Yes, you can eat too much fruit (and dairy!)

This is a typical (yet extremely simplified for purposes of this post...) conversation in my consultation room at work;

Me:  "I'm sorry you are having trouble losing those last 10 pounds, let's take a look at what a typical day of eats might look like for you.  Ok?"

Client:  "Sure thing....I wake up, have some fruit, cereal and milk, go to work, have an apple for a snack, have lunch, typically a sandwich and fruit, have dinner, usually chicken or a lean protein and whole wheat pasta and a couple glasses of milk, and maybe some fruit for dinner".

Me:  "Hmmmm, ok.  I think we can work on a few things here...."

Client:  "But I thought I was doing so well!"

Me: "You are, this sounds really great in many ways.  First off, you're starting your day with breakfast, that's amazing.  Second, you're eating lean proteins, getting some calcium and vitamin D, and lots of nutrients from your fruits.  Heck, you're even eating whole grains.  But.....you need to reduce your milk and fruit, and increase your vegetables, specifically your non-starchy vegetables"

Client:  "Reduce my fruit and dairy?!  I thought they were healthy!"

Me:  Well, they are healthy, but so is extra virgin olive oil, and dark chocolate, but you surely shouldn't be eating a lot of those!

Client:  "Well, that's different"

Me:  "Is it?"

Ok, maybe those examples are slightly different, but they are examples I like to use because both EVOO and dark chocolate are loaded with great nutrients, but that doesn't mean more is always better.  The same can be said about dairy products, fruit, and starchy vegetables.


Remember this (below)?  It's called Choose My Plate and it's based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.  You can go to the website and get your own personal recommendations as to how many servings (cups) of fruits, vegetables, and dairy you need in a day (all are sources of carbohydrate), as well as ounces of protein and grains (grains are also a source of carbohydrate).  In my opinion the recommendations tend to be a little too high, especially for those trying to lose weight, but....either way it's a good starting point.

Are you ready for a little lesson on carbohydrates?  Don't worry, I'll make it short and sweet.

Carbohydrates (Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen bound together) come in two (well...three) forms:

• Simple: mono- or disaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose, maltose, sucrose, and lactose); these are mainly found in dairy, fruits, and non-starchy vegetables like broccoli and carrots.

• Complex polysaccharides (starches such as legumes, corn, potatoes, bread, and cereals)

• Fiber: On food labels, fiber is considered a carbohydrate. This is because fiber is a type of polysaccharide, which plays a structural role in plants. Humans cannot digest fiber.

When you look at a food label, this is what you see:

The cereal above has 24 total grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of which is from indigestible dietary fiber, and 10 grams of which is from simple sugar (monosaccharides) and the other 12? They are from starches, which aren't listed on the label, but sometimes are listed as "Other Carbohydrates"

When you look at a label for milk or plain yogurt, you may see this:

Strange? You wouldn't think milk or plain yogurt would have any sugar, but lactose (a type of simple sugar) is found in all dairy products.  As you can see sugar makes up 90% of the carbohydrates in this yogurt. Remember, sure is a carbohydrate.  In my opinion, there should be an alternative sub-category called "Added Sugar". Would you know that the plain yogurt above has zero added sugar? I know that because there isn't any sugar listed on the ingredient label.  All of the sugar in this product must be from lactose, a naturally occurring sugar.

Ok, so how many grams of total carbohydrates should you eat in a day (including your simple sugars and starches, and even fiber)?  Most people need anywhere from 45% to 60% of their calories to be from carbohydrates.  Here are some examples of the math;

240 grams carbs/day, on a 1600 calorie diet, is 60%

200 grams of carbs/day, on a 1600 diet, is 50%

300 grams of carbs/day, on a 2000 calorie diet, is 60%

250 grams of carbs/day, on a 2000 calorie diet, is 50%

When I counsel people on weight loss and/or management, I typically recommend sticking to a 50% carbohydrate diet (or sometimes even 45%).  This really depends on their activity level.  When I work with athletes the recommendation usually goes up.

Here are some things to keep in mind;

1 cup of most dairy products = ~15 grams of carbohydrates, or more (usually more, because most people eat yogurts with added sugar, or they add their own in the form of honey!)

Source: iStock Photo

1 small piece fruit = 15-20 grams of carbohydrate, or more, because many people get their fruit in the form of juice, which can have much more than 15-20 grams of carbohydrate in a cup.  The same goes with dried fruit, which can have tons of added sugars, in addition to the naturally occurring sugars found in fruit.

