Where Does Your Sugar Come From?

Sugar is our ENEMY. And it's waging war on our collective health.  We all know that sugar is one of the culprits behind obesity, which then increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and a whole slew of other serious problems.  But a lot of the time, the problem is simply that we don't recognize the massive amounts of sugar hidden in our meals.

Did you know, for example, that when we add ketchup to our plate, we are ingesting high-fructose corn syrup {generally the second ingredient} and more corn syrup {again, as the forth ingredient}, additives which cause nothing but trouble for the body {unless you're using organic ketchup of course}.  This usage of corn syrups is what's called "added sugar".  

Types of added sugars include fructose {linked to heart disease because it raises triglycerides and cholesterol and is completely devoid of any nutrition}, corn syrup {with a supper high glycemic index of 75, very little nutrition and therefore should be avoided}, high fructose corn syrup {with a glycemic index of 87, believed by many health advocates to be, along with refined sugar, the biggest contributor of health ailments} and glucose {AKA dextrose} which holds the infamous record for the high glycemic rating of 100! But you knew all of that, right?  

Believe it or not, the average American throws down 350-475 calories of added sugars a day! And that's in addition to the other sugars that they are consuming. But we're not your average Americans, are we?  No, No. We know the secrets of stevia, agave nectar, coconut sugar and some other cool and tricky natural sweeteners who do not impose these menacing threats to our health. Best of all, they turn cleverly crafted baked goods and confections into amazingly delicious and surprisingly nutritious treats!  

It's all in knowing what to use and how to use it  :) So, think about it today, where is your sugar coming from?

Bad news: http://www.cspinet.org/reports/sugar/addedsugar.html

Good news: http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com/blog/healthy-sugar-alternatives.php

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