January 26, 2010

Less Sugar, Less Processed...


Food. Especially 'convenience' food can be cheap and free many times with coupons. But have you ever looked at the nutritional value of these convenience items? Straight out of a horror movie, I tell you! Well, maybe not THAT bad, but still... pretty bad.

Sodium levels are always terrible! Most the time I get canned veggies, I make sure they are 'no salt'. They don't taste bad at all, especially if you are making them in a casserole you'd never be able to tell.

Sugar levels are also crazy! I cannot believe some of the food items, that have High fructose corn syrup or other sugars in them. (Some Baby Formula has as much sugar as soda does!)

HERE is an article by Doctor Mercola, he always has wonderful, informational articles on health and wellness. This is an article about the crazy amounts of sugar in food... and at the end, what YOU can do to reduce the levels of sugar in your diet. Do you know how much soda an average American consumers per year? 60 GALLONS... (gag) 41 percent of that is sugar... The average American also consumes 141 pounds of sugar per year... :( Yuck.

There is a LOT of info on this subject at Dr. Mercola's site.

Some substitutes for sugar? He says to use these in moderation:
  • organic cane sugar in moderation
  • organic raw honey in moderation
  • raw stevia (I was reading about this the other day, and leaves from a Stevia plant are 200-300 times sweeter than sugar!)
I know my family has been trying to reduce the amount of sugar in our diets for many years now, even more in these last 2-3 years. We RARELY buy soda, usually only if we have company. That doesn't seem very nice does it? I can try to make our company sick from feeding them more sugar! This many have to change! I have been trying to stay away from "processed" foods. I have been trying to find ways to make my own things from scratch. When you actually LOOK at what all is in those packets of gravy, taco seasoning, baking mix, pizza mix, muffin mixes, pancake mixes, ETC... there is a lot of stuff like TONS of sodium, sugar and many thing I have NO idea what it even is!

One of my goals, even more this year is to make sure I am growing and making more, that will bring health to my family. I would be very upset if someday one of my children developed Juvenile Diabetes or cancer, and I could have actually prevented it my limiting the sugar more in their diets.

How about you? Have any of you resolved to reduce sugar in your diets recently???

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

People know when they come to our house that we have water and milk to drink - in other words - if you don't like those choices bring your own. I do by 100% pure NOT from concentrate orange juice this time of year for us to drink with breakfast for an added vitamin C boost but since it is just for breakfast we don't offer it out to company;-) The problem we had when we would we buy the soda's and juices for company was we would finish them off because we didn't want to be wasteful. In the end your guests won't mind because they are there to visit with you not drink sodas!

I am with you on the convenience items - there is a reason they are so cheap - they are not real!

Simply Living said...

I am in the process of changing our diet too!!! We often serve tea to our guest. We don't drink soda around here either.

I have been following your blog for a while now and always find it refreshing... maybe because we live on a farm, and because I have 3 boys, I can relate to what you share. I recently started a blog to share of my journey of eating healthier, being frugal... ect, ect. Thanks for sharing, it's nice to know others are traveling the same road!!

Midnite Skys said...

I've been trying myself to get back to making things from scratch I only look at labels and the sodium seem so high in many packaged stuff.

I have noticed that some frozen juices are listed as the favor of the juice then filtered water so I have been buying the frozen No high fructose corn syrup

Midnite Skys said...

Oh my I also look at labels!!! It been a very crazy week here I hope I can make it without going crazy to the week-end!!!!!! (I know it's only Tuesday but it been very weird.....and crazy)

kanishk said...

s - there is a reason they are so cheap - they are not real!

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