Ways to Reduce Added Sugar in Your Diet

10% of Americans get one quarter of their calories from added sugars consumed in their diets. The amount of added sugar the average American consumes increases the risk of death from heart disease by almost 20%. With added sugars being a part of so much of our food supply how do we reduce our intake to protect ourselves from increased disease risk?

1.       Decrease your intake of sweetened beverages such as soda, lemonade, and sweet tea. Almost 40% of America’s added sugar intake comes from these sweetened beverages. Replace them with water instead and try adding fresh lemon juice to it.

2.       Read the ingredient list of products to scope out added sugars. Words like cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, brown rice syrup, fructose, maltose, and dextrose all mean the same thing: added sugar.

3.       Sweeten your own foods. Buy the unsweetened/ plain version of food and add your own sweeteners, such as maple syrup or organic honey, if you need added sweetness.