Source: iStock Photo

So, let's say you eat 3 cups of fruit and 3 cups of dairy a day, that could easily add up to 90-120 grams just from your healthy dairy and fruit.  Oh, but let's not forget the grains, the starchy vegetables, and extra sugars found in desserts, snack bars, instant oatmeals, etc, which you will surely be eating as well!  Do you see how easily you could go over the above recommendations for total carbohydrates?!  So, what's wrong with too many carbohydrates?  To put it in simple terms, the more carbohydrates we eat, the more insulin we produce, and the more hungry we get (especially if we eat them without fiber, fat, or protein).  Carbohydrates are a quick source of energy that don't take much work to digest and use by our bodies.  We need carbohydrates, yes, but we don't need the amount we are consuming here in America.

This Banana Split Oatmeal breakfast looks healthy, and let's be honest, it is!  But the original recipe called for double the fruit, which would have made this way too carbohydrate-rich, in my opinion.  Fruit is good for us, but that' doesn't mean more is always better, especially in one sitting.  And the same goes with "natural" honey or agave.

Here are a couple things to read, if you aren't convinced.

• My blog post from last year about my encounter with a women who was following Weight Watchers' new points system, and eating way too many fruits (which are considered "Free").

• Is sugar really that bad for you?  This is a great article from CNN.com. They talk about how we can definitely consume too much sugar, and how it's not good for us, whether or not it's from agave, honey, sugar in the raw, or whatever.  They briefly discuss how sugar from fruits, starchy vegetables and dairy shouldn't be avoided, but I would add that they do need to be limited.

• ***** Science Daily posted this great article about how yes, you CAN eat too many fruits and vegetables (specifically the starchy ones) and how if you want to overeat anything, overeat those non-starchy veggies (spinach, kale, carrots, cucumber, celery, etc.) because they have much less carbohydrates and are mainly water and fiber.

Natural or not, all sugars are treated the same in our body.  Carbohydrates/sugars are best when found in whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products, but not because those carbohydrates/sugars are better for us, but because they are found in healthier foods!  In other words, the sugar found in fruit is no better for you than the sugar found in cake, but the fruit is a better choice because those sugars are coming with antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals! 

My opinion?  Put the tomatoes, cauliflower, carrots, and peppers from this photo in place of the breads and pastas.

Bottom Line:  You can eat too much dairy, fruits, and starchy vegebales. Yes, they are healthy, but you need to limit your intake.  Period.  They still come with calories, and they still come with carbohydrates (and thus, sugars). Want to go wild? Go overboard on non-starchy vegetables.

My brother Joe, about 3 years ago, learning at a young age that non-starchy veggies are so yummy.

QUESTION:  What kind of questions do you have for me? Any? Comments, concerns? Let me know in the comment section!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

How Do I Decrease my Sweet Cravings?! (FAQ Friday)

Before I begin today's post, I want to provide you with a recipe I promised several weeks ago; Kumquat Salsa!  

The thing I like about kumquats (similar to dates) is that they are like eating a little piece of candy.  They could be considered "nature's candy" in a way, do you agree?  If you've never tried a kumquat you're supposed to eat them whole, skin and all.  They are slightly bitter, but also sweet. I'll be honest though, if I had a sugar craving I'd still need some chocolate to really satisfy me (I made kumquats dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with a tiny bit of sugar once for a demo at work, and they were a huge hit.)

Don't you just love the name KUMQUAT?! Go ahead and say it out loud.  Kumquat,  KUMQUAT!  You might also love knowing that 1-serving of kumquats has about 6 grams of fiber.  Wowza!  

Kumquat Salsa

Source: SimplyRecipes.com

(Makes ~2.5 cups)

2 cups chopped, cleaned, and thinly sliced kumquats

1/4 cups chopped red onion

1/4th cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Dash of cayenne pepper

Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients.  Add more or less red pepper and cayenne to desired heat.  Let sit for 1 hour for the flavors to more fully blend.  Serve with chips or a protein like steak, halibut, sea bass or salmon.

Note:  If you are following a Low FODMAPS diet you will need to omit the onion.  Or do what I did and just eat around the onion (because you will most likely be feeding others as well, and they will want the onion!).  I also used a "Tuscan Olive Oil" with herbal infusions to add more flavor so I didn't miss the onion.

