The official word is out by the American Heart Association that we need to cut down on how much sugar we eat. The research shows overwhelming evidence that added sugars or sugar-sweetened beverages increases your risk of disease.

Even without this research we should be able to figure this out for ourselves. It is logical: sugar contributes to obesity, which increases your chance of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. What you and I didn’t know is that since 1970 Americans consume 22 to 30 teaspoons of sugar a day. That is 350 to 475 empty calories that most people can’t afford and if you are middle aged and older you can even afford less.

Most of us think that gaining weight and getting older go hand in hand. WRONG.

The studies say that’s not true. It is true that we lose muscle mass and our metabolism slows down some. However, not exercising, being less active, and eating more calories, such as sugar, even as metabolism slows down is going to mean weight gain.

It is true we cannot control  the fact that our metabolism does slow down. We can control, however, how much it does decrease by exercising or not exercising. We can also control how much sugar we eat.

What are those added sugars? They are high fructose corn syrup, table sugar, honey, agave syrup and all other sweeteners with calories. That includes the sweeteners in your diet candy.

More on sugar and added sugars in my next post.

Love to hear what you have to say about fructose and where you know you can cut down on sweeteners.  Use the comments for your ideas.

To your successful healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

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Filed under: Fitness and Nutrition

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