Sugar is addictive. I believe I was born a “Sugar Baby” in that my mother was addicted while pregnant with me. Throughout life it seemed that I craved more and more sugar. I remember eating a teaspoon of sugar one time, perhaps under the influence of Mary Poppins, nonetheless I downed the white sweetness. I spent many years believing I was eating well when I wasn’t. I was Semi-Vegetarian for 10 years but would top off a dinner of Miso Vegetable Soup with an Ice Cream Sundae. That is not healthy. Around the same time I became Semi-Vegetarian at 17 years old, I gave up fast food, reduced excessive salt, nitrates, and Ultra-processed foods. However, I consumed so much sugar and then some more. Not healthy, not good for you, detrimental to your health now and later in life.
Try and give up sugar – good luck with that it is difficult. Most humans were weaned onto sugar and are not aware of how much sugar they consume day to day.
One method to cut daily sugar is to switch to water and fruit. Not necessarily together, although lemon is delightful in water. When reducing sugar in general one will continue to crave sweetness much like someone who quits smoking still craves that cigarette for months even years. Slowly wean off the soda or fruit juice, change brands, buy generic, and eventually do not buy anymore. It sounds simple yet I assure you, it’s not. Changing to “Sugar-Free” isn’t going to help either. It tricks the brain to believe it is sweet which then craves more sweetness. One more thing, alcoholic beverages are basically sugar so that needs to be included in the ‘sugar reduction plan’.
Let’s start by reading labels, something I’ve started to do as a young adult. Did you know, for example, that a tablespoon of a popular ketchup contains 4 grams of added sugar? That is ONE teaspoon of sugar.
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Just 4 grams of sugar in ketchup what’s the fuss about?
A 12 oz can of Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of sugar. This is equivalent to about 10 teaspoons of sugar.
 | If I am a man and had a Coke I’ve gone over the Daily Added Sugar Limit according to the American Heart Association in 2019. |