Now for today's post.  Since it's the new year and all, many of you may have resolved to lose weight or eat less sugar, or just eat healthier, period.  Many of you may have a sweet tooth because you went so long eating sweets throughout the holidays, freely, without any restrictions, and now all of a sudden you won't allow yourself to continue.  They are now "off limit foods".  Sound familiar?

Here are some other situations that may cause a craving for sugar, or a sweet tooth (chronic or acute);

• You go on vacation and you eat a very high-calorie, high-fat, high-sugar diet, and you come back and all you want to do is eat junk!

My last vacation.  Cheers!

Again, vacation.  Lots of sugar.

• You get a really bad night of sleep, and you feel like crap, and all you want to do is eat carbs and sit around the house all day.

• You are emotionally distrot, and you are either stressed or sad or angry, and you just want to dive into a giant carton of ice cream.

These are just a few situations that could cause sugar cravings.  But alas, there is one more.  Our brains tell us that we are craving sugar many times, simply because we assume we should.

Examples:

1)  You typically eat dessert right after dinner.  So after dinner you say, "I'm craving a piece of cake"....but are you really? Or is it just habit?

2)  You are a women and you're PMSing.  You assume that sugar and chocolate cravings come with PMS, but....do they??  Read this article and you'll find out that one study showed women's chocolate cravings actually do not increase during PMS (but, to be fair, this study doesn't represent every single women on this planet.  All I'm saying is you need to stop and ask yourself if you're just assuming you have a craving because "That's what happens" or if you really are having a craving).

My inspiration to write this post came from this article, which talked about the power of two words "I don't", and how they can actually reduce cravings by signaling more empowerment instead of deprivation.

Source: iStock Photo
In a situation like this, choosing the apple instead of the chocolate cake might cause a craving later in the day.  But, according to the article, it might be beneficial to tell yourself "I don't" eat cake, rather than "I can't" eat cake.  Try it.  

The bottom line is that most of our "cravings" are mental, and they stem from habits (and biology).  It's true.  And like I've learned personally, and through those I've worked with, if you really work hard to reduce the sugar in your diet, you will crave it less, just as long as you don't restrict yourself to the point of an eventual binge down the road (ie: every once in a while you have to allow yourself a nice treat!).  And, tell yourself "I don't" instead of "I can't", and it might make a huge difference.  I really recommend reading the article, it's quite interesting.

Want to read more?  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics posted this great article about cravings, and how to reduce them.  And if you have a craving, especially for something sweet, but you don't want to stray too far form your healthy eating goals, check out my list of healthier sweet treat options.  These are the sweet foods I ate (and still eat) to help me get rid of my "sugar addiction".  And yes, I had one!  It all stemmed from bad habits that I eventually broke.

QUESTION:  What are some strategies you use to reduce or diminish cravings?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Confused Day Tuesday: Simple Vs. Complex Carbohydrates

I found this picture several months ago, but couldn't figure out the source.  I really wanted to know who created this because I wanted to get a better image to post on my blog!  This is a perfect example of how the terms "simple" and "complex" can easily be misinterpreted.  Basically this photo is saying that Complex Carbohydrates and GOOD and Simple Carbohydrates are BAD.  Here is a review;

Simple Carbohydrates:  Made up of one (ex: fructose) or two sugars (ex: lactose), and are therefore absorbed much faster, and in theory they may raise your blood sugar faster (think about what a diabetic will do if he/she has low blood sugar, they will drink juice!  Why? Because juice is made up of simple carbohydrates that will raise blood sugar fast)

Complex Carbohydrates:  Made up of three of more sugars (Ex: Starches and fiber), and are therefore absorbed much slower, and in theory they may raise your blood sugar slower.

By giving simple carbohydrates the name "BAD", do you realize you would be saying that milk, fruit, and vegetables are bad?  Think about it.

Source: iStockPhoto

 Yogurt is mostly simple carbohydrates (ie: lactose and fructose when fruit is added), and the berries you might add on top are also simple carbohydrates (ie: fructose).  Would this be considered a bad choice?  No way!  Granted, I would choose plain yogurt because most companies add sugar (in the form of more fructose or even sucrose) to their flavored yogurts, but still, you get the point.  Yogurt and berries are made of all simple carbohydrates.  Yogurt and berries are not a bad food.

