Written by Kristin Larmore, Web Editor
Less than 10 percent of our daily calories-
That’s how much refined sugar (not natural sugar) we should allow ourselves…not even how much we need. Our body doesn’t need one bit of refined sugar.
What’s wrong with sugar, you might ask? What’s the big deal? Well, it’s the refined sugar you need to worry about, not the natural sugars found in things like fruit. Refined sugars:
- Have ZERO nutritional value
- Can significantly raise insulin levels, which equals a weaker immune system and higher triglycerides/fats in the body
- Can interfere with the absorption of other needed minerals in your body
- Cause mood swings, nervousness, lack of concentration, drowsiness and anxiety
- Bring down good (HDL) cholesterol and raise bad (LDL) cholesterol
And these are only some of the results. Check out this page for a more complete list. What follows is a small list of products that are surprisingly high sources of sugar, though everyone claims they are good for you (or at least they are not traditionally known as products to avoid.) And most of these items are good for you, but don’t assume you can’t watch it.
Juice
OK. So juice is good. It’s got Vitamin C and Calcium. Let’s examine this…20 to 30 grams of sugar per serving, depending on the type and brand. Drink that stuff out of a SMALL juice glass. Alternative? Try V8 Splash or a vegetable juice.
Ketchup
We use ketchup on just about everything- from fries to burgers to any special American treat. Meats? Potatoes? The list is long. And yeah, they mentioned it’s got that licopene….but they didn’t mention it’s packing 4 grams of sugar in only a tablespoon! And who uses only a tablespoon….if you’ve got some big burger, you’ve got to be using at least a couple of those. What about 16, 20, 24 grams of sugar for just a condiment? That’s not even including that ice cream cone you ate for dessert. Alternative? Try mustard.
Salad Dressing
Sure, no one claims salad dressing is good for you. But you’d be surprised how sugary it can be! Even a light dressing like Ken’s Country French contains up to 10 grams of sugar in only a small 2 tbsp serving! Not only is it high in calories and fat, it’s high in the white stuff…nothing has changed. Salad dressing is still bad all around. Just use it in moderation, girls.
Special K/Granola
We see advertisements every day about Special K products and how they can help you lose “all this weight.” Sure, they have added vitamins and they’re fortified, but Special K Granola, even the lowfat kind, has 9 grams of sugar in 3/4 cup. This applies to the cereal bars, too. The average Special K, aside from the plain kind, has an average of 9 grams, as well. An off-brand granola is even worse with 19 grams per serving!
Yogurt
Even though yogurt was most recently named one of the top superfoods, people don’t realize the sugar content! A small 6 oz container of Yoplait has 27 grams of sugar…pretty nuts. Great Value light has 14 grams, while Dannon Fruit on the Bottom has 25 grams.
So why should we worry about our sugar intake? We will live longer, happier lives because of it with less risk for diabetes, heart attacks, heart disease or stroke. You have this one body to experience this life on Earth- why wouldn’t you treat it like a temple?
We’re not saying don’t eat sugar; that’s basically impossible. We’re just saying be careful!
Tags: dangers of sugar, health content of ketchup, health of salad dressing, healthy but sugary foods, special k, sugar, sugar content, sugar in yogurt
