Added Hidden Sugar is Dangerous Topic


I've been very motivated to eliminate all added sugar in my diet after watching the documentary "Sugar Coated" on Netflix. I would encourage everyone to watch this movie. When I learned all the foods that contain hidden sugar, and that 4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoonful, I knew that the can of Coke with 52 grams of sugar equals 13 teaspoons of sugar (1/8 cup), and that Yoplait yogurt contains 20 grams of sugar equals 5 teaspoonfuls! No way am I going to drink or eat that! There's also a connection between the Sugar Association and big beverage companies similar to the Big Tobacco and cigarette manufacturer's denial that cigarettes cause cancer. Very scary. Most importantly, consumption of excess added sugar contributes to heart disease and diabetes. After eliminating all added sugar from my diet I have lost 10 pounds over the last 4 weeks. It's the most difficult thing to do since sugar is so addictive.

If you can't watch this documentary, go to YouTube and search for "hidden sugar" or "Sugar Documentary", or the TEDxTalk "Sugar - the elephant in the kitchen: Robert Lustig". There is so much info out there to make me quit sugar. I feel much better, too.


It really is those hidden sugars that are a problem. I too have been making a conscious effort and I'm often really surprised how sugar laden the so called healthy foods are!!!


I just put in the 2 pieces of "fun size" banana laffy taffy. 60 calories!!!!!! That's over twice what my big bowl of broccoli and salsa is. That's the kind of thing I wouldn't log before.


Oh, and that's more calories gained than the 58 I lost walked my dog for 20 minutes.


I am also disgusted with the amount of added sugar in our foods and look forward to July 2018 when all U.S. packaged foods will be required to list it on the food label (Nutrition Facts panel). My guess is that food companies will voluntarily decrease the amount of added sugar in many products to get ready for the required posting. This happened with trans fats content - once it became required on food labels, we saw many food companies voluntarily reduce or eliminate partially hydrogenated oils from their products.

In addition to reducing "hidden" sources of added sugars from packaged foods, we would all do well to limit added sugars at the table - and that includes all forms - whether organic, natural, or processed. This is especially important for those of us who are trying to lose weight as well as those of us with prediabetes and diabetes. It doesn't mean we have to completely eliminate it (which would be hard), but we do need to limit the amount.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting to 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons) for women, and limiting to about 38 grams (about 9 teaspoons) for men. More on carbs: http://www.mynetdiary.com/carbs-in-weight-loss.html

And note that sugar coming from whole fruit and plain milk is not a part of the added sugar limit guideline.

Personally, I have always had a sweet tooth. I didn't become a dietitian/diabetes educator until my mid-forties, so I have a lot of empathy of folks trying to change lifelong habits. I gradually cut down on sweets and added sugars over the course of several years. You can change your sweet tooth if you are willing to keep trying and experimenting with options. I started with avoiding the easy no-brainer items like packaged sweets and candy. Then I cut down on my homemade baked goods. Then I cut down on hidden sources of sugar in packaged foods (my cereal, oatmeal, etc). And lastly, the amount I add to my coffee or tea. I was never much of a fan for sweet beverages, so at least I didn't have to deal with getting off of pop or sweet tea.

Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RDN, CDE

Added Hidden Sugar is Dangerous