Is all sugar the same?

There are two different types of sugar found in foods and beverages – natural sugar and added sugar. Natural sugars are naturally occurring, such as in fruit, while added sugars are removed from their original source and added to foods and beverages, such as in sodas and baked goods. Added sugar is metabolized into fat in the body if not eaten in moderation. Most natural sugars also have beneficial nutrients.

Sugary beverages contribute to most of the added sugars we eat in the form of fruit juice, soda, coffee drinks and energy drinks, which contain considerably more than the recommended amount of added sugar. For example, a 12-ounce coke has 39 grams of sugar which is more than the recommended added sugar consumption for a day. Additionally, these beverages don’t provide many other health benefits or beneficial nutrients, so sugary drinks should be consumed rarely or avoided. To avoid added sugars in your drinks, try buying unsweetened beverages and/or sweeten them yourself.

Fun Facts:

It is recommended to only eat 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day.
The average American eats 61 pounds of added sugar each year, including 25 pounds of candy. Halloween accounts for at least two pounds of that!
Cutting back on sugar may help your skin retain its flexibility.
Drinking a 20-ounce bottle of cola is like eating 16 sugar cubes in one sitting!
The only taste humans are born craving is sugar!
People consume 500 extra calories a day from sugar (about 31.25 teaspoons), which is roughly the amount of calories needed to gain a pound a week!

Low sugar recipes:

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/258084/peanut-butter-oat-energy-balls/

https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/269221/cinnamon-sugar-microwave-popcorn/