Show Me the Sugar

 Did you know that our brains are wired to love sugar from birth? When we eat sugar, it stimulates a part of our brain that makes us feel good. This can make us want to eat more of it. Some people can even get addicted to sugar.
Health experts tell us that when we eat too much sugar, it can be detrimental to our health. Sugar can put us at greater risk of tooth decay, weight gain and obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
While it’s impossible to avoid all sugar in our foods, it’s important to be aware of how much sugar we are eating. You will find that sugar is added to a lot of the foods we buy.
One way to identify the sugar in our foods is to read food labels.
The first thing you can do is check the total sugars on food labels. Be aware that this amount will include both natural and added sugars. Natural sugars are sugars that are found naturally in foods, such as milk and fruit. Added sugars include sugars or sweeteners that are added to foods during processing or preparation. Some examples include fruit canned in heavy syrup, sugar added to your coffee, or sugar added to your bottle of ketchup.
Next, read the ingredient list and become familiar with the different names of added sugar on food labels. Some common names of sugar found on food labels are: agave, barley malt, brown sugar, cane syrup, corn sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, maltodextrin, maltose, maple sugar, molasses, powdered sugar, raw sugar, and sucrose.
When shopping, try to compare products. Determine how much added sugar your product contains by comparing it to another product. For example, compare strawberry yogurt to plain yogurt or compare canned peaches packed in syrup to peaches packed in its own juice.
Knowing how to read food labels and being aware of added sugars in your foods will help you choose healthier foods for you and your family.
Joy Ahrens is a Registered Dietitian for the WIC Nutrition Program. This program offers nutrition education, breastfeeding support, checks for healthy foods, and referrals to qualifying women, infants and children under five years of age.
To see if you qualify for the WIC Program, call 818-361-7541.