THE SUGAR PROBLEM

Research increasingly indicates that an overabundance of simple carbohydrates, and sugar in particular, is the No. 1 problem in modern diets. Sugar is the driving force behind the diabetes and obesity epidemics. 

 
Simply stated, sugar, per se, does not cause diabetes, but research shows that more sugar is correlated with more diabetes, and diabetes rates drop over time when sugar availability drops.

Fortunately, more people are realizing the harms of sugar and are cutting back.

Health experts recommend that you focus on reducing added sweeteners — like granulated sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, stevia and molasses. You don’t need to worry so much about the sugars that are a natural part of fruit, vegetables and dairy products.

Reducing the amount of added sugar in your diet will require determination.  You will need a new game plan if you drink even one can of Coke a day, eat breakfast cereal, or eat prepared food from the supermarket. Just look at the list of ingredients on the package (and new labeling rules make it more difficult see exactly how much sugar is in a food product). Some products do not add sugar, even though their competitors do. Two of the four biggest ingredients in Heinz Ketchup are sweeteners.  Sweetened beverages are by far the biggest source of added sugar in the American diet. Soda — along with sweetened sports drinks, energy drinks and iced teas — is essentially flavored, liquefied sugar that pumps calories into your body without filling you up.

 If you want help in developing a new dietary plan to help reduce your risk of obesity and diabetes, I recommend you read this article, How to stop eating sugar. 

Good luck. Good health!