sugar!

I have been reading quite a bit lately on the detrimental and addictive characteristics of sugar. Obviously, sugar in excess is dangerous and unhealthy, but some of the recent studies I’ve been reading lately are downright scary:

• From The Atlantic.com: “Who could have imagined that something so innocent, so delicious, so irresistible…could propel America toward economic deterioration and medical collapse?”
• From Time: “There is nothing empty about these calories. A growing body of scientific evidence is showing that fructose can trigger processes that lead to liver toxicity and a host of other chronic diseases. A little is not a problem, but a lot kills — slowly.”
• Dr. Mercola can be a bit over-the-top, but his information on sugar consumption is well-researched.

We have been reducing our sugar intake for the past few years – we try to use local raw honey and dried stevia to replace it in recipes, and we avoid processed foods (and drinks) that are laden with sugar or the even worse fake sugar substitutes anyway. The three of us do have a bit of a sweet tooth though, and sometimes there really isn’t anything much better than a homemade cookie made with real sugar. Our compromise has been to limit our sweets, and, when we do have them, make sure they’re homemade so that we know the quality of the real ingredients.

The articles above seem to support the “moderation in all things” credo, so I don’t think we need to change things drastically. I would, however, like to do better. With sugar intake being such a significant factor in the growing obesity epidemic, it is important that we devise reasonable and healthy tactics to limit our (and our children’s) consumption of the sweet substance in all of its forms.

Do you limit your sugar intake? Do you have any tips to share with us?