A Sweet Problem 

A Sweet Problem

1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

I’ve had a few Sugar Reduction Mondays where I focus on the sugar in my diet. Hopefully, you will pay attention to the sugar as well. Don’t get me wrong; we need to focus on the whole diet. For this moment, we will focus on sugar. The sugar I’m focusing on is not the sugar that occurs naturally in the things we eat, but the added sugar.

“Why?” you ask? Sugar has been linked to multiple health issues including, obesity, hypertension, elevated triglycerides and other markers for heart disease. In addition, many diets high in sugar are low in other vital nutrients. Depending on how much added sugar you have in your diet, cutting down on the extra sweet stuff may not be as difficult as you think. The key is to read the labels and to make healthier choices. Some of this may be simple. A piece of fruit is better than a piece of candy. However, you’ll have to pay close attention to other food choices.
Craisins is one relatively new tasty snack that may have you fooled. While this provides fiber and other nutrients, the dried cranberries are sweetened – more sugar for your diet.

When examining labels, look for all the different names for sugar. Below some names are listed:

• Brown sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup
• Dextrose
• Evaporated cane juice
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrates
• Glucose
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Lactose
• Maltose
• Malt syrup
• Molasses
• Raw sugar
• Sucrose
• Sugar
• Syrup

Some find that excess sugar in their diet causes them to crave even more sugar. As you monitor and make adjustments, make note on how you feel when you cut down on the sugar. You may find that your energy is increased along with other positive benefits. I know that I need all the help I can get on maintain self-control in limiting the sugar. I’ll keep you posted. If you join me on Sugar Reduction Monday, let me know how it goes.

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