount of sugar in them.
Have you ever wondered why wheat bread tastes so sweet? They've added extra sugar to the bread!! So if you have the choice, choose the Ezekiel bread (it's the best choice for you)!
So what does sugar do to your body? Calorie for calorie, sugar is the worst thing to put in your body. It doesn't allow you to become full so you eat more. It's effecting your liver, your brain and your face, it's priming your body for diabetes, and you're becoming a "sugar addict".
Now, in college it is difficult to stay away from everything sugary. With dining hall options and fast-food options for cheap, leading a healthy lifestyle can be hard. But if you want to see a change in your mood, weight, or overall lifestyle, here are some things to look our for:
Salad Dressings
Sodas
Candy
Low-fat Yogurts
Tomato Soup
Sweetened Cereals
Granola/Energy Bars
Juice/Energy Drinks
Smoothies
Canned/Dried Fruit
Crackers
Pasta Sauce
There's so many more, but this is just a sample of things that we eat everyday that are overwhelming our bodies with sugar. Sugar is one of the worst things that we can consume and Americans consume more than any other country. I urge everyone to try to cut out some or all sugar from their diet. Trust me when I say that your body will thank you for it.
For more information see:
https://authoritynutrition.com/10-disturbing-reaso...
http://eluxemagazine.com/magazine/hidden-sugars-in...
http://blogs.plos.org/publichealth/2014/01/13/wors...
