While I watch my sugar and carb intake daily, I didn't have any idea how to measure it. My friend turned me on to the MyFitnessPal app on Monday and I started tracking it. There is a slight learning curve, but it is fairly user friendly. It is mainly a calorie counter app that in many phones will also measure your activity level and add that back in to calorie consumption. It allows you to set goals and helps hold you accountable, which I like, but my favorite thing is it helps track almost all aspects of my foods. This week, I'm going to blog every day about my experience and give even more tips on how to reduce sugar daily.

When I was researching this article I was very surprised to learn a few things about sugar:

• IN 1822 the average American consumed the amount of sugar in 1 12oz can of soda every 5 Days; now we consume the equivalent sugar of about 17 cans of soda every 5 days.
• US Sugar consumption has gone up over 650% in the last 90 years
• The average American consumes 3 pounds of sugar a week or 3550 pounds in a lifetime – which is enough sugar to fill an industrialized dumpster.
• The American Heart Association recommendation is no more than 9.5 (38g) teaspoons per day; The average adult is 22 (88g) teaspoons a day (over 200% more) and the average child is 32 (128g) teaspoons per day (over 300% more). (I knew it was a lot, but I had no idea it was this much.)

Did you know that sugars is just as addictive as cocaine? Where cocaine targets one spot in the brain, sugar targets many areas of the brain. Its no wonder sugar has been linked to so many diseases and chronic problems, like:

• Obesity
• Hypertension
• High Blood Pressure
• Hypoglycemia
• Depression
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Nervous Tension
• Aching limbs
• Diabetes
• Acne
• Skin Irritation
• Stiffening Arteries
• Violent Behavior

With all the craze about limiting sugar, more and more people are changing to sugar alternatives and substitutes. This may have some dangerous effects, too. Our bodies are not designed to metabolize sugars in large quantities in processed foods - regardless of which type of sugar. In many cases consuming these substitutes are more harmful than consuming sugar itself. There are three types of sugars:

1 – Sugars that may not impact blood glucose as quickly or substantially as glucose and are marked low on the glycemic index – fructose, inulin

2 – Sugar alcohols which can cause digestive issues like diarrhea, gas, and leaky gut– sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol

3 – Nonnutritive sweeteners – acesulfame potassium, aspartame, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia and Splenda –recent studies show these have a profound physiological effects on appetite and metabolism and also effect the endocrine cells and hormone processes. 

We recommend everything in moderation. 

• Keep blood sugar levels balanced with meals and snacks. 
• Choose a balance of healthy starches.
• Limit the diet as much as possible to natural sugars like local raw honey and maple syrup, or molasses.

​This can seem really daunting some days, so here are some great steps to start with:

• Reduce the sugar intake gradually
• Switch soda to water
• Switch pastries to fruit
• Switch table sugar to local raw honey, maple syrup or molasses

​Here's even more tips about the 5-Day Sugar Challenge. As an even added bonus this week, I'm going to do a blog each day about recipes or how to better manage sugar intake. 

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Sources: http://www.sugarawareness.com
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20809521,00.html
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20424821,00.html
http://www.thepaleomom.com/2015/01/paleo-splenda-erythritol-stevia-low-calorie-sweeteners.html

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/sugar-shockers-foods-surprisingly-high-in-sugar