Source: iStockPhoto

And what about this delicious meal?  The broccoli is made of simple carbohydrates, the mango is made of simple carbohydrates, the brown rice.....is made of complex carbohydrates.  If you call all simple carbs "Bad" and all complex carbs "Good", that might denote that the only good part of the meal above is the brown rice.  Not true!

Source: iStockPhoto

And what about pancakes?  They are complex carbohydrates (starches) so does that mean this meal above is "Good"?  Not necessarily.  Take about 8 of those pancakes, add some simple carbohydrates in the form of fruit, and possibly add some protein in the form of nuts, and then it's much better. Or better yet, made these pancakes from a better form of complex carbohydrates; whole wheat (or other grain) flour!  

Simple carbs are not bad, unless you eat too many (remember this post about my thoughts on the new Weight Watchers system?).  The average person should not consume more than 3 servings of dairy (ie: lactose-containing foods) and 1-2 cups of fruit (ie: fructose-containing foods) and 2-3 cups of non-starchy vegetables (ie: fructose and other simple-carbohydrate-containing foods) per day.  There is also a limit for complex carbohydrates, because with any type of carbohydrate you can get too much!  Now once you start talking about simple carbohydrates in the form of candies, jams, and syrups (ie: simple carbohydrates found in foods with zero nutritional benefits) then clearly it's not quite as good.

Bottom Line:  Simple carbohydrates are not all bad. Simple carbohydrates, by themselves (ie: a spoonful of sugar!) are obviously not good, but when you find these in foods that contain nutrients and/or fiber, they are much, much better!  Complex carbohydrates are not all good.  White bread isn't a great choice, but it's a better choice if you make it whole, which means it contains more fiber and nutrients.

You should eat non-starchy vegetables, and fruits.

You should use milk (or choose alternatives like soy, almond, etc.) on your cereal if you want!  And heck, add berries too.

You should choose complex carbohydrates that also have a lot of fiber, such as beans, instead of starch white breads with little fiber.

And stop using the words "good" and "bad".  Got it?!  If you want to find out how many servings of fruits, vegetables, dairy (or dairy alternatives), protein, grains you need, check out ChooseMyPlate.Gov.  Now, what questions do you have for me???

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Sugar Coma

On Saturday my best friend got married to her boyfriend of almost ten years, Rob. CONGRATS TO BOTH OF YOU!!!! Their wedding was not only beautiful, but it was a blast. Everything was perfect and Cathy looked amazing, as always. Many of you know that my favorite part of any wedding is the cake.

This one was very simple, with all white frosting and the only decorations were the little flowers on the side. I thought it looked perfect. But how about the taste? Out of this world.

I believe they kept the cake simple because they knew the most popular dessert (for most people...) would be the freshly baked pies.



I could have eaten this entire pie by myself. It was the best pecan pie I have ever tasted. The best part about it was the thin layer of chocolate on the bottom. I was in heaven eating this.


Throughout the entire night (on top of several glasses of white wine) I ate: 1 piece of wedding cake, almost two entire pieces of pie (pecan and apple) and a Snicker bar. Gross Gina. Talk about a serious binge! Am I mad at myself? Heck no. I don't ever do that, so who cares?! Not me. It all tasted wonderful. Don't ask about the Snicker bar....Nick and I got a hotel that night and rated the vending machines, as if we had been deprived of sugar or something...


Keeping on the theme of "desserts", today I wanted to share with you a new cookie recipe. Evan posted this "Chunky Monkey Nut Butter Oatie recipe several weeks ago, which I just had to try myself. I was glad I did because before making these cookies I had no idea just how easy it was to make oat flour. Seriously, check this out!

All I did was add the oats to my Magic Bullet and turn it on for about 30 seconds. It's just like regular flour you would buy at the store! I think I could make pizza with this stuff....what do you think?!

I started this recipe with intentions to follow Evan's recipe ~99% (I knew I wasn't going to use honey, because it's not something I can eat on my low FODMAP diet). As is typical with me, I ended up modifying the recipe to a much greater extent than I had planned (and not on purpose....). Here is my completely modified recipe for Evan's "Chunky Monkey Nut Butter Oaties;

Ingredients

1/2 cup oatmeal

6 T peanut butter (I used Soy butter and Smucker's all natural peanut butter)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2 T Splenda brown sugar (or 4 T regular brown sugar)

2 T molasses

2T water

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t salt

~1/4 t baking soda



Directions

1. With a food processor or Magic Bullet, create a flour out of your oats (see my picture above).

2. Add the peanut butter, brown sugar, molasses, and water to the oat flour, then mix it all up.

3. Blend in the salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.

4. Add the almonds.

5. Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet, or a cookie sheet with a piece of foil or wax paper on top.

