Eating For Health

Who doesn’t love sweets?   Always fun to enjoy some desserts like cookies, cake, candy.   But Americans eat way too much sugar, not just in desserts but in so many foods.   And it is the added sugar in foods that we need to cut back on, not the natural sugar found in fruits or even real cow’s milk.   What are some ways that we can cut back on all that added sugar and those cravings for sweets? Psychologists have studied how sugar affects our brains and body weight as noted in the Frontiers in Psychiatry .   The article notes that “studies have linked sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) to an increase in body weight in children and adults”.   What are sugar-sweetened beverages ?   Think sugar-sweetened sodas like Coke, Mountain Dew, Sprite, sports drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, sweet tea, sweetened coffee drinks like Frappuccino, energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster and fruit drinks like lemonade or fruit punch.   These beverages not only contain...

Who doesn’t like some sweets and treats?   Like most people, I like dessert and I like candy.   It is when we have sugar cravings and overindulge that can lead to problems.   High sugar foods can crowd out healthier choices and may add way too many empty calories to your day.   EatThis, NotThat! has an interesting article about sugar cravings:   7 Effortless Ways to Crush Sugar Cravings Throughout the Day, Say Dietitians .   They noted that you are not alone in the sugar craving department.   The Frontiers in Psychiatry looked at sugar addiction and stated, “… we analyze how nutrients like sugar that are often used to make foods more appealing could also lead to habituation and even in some cases addiction thereby uniquely contributing to the obesity epidemic.”    The study found that when we eat more sugar our brains begin to signal “eat as much as you want”.   Cleveland Clinic list 3 reasons you may be craving sugar: “You are sta...