Processed foods are high in sugar and salt content, which hook you into needing more and more of both of them. Salt, or sodium, increases the likelihood that you will have high blood pressure and too much sugar leads to diabetes. The Nutrition Facts Label on the packaged food will list the salt contents by the amount of sodium in each serving. And the amount of sugar in the foods to which you have become addicted is listed under the category of Total Carbs as Sugars. You will be shocked by the amountof salt and sugar added to processed foods.
Avoid high fructose corn syrup, used by manufacturers because it’s cheaper than cane or beet sugar. High fructose corn syrup is found everywhere these days. There are reasons to avoid it because it blocks the messages your body sends that you are full and because it’s hard to digest.
Your body, though, needs some sugar for energy. But get it from an apple or another fruit, not sweetened foods.
Try to gradually cut down on the amount of salt and sugar you add to your fresh foods. In time you will find extra salty and extra sweet foods are unpalatable and you will discover the natural goodness in foods.
There are many options for selecting relatively good sweets. You can add a tablespoon of maple syrup to your whole wheat pancakes or a bit of honey to your fruit and yogurt. By adding cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla to certain foods, you can cut down on the necessity to sweeten.
Don’t try to cut down on sugar by using artificial sweeteners. These will add to you need for something sweet and you will end up eating and drinking more, searching for the satisfaction of eating a sweet. Some nutritionists say we don’t need any added sugar to our diets. However the official recommended intake is 32 total grams of sugar. There are 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon. That adds up to a mere 8 teaspoons of added sugar per day
You can cut down on salt by flavoring foods with herbs and spices instead of the saltshaker. We need as little as 2400 mgs. a day, depending on your heart health, body mass, and energy expended.
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