6. Bake at 325 for ~20 minutes (times may vary!)

Yes, these were delicious, with 170 calories of pure healthy goodness (ok, aside from the molasses and brown sugar....). Thanks for the inspiration, Evan!


Question: What's your favorite type of cookie? Have you tried soy butter yet? If not, check out my post to read all about it.

Responsibility, Or a Toxic Environment?

One fried chicken sandwich

Ninety-nine cents




Loads of simple carbs, with a few scattered nuts and seeds.

FREE at a local restaurant (before the main course, obviously)




A quick and easy to grab bag of chips

Seventy-five cents




Two sugar glazed donuts

Buy one get one FREE


One apple; $1.50
One piece of cake: $1.50

One stressed out American who craves the sugar buzz and "drug-like" feeling he gets form eating a piece of cake, but who actually chooses the apple because he knows it will make him feel better in the long run...

PRICELESS!

Today and Sunday I will focus my posts on some of the reasons why America is becoming so overweight and unhealthy. After reading this post you will see how it makes complete sense that 1/3 of Americans are overweight. And sadly, you will have no faith that the number will be declining any time soon.

Where do I begin? Let's start with the state of our economy. Let's face it, we are all struggling with money issues in some way or another. When we don't have money to pay for things we need ( and for other, things we want...) this causes stress. Stress unfortunately has a negative effect on our hormones, which then causes sadness, depression, anxiety, and thus more stress. This stress isn't just mental, as it takes a physical toll on our bodies as well. When stress hormones are released we crave carbohydrates and sugar, our insulin spikes which causes this craving to get even greater, and most Americans do exactly the opposite of what they should do; they eat CRAP! Who's to blame them? People like myself can tell someone to eat whole fruits, veggies, and grains in stressful situations to make themselves feel better, but often times this advice just gets ignored. Is it the person's fault? Sure, we all should take responsibility for our own actions, I can't argue that, but let's face it, our society does NOTHING to help!

Kelly Brownell, a professor of psychology at Yale University, did an article with the authors of Nutrition Action Healthletter. The following points are from his interview, and from my own experiences living here in America.

- Our food environment is toxic. Let's face it, everywhere we go there is food. And not just any food, but unhealthy food. And when you see healthy foods on rare occasions, they are almost always more expensive then their healthier counterparts. Can you blame the companies selling them? Nope. If they want to make a profit, they have to sell healthy fruits, veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains for more money, as they pay more money for them!

- Value meals and deals are everywhere. Why buy the small slushy when you can get a "mega-gulp" for just fifty cents more? And that's no joke. The other day I was in the store and heard an obese 5 year old ask her mother for a slushy. Her mom told her to buy the extra large because it was only fifty cents more. I almost cried. The women should take more responsibility for the health of her young daughter, yes, but when everyone is all about getting more for their money, this is just going to start happening more and more. Not only that but the mother was obese herself, therefore her daughter has a slim chance of ever learning how to eat healthy unless her mother starts learning herself (which again, is her responsibility). It's a domino effect.

- Everything is at our service. The invention of the drive-thru started it all. Thousands of years ago we had to hunt and gather our food all day, yet today we don't even have to get out of our precious cars to grab a bite to eat? How pathetic. Not only that, but they even sell candy bars at Lowe's. Food is EVERYWHERE.

- It's all about responsibility, or is it? You will often hear people say that the government shouldn't get involved with food companies or initiatives to change ingredients and laws to limit items being sold. The argument is that people should be responsible for their own health. I agree, but not 100%. I mean, do you really think people are less responsible now, than they were 20 years ago? I don't. It's just so much more difficult to be responsible when unhealthy food is everywhere we go, stress follows us everywhere, and false information of "hope" is at our service (think fad diets and supplements that promise weight loss but which only end up making you more unhealthy).

