Sugar is the devil

But with the holidays on the horizon, many of us are holding him close to our hearts.

So instead of cutting it out completely, here's some tips on how to cut it back:


Sugar is a tricky item to cut back on, because it's hidden in many items -- but the World Health Organization recommends no more than 10 teaspoons of "free" sugar daily for adults (this does not include sugar from fruit or plain dairy items).

To calculate how much sugar a food contains, read the nutrition label's carbohydrates heading to find the grams of sugar. Divide this by four to get the teaspoons of sugar.

Then use these tips to reduce those teaspoons in your diet.

1) Be aware of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which many items contain, as new studies have reported it contains detectable levels of mercury. Canada does not label it as HFCS on the ingredient list but rather as glucose-fructose or fructose-glucose.

2) Use natural sugar sources in your baking, such as honey, molasses or agave nectar.

3) Make homemade sauces for toast, pancakes, waffles or yogurt -- such as pureed raspberries with a hint of vanilla and water.

4) Put on the oven mitts and make cereal bars from scratch. They take little time, but can save not only your waistline, but your pocket change, too.

5) Focus snacks around fruit and/ or vegetable items: for example, cottage cheese with grapes, dark raisins and chopped pineapple.

6) Be dessert-cautious, as many are loaded with sugar. Instead, choose desserts based on real fruit, such as baked apples or pears.

7) Do not go more than four hours without food. The longer you go without food, the lower your blood sugar falls; when it dips too low, you naturally want something sugar-rich, such as a hot sugary beverage in your local coffee shop.

8) When baking, cut back on the total sugar by one quarter, as this rarely affects the taste. Or, consider using dried fruit to replace some of the sugar: when you chop dried fruit, the flavour distributes more evenly, which gives bursts of sweetness when you eat.

BY KARLA HEINTZ, FOR THE CALGARY HERALD
(http://www.timescolonist.com/health/diet-fitness/back+sugar/2187668/story.html)
- Karla Heintz, BSc Nutrition, is a Calgary-based speaker, writer and consultant for sports organizations and families. She is the author of 'Picky? Not Me, Mom! -- a guide on children's nutrition and how to make food fun again.