Too Much Sugar!

It may be hard to believe that the average American consumes more than 150 pounds of sugar a year, but it is a simple and troubling truth. To give this number some context, Americans ate about 30 pounds of sugar a year when it first became commercially available in the 1850’s.   We know from science that it takes many thousands of years for humans to adapt to such dramatic change. To increase this simplest of foods fivefold in such a short time is not something the body can easily handle. We only need to look at the health of Americans today to see that this dramatic increase in sugar likely plays a role in our declining health.
In thinking about sugar, you may be wondering how one could possibly eat 150+ pounds of sugar a year. It doesn’t come from that teaspoon that goes into your coffee or teacup. That’s most likely the tip of the iceberg. The real volume comes from nearly all processed foods that you may be purchasing and eating. Examples are cereals, commercial breads, sodas, packaged snacks, breadcrumbs, croutons, salad dressings, bottled condiments, fruity yogurts, and salsas. This is where the hidden sugar lays. One would expect to find sugar in cakes, cookies and candies, but it is the everyday processed food that holds the sugars that we might not be aware of. These sugars were added to processed foods for taste purposes when fats were lowered due to the misconception that all fats are bad. The result has been in increase in weight, along with a sharp increase in  inflammatory diseases such as Type II diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. In his 1975 classic study The Saccharine Disease Surgeon Capt. T.L. Cleave showed convincing evidence that increases in heart disease, diabetes and other common diseases were traceable to increases in sugar intake. These diseases were nonexistent in primitive cultures until about 20 years after these cultures began eating refined carbohydrates (simple sugars).  Patrick Quillan, Ph.D., RD believes the dramatic “increase in sugar intake is a primary reason for our cancer incidence”, as noted in his 1994 book Beating Cancer with Nutrition.
Making the Shift
It would be hard to imagine life without sugar. It is lovely on the palate and can temporarily sweeten our disposition.  But as many a grandmother has said, “everything in moderation”.  With sugar this is especially important because of the many negative effects related to excess consumption. A little may be good for you, but a lot is definitely harmful. 
The easiest way to wean yourself from excess sugar is to look at the labels of any and all packaged foods you may be eating. Consider that every 4 grams of sugar is equal to 1 teaspoon.  Begin to calculate your daily intake based upon this data.