Sugar sugar

Listening to NPR the other day, I heard two stories (one and two) about the same study that was just published regarding sugar and our health. The basic finding is that people who consume the most added sugar in a day have a higher risk for cholesterol problems that can lead to heart disease. Turns out, reading a label on processed foods isn't even going to give you an accurate picture of how much sugar you're really consuming. On the label, there is no differentiation between natural sugars (like those in fruit) and added sugars. On top of that, sugar comes in many different names (one article gave the examples of evaporated cane juice and malt syrup).

So here's the thing about sugar for me: It's been the number one hardest thing to reduce in my diet. Giving up meat was easy. Giving up dairy wasn't even so bad. I even gave up drinking my beloved soda (though I do have a Sprite or 7up once in a blue moon--I used to have something every day). But sugar has been HARD. Much harder than I thought, as I just recently managed to scale back. And the kicker is that refined sugar usually isn't even vegan. They use animal bones in the processing of sugar.

This study helps me steel myself against the darn sugar cravings, though. I know if I can just get rid of most of the added sugar in my diet, fruit is actually going to taste sweet, and I can have the sweet I crave packaged in a neat little case that also has some vitamins.