- It's more difficult for someone to lose weight, and keep it off, than it is for someone who is already a normal weight to stay that weight. Why? When you lose weight your metabolism slows down. Someone who loses weight will have to continuously eat less to keep their weight off, compared to someone who hasn't lost weight but who is the same weight as the person who has lost and is trying to maintain. So what? The more people out there who gain weight and then try to lose is makes for a society of people who may be desperate for a quick fix and unhealthy diet practices. This is why so many companies make so much money selling their fad diets and products. It's all a scam that ends up hurting, rather than helping people in the long run.

- Sugar is addicting. Some studies show that sugar has some of the same powerful effects on our brain as drugs and alcohol. Now that it is being added to just about every single thing we eat, it's clear to me why people become addicted to sugar (and really, food in general. Studies have shown the combination of fat, sugar, and salt is very addicting). At first all it takes is a little sugar, but over time you will need more sugar in order to reap the same "positive" effects.

- Schools are allowed to sell junk. I do think the school lunch program needs reviewed, but most importantly there needs to be something done to prevent schools from selling candy and soda outside of lunch, and even during lunch, for extra money. It's fine if they want to sell food to make money, but there needs to be some laws that prevent them from selling non-nutritive foods, which cause kids to be addicted to sugar starting at such a young age.

QUESTION: Would you like to add anything?

*** Yes, the picture of the fried chicken sandwich above was Nick's, and in fact I had one too. Is there anything wrong with that? No. We paired them with a nice salad and an apple! And, we don't eat them everyday. I am not against eating junk, I eat some junk everyday! I also don't look down at people who eat junk, and I never will. The point of this post is to send the message to someone (I don't know who), that our society needs to make some serious changes. They did it with cigarettes, can't food be next?! ***

Coming Up
Sunday I will post some more information on this very topic. Our local paper published a fantastic article with a lot of shocking information. I'm excited to share it with you.

Thanks for reading everyone, and have a great weekend!

Sugar By Any Other Name.....

Have you ever wondered why your plain yogurt contains 10 grams of sugar? Or whether the "fruit juice concentrate" in your power bar is a better form of sugar than table sugar (sucrose)? These are questions I receive quite often, so it's time for a quick review.

Carbohydrates (Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen bound together) come in two forms:

• Simple mono- or disaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose, maltose, sucrose, and lactose)
• Complex polysaccharides (starches such as legumes, corn, potatoes, bread, and cereals)

• Fiber? On food labels, fiber is considered a carbohydrate. This is because fiber is a type of polysaccharide, which plays a structural role in plants. Humans cannot digest fiber.

When you look at a food label, this is what you see:

The cereal above has 24 total grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of which is from indigestible dietary fiber, and 10 grams of which is from simple sugar (one of the six I mentioned above).

When you look at a label for milk or plain yogurt, you may see this:

Strange? You wouldn't think milk or plain yogurt would have any sugar, but lactose (a type of simple sugar) is found in all dairy products. On the food label it is considered a carbohydrate, and is under the sub-category "sugar". In my opinion, there should be an alternative sub-category called "Added Sugar". Would you know that the plain yogurt above has zero added sugar? Many of you may have know that, but some may have not. In fact, the typical amount of lactose found in dairy products is about 12 grams per serving.

What about this "Just Fruit Bar"?


Check out the ingredients. Pear Puree, Pear Concentrate, Cranberry Concentrate.

According to the nutrition facts, this one bar has 35 grams of carbohydrate, 6 grams of which are from fiber (nice!), and 23 grams of which are from sugar. In this case, the sugar is in the form of fructose. Is it any more healthy since it's in the form of the "fruit sugar, fructose"? Not really.


Yes this is a less processed form of fructose than HFCS, but if you were to eat a serving of fruit, which is what this bar is trying to mimic, you would only be consuming about 15 grams of fructose, not 23. You'd also be getting a lot of phytonutrients, which do not survive the heat it takes to create a "fruit juice concentrate".



Bottom Line: Carbohydrates are best in their most natural form; whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products. Limit your added sugars (from the extra sugar companies add to their products, other than the naturally occurring lactose and fructose) to 26 grams for females, and 37 for males.

Speaking of sugar, Julie is having a VitaTops giveaway!! Yeah, they have sugar, but less than most muffins, that's for sure.

Coming Up

Tomorrow I will post a new recipe and my thoughts on Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution form Friday. Did you watch?! I also have an interesting post about Kashi, and whole grains coming up this week.

Thanks for reading! Have a great day.