Hopefully you’ve had your share of Halloween candy and are ready to take a break from sugar-coated treats!  If you have the sugar blues – you’re not alone. Americans are pretty much on a sugar high and we’re paying the price for it.  More and more people are considered obese and diabetes is on the rise.  Unfortunately a lot of the sugar we consume comes from breakfast cereals and quick breakfasts like pop tarts and cereal bars. (Did you know they make a hot fudge sundae pop tart?) This is a shame because the first thing you eat in the morning kicks your metabolism into gear and sets the stage for your blood sugar levels throughout the day.

Melts in your mouth, not in your hands!

Too much sugar can causing cravings and mood swings. (Who isn’t a little cranky when they’re hungry?)  Moms, don’t let your kids skip breakfast either. Research has shown that kids who skipped breakfast had trouble concentrating in school and became inattentive and restless by late morning.

Here are a few things you should know about sugar that might help you think twice next the next time you reach for something sugary and sweet:

• Americans eat way too much sugar: about two pounds of sugar per week or nearly six times more sugar than the average person in France.
• White table sugar has no nutritious value!  In fact it is considered empty calorie or an “anti nutrient” because it depletes your own store of minerals and enzymes to absorb it.
• Sugar is in everything – cakes, cookies, crackers, breads, baked beans, tomato sauce, and watch out for sugary yogurts.
• Sugar suppresses your immune system.  Did you know that doctor’s visits go up after Halloween!?
• Sugar can cause depression, weaken your eyesight, arthritis, migraines and contribute to Alzheimer’s disease!

So enjoy an occasional treat, but don’t let sugar get the best of you.  Make sure to read labels before you buy something.  Look for the amount of sugar on food labels: four grams of sugar equals one teaspoon of sugar.  Or, look in the list of ingredients for fructose, sucrose, dextrose and maltose.  

And, remember, the more sugar you eat the more you will crave!  So don’t fall into it’s seductive trap. Just say “NO” to sugar!

If you want 76 more reasons not to eat sugar – write me and I’ll send you a fact sheet.