Mini Challenge: Count the Sugar

I'll admit I have a sugar craving... I love desserts.  And in all honesty, I have no idea how much total sugar I eat in a day; and I would venture to say that most of you don't know either.  So, our challenge this week is to Count the Sugar!

Here are the details:

Why Should I Care about Added Sugar?
Added sugar can lead to many health problems and might just be the culprit keeping you from loosing weight.  It also creates a full feeling which can keep you from eating healthier choices.

What are we counting?
Table sugar, fructose, and high fructose corn syrup are all examples of added sugar.  Ingredients are normally counted in grams:  1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams of sugar

How much is bad?
The American Heart Association recommends the following guidelines for added sugar:

Women: 100 calories per day or about 6 teaspoons
Men:   150 calories per day or about 9 teaspoons 

Where do we find it?
If you are adding sugar to your coffee, tea, etc., simply count the teaspoons.  Otherwise, you should be able to find sugar count on Nutrition Labels.  Manufacturers aren't required to list natural vs added sugar, but they are required to list ingredients in the order of amount.  So, if sugar or fructose shows up in the top 3, it is probably added sugar.

How Many Days To Count?
Wednesday will be our Count The Sugar Day, but you can count everyday if you would like!  I think our results will be surprising!

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