The current recommendation for the amount of sugar we adults should consume daily is no more than 9 teaspoons, or 36 grams. The average American consumes anywhere between 3-5 times the recommended amount every day. Too much sugar leads to inflammation, decreased cognition, and is a major factor in insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is the precursor to diabetes. Prediabetes is when a person’s blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
Carbohydrates can be simple and complex, literally. On a very basic level, there really only 3 types of carbohydrates: sugar, fiber, and starches. A carbohydrate is just several sugars linked together. A simple carbohydrate will have 1 or 2 sugars, a complex carbohydrate will have 3 or more, and starch has even more. Fiber is the one carbohydrate that we have that we have a hard time digesting and breaking down and doesn’t elevate our blood sugar, making it a healthy choice.
Reading food labels can be tricky. In the “Total Carbohydrates” section you will see “Dietary Fiber” and “Total Sugars” underneath. Let’s say a product has 30 grams of total carbohydrates, 5 grams of Dietary Fiber, 10 grams of Total Sugar, that leaves 15 grams of what? Starches.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so what are we really feeding ourselves? Let’s break down an average American breakfast and we’ll calculate how much sugar they’re getting.
Average American Breakfast:
Cereal
Milk
Orange Juice
Toast
We’ll give ourselves the benefit of the doubt and say we’re eating Raisin Bran (because we’re sticking to our healthy plan, right?) A serving size of Raisin Bran is 1 cup. That single cup of cereal contains 45 grams of total carbohydrates. Of those 45 grams, 4 grams come from fiber and 19 grams come from sugar. The remaining 22 grams come from starches. Well, let’s take the 19 grams of sugar and divide it by 4 (gram to teaspoon conversion) and it equals almost 5 teaspoons!
Let’s add 1 cup of milk. This single cup of milk contains 12 grams of total carbohydrates, all 12 grams coming from sugar. 12 grams divided by 4 equals 3 teaspoons. We’re up to 8 teaspoons, so far.
Let’s say we drink some orange juice, for the Vitamin C of course. One 12 fl. oz. of orange juice contains 34 grams of sugar. 34 grams divided by 4 = 8.5 grams of sugar. We’re up to 15.75 teaspoons of sugar.
Now, let’s finish up with 2 pieces of wheat bread, because white bread isn’t cutting it for our healthy lifestyle, right? Wheat bread contains 15 grams of carbohydrates so that makes it 2 grams of sugar per slice, and only 1 gram of fiber. There are 12 grams of carbs missing, what are they? Starches. 2 grams of sugar per slice, we give them 2 slices, this equals 4 grams of sugar. 4 grams divided by 4 equals 1 more gram of sugar, giving us a total of 16.75, almost 17 teaspoons of sugar before we even leave the house!
We are consuming almost twice the recommended amount of sugar in a day before we even leave the house and somehow we are supposed to pay attention, focus, and concentrate? News flash, we aren’t able to.
Here are a couple of ingredients to keep an eye on when reading the Nutrition Facts Label of a product.
Healthy Sugars:
Stevia – is a natural sweetener.
Xylitol – is a natural sugar alcohol.
Fruit – contains natural sugars.
Bad Sugars:
Brown sugar
Cane sugar
Corn syrup
Dextrin
Dextrose
Fructose
Fruit Juice Concentrate
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Maltodextrin
Molasses
Sucrose
Sucralose
Syrup
Solutions
I have a couple of solutions aimed at getting rid of this sugar epidemic. I’ve tried these myself and have noticed an increase in energy, more alertness, and clarity in my thought process.
- Healthy Fats
Omega-3 fatty acids are good types of fat. Your body cannot make them, so one must eat them or take supplements. Here are the best healthy fats to include in your morning routine.
Avocados
Whole Eggs
Fish
Nuts
Chia Seeds
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Coconut Oil
2. Protein Shakes
Protein shakes can be very beneficial for you and your family. They are easy, customizeable, and time efficient. Because many people have trouble digesting dairy, I personally recommend using ingredients such as almond milk, coconut milk, and plant based protein. Whey protein comes from liquid part of milk that diverges during cheese production. Plant based protein comes from plants, go figure.
3. Fruit
Fruit contains nutrients and natural sugars. This will give you the energy needed to be awake and alert at school, work, or any other activities. Fruit also contains fiber, this will help keep you regular and help you feel full for longer periods of time.
4. Meal Prep
An easy way to avoid the morning rush is to meal prep. When I was younger, we called it eating leftovers, but nowadays it’s called “Meal Prep.” Prepare food the night before, have food ready to go in the morning! Here’s a wonderful recipe for you and your whole family to try:
Overnight Oats
½ cup Rolled Oats
½ cup Almond Milk
½ cup Almond Butter
1 tsp. Chia Seeds
½ cup Banana, mashed
Instructions:
- Place all ingredients in a jar or container
- Refrigerate overnight
- Top with fruit, nuts, seeds, granola, and/or spices.
- Enjoy!
Eric Rivas 