One of the hardest obstacles for people trying to lose weight is controlling sugars in their diet. But once you learn where sugars are added and how to spot hidden sugars you will be empowered and on your way to living fresh and fit.

Sugars and sweeteners are not only something we add to our favorite foods to enhance flavor but they are something food manufacturers add to packaged foods we buy to preserve foods and make them taste good to keep us coming back for more. Words like “corn syrup”, “cane juice” , “high fructose corn syrup”  and words not as easy to spot like” fructose”, “sucrose”, and “maltose” are all words that mean sugar. Often you will find many of these sugars listed together on the same food label.

Many foods we crave when trying to control our weight are desserts, pastries and ice cream. Foods we already know are high in added sugar. These are foods we try to save for special occasions or for cheat day. The difficult part is that sugars are also added to foods that we don’t associate with being sweet and can therefore be overlooked when we are watching what we eat. Foods like ketchup, bbq sauce, pasta sauce and even bread often have large amounts of added sugar.

So how do you empower yourself to lose weight and still enjoy the foods you love and crave?  First off, read the food labels on items before you place them in your shopping cart. If one jar of pasta sauce contains 10 grams of sugar and another contains 4 grams of sugar, add the one with 4 grams to your shopping cart. The latter would have put you at half of your daily recommendation for sugar. The American Heart Association recommends women consume 20 grams of sugar a day (or 5 teaspoons) and men consume 36 grams.  Next, choose foods with naturally occurring  sugars like fruits and vegetables. Although some may be naturally higher in sugar they are a good choice. An apple for example has benefits like fiber and nutrients that far outweigh any sugar it might contain and is always a better choice than a piece of candy with the same amount of sugar and zero nutrition benefits.  Another terrific way to ward off cravings and to control sugar in your diet is to make your favorite foods yourself. If your favorite muffines pack a whopping 15 grams of sugar, make your own version that will aid you in losing weight and staying healthy. Use whole grain flour and half the sugar or omit the sugar completly and use apple sauce and dried (unsweetened) fruit or ripe bananas to sweeten them up and cut the fat. This also allows you to up the fiber content. So now those muffins that once made you feel guilty for indulging in are actually working for you toward your fitness goals and pack a 3 for one nutrition punch. Who says you can’t have your cake and lose weight too? For more low sugar recipes and tips click here.

Until next time,

Stay fresh and fit!