You are Sweet Enough

So it's Saturday and I have been on this sugar detox for more than five days and I have NO energy, even to come up with a new post for today.  So doing a little web blog surfing to come up with inspiration, I came across this picture from the pink cupcake blog by Katie, and I thought to myself how apropos.  I think this picture speaks volumes.

Before I started this detox, I was not aware how much sugar I really did consume.  Sugar is every where, not just in candy.  I call myself a healthy eater, but after starting this detox sugar journey, I realized I was just fooling myself.  Sugar is everywhere from the obvious, soft drinks and cookies, to the not so obvious, cereals and salad dressings.  This detox has made me well versed in reading nutritional labels and ingredients. 

Why are we so concerned about our sugar intake?  Well it causes havoc on our body.  It raises blood pressure, it increases abdominal fat, it decreases HDL (the good cholesterol) and increases LDL (the bad cholesterol).  Basically increases ones risks of cardiovascular disease.

But that is not that only deleterious effect of sugar, it tricks one body into gaining weight by fooling ones metabolism—it turns off ones body's appetite-control system. Sugar does not appropriately stimulate the satiating hormone , which in turn does not suppress the "hunger hormone", which together result in eating more.  

So what is the maximum amount of sugar one should consume in a day.  According to the American Heart Association for a man it is 38 grams for a man and 25 grams for a women.

So how much sugar do you eat in a day?