The Gate June 2017 | Page 9

A few suggestions to cut down on sugar consumption: • • • • Reduce the amount of processed or packaged foods in your grocery cart. That is, shop the perimeter of the store where the fruits, vegetables, meats, fish and dairy foods are found. READ Nutrition Labels. Take notice of the serving size and number of calories to see how much you are actually consuming. Another way to reduce sugars is to avoid products that list “sugar” as the first ingredient on the nutrition label (reflecting the predominance of that ingredient by weight). And the fewer the ingredients usually the better. Avoid fruit juices and soda (e.g. Coca Cola, Mountain Dew etc.) and other sweetened drinks such as Iced Teas. In addition, avoid Energy Drinks that along with the sugars also contain high amounts of caffeine. Be aware that many low-fat/low fiber foods contain additional sugars to improve palatability. • And remember that sauces, dressings and condiments often contain high amounts of sug ar – use them sparingly. In general, eat a diet rich in whole foods, with high quality protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates and steer clear of the “added” sugars. For more advice consult your local dietitian or nutritionist. Buyer Beware. Here is how added sugar can be listed on the ingredient label: Brown sugar Corn sweetener Corn syrup Dextrose Fructose Glucose High-fructose corn syrup Honey Invert sugar Lactose Malt syrup