If we were to follow the evolution of sugar consumption in America, the results might surprise you. They should. Since the 1900s, the average annual sugar intake per US consumer has increased 73 percent. What was once considered a hefty yearly average consumption (
90 pounds) is now at an alarming high of 156 pounds per year. Yes, that’s what the typical American body has to process through a 365-day period.
If that isn’t disheartening enough, the average daily consumption is
22.2 teaspoons of sugar. Here is where this goes into “crisis mode”.
The
American Heart Association and the World Health Organization recommend that women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day. This recommendation comes from the US Government
Dietary Guidelines published every five years.
Compare reality, 22.2 teaspoons a day—to reality check, 6 teaspoons a day.
How did we get to eating this much sugar? How does this increase in sugar intake impact the body?
The body registers sugars and carbs the same way—as sugar. Therefore, it breaks down sugars and carbs in the same way—as sugar, and doesn’t distinguish between good carbs or bad, good sugars or bad. Once carbs and sugars are broken down and absorbed as sugar they are then converted to glucose.
Glucose levels engage our health in many ways. Glucose (with help from the hormone
insulin) is absorbed into the bloodstream to be used as energy, which in turn lowers blood sugar levels. Glucose that is
not used will keep
blood sugar levels high.
The importance of glucose to the body can be summed up like this:
- The body is a machine
- It needs fuel to run
- The right fuel given at the right time in the right amount helps it run more efficiently
- Glucose is the fuel
- Glucose fuels energy in the brain, muscles, and more
- Excess Glucose spills into the bloodstream
- Excess glucose can be stored as fat
Here is where the sugar-fat connection comes to life.
Sugar and carbs can lead to excess fat
Excess glucose means excess fat and excess fat can lead to excess weight.
How easy is it to take in too much glucose? How quickly can we take in 6 teaspoons of sugar from the foods we eat?
Let’s define the sugar and carb content of a lunch time favorite, a grilled bbq chicken sandwich on a honey wheat bun with side servings of bbq baked beans and potato salad. Let’s uncover what lies beneath its healthy exterior.
- The chicken is a good source of protein
- Just 2 tbsp of bbq sauce has 15 grams of carbs and 12 grams of sugar
- The honey wheat bun is 180 calories with 35 grams of carbs and 3 grams of sugar
- A ½ cup serving of bbq baked beans has 150 calories, 30 grams of carbs and 8 grams of sugar
- A ½ cup serving of potato salad packs 190 calories, 28 grams of carbs and 8 grams of sugar
In total, this meal contains 31 grams of sugar, which equates to about 7¾ teaspoons of sugar.
Remember that recommended daily limit of 6 teaspoons of sugar?
To take this one step further, it isn’t just
what you eat, but
how you eat it. How many of us really eat only a ½ cup of potato salad? (If that’s you, applaud your willpower.) That serving of potato salad is probably more like two servings. You might want to double the amount of bbq sauce and the baked beans too.
Now your sugar intake is more likely at 59 grams, which is about 14.75 teaspoons of sugar.
Remember that recommended daily limit of 6 teaspoons of sugar?
Just imagine how much glucose the body has to process (or store as fat) after taking in a
not-so-healthy meal.
Now that you’ve been spoon fed a healthy dose of glucose gab, here’s what you can do about it:
- Make healthy food choices
- Watch portion size
- Monitor carbs and sugars
- Take a carb and sugar blocker with meals (BLOCK)
Plexus Block™ is a sugar and carb blocker. It contains natural ingredients, clinically-tested to
work immediately to block the absorption of up to 48% of carbs and sugars from your meal— without blocking the absorption of any beneficial nutrients*. Three key ingredients in Block work together to neutralize carbohydrate and sugar absorption, improve glucose metabolism, and promote healthy body composition.*
We can’t change how the human body works. But we can make healthy choices in the foods we eat and make those choices even healthier with
Block.
