Sugar Bowl

Yes, you read that correctly. Only in a dietitian column would Sugar Bowl take precedence over what’s on the minds of millions this week. But football aside, I would like to build on the theme of sweets from our last column. We all know ice cream, donuts, and chocolate contain sugar, but we don’t expect to find it in crackers, salad dressings, and peanut butter. Even when we suspect it’s in food, we are often shocked to learn how much.

This recently happened to me. I was in a grocery aisle looking into the pleading eyes of my 10-year-old son who was trying desperately to convince me that he needed this particular breakfast cereal. Without missing a beat, he says, “Here, mom, look at the label, it’s good for you!” The box was aptly designed to attract a child, splashed with brilliant neon colors which I ventured to guess, matched the food inside. I quickly scanned the label zooming in on total sugars. “This is ALL sugar,” I practically shouted, “We’ll need to find another one.” Although he was extremely disappointed, he didn’t argue. We’ve been down this path before, and I suspect he has wondered on more than one occasion why his lot in life included a dietitian for a mom. But, I couldn’t give in. According to the label, the cereal was 70% sugar, literally a bowl of sugar. A Snickers bar would make a better choice, at least it contains a few peanuts.

Sugar is a new addition to our food supply. Two hundred years ago, sweets were expensive and rarely used. Today, the average American eats nearly half a pound per day. Our bodies have not evolved to deal with this influx, and we are paying the price in soaring rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Most likely cancer, too, as cancer cells love sugar as much as we do, gobbling it up at ten times the rate of healthy cells.

U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than 10% of calories from sugar. For a person eating 2,000 calories, this equates to 50 grams, or about 12 teaspoons. If you’re healthy and active, you will burn off this amount without causing harm. If you are not active, you may wish to use less.

But because sugar seems to be hidden everywhere, avoiding sweets isn’t enough. Did you know that ketchup is one-third sugar? Or that a granola bar can have three to four teaspoons? In some yogurts, nearly half the calories come from sugar. But why?

For one, consumer demand. We love sweets. But sugar also affects feel-good compounds in our brain giving it an addictive quality, we eat a little and we want more. Taking advantage of this, food manufacturers increase sweetness to keep us coming back.

I consulted with a client after she was diagnosed with pre-diabetes. I suggested we identify sugar in her diet and reduce it. Straightening up in her chair, she proudly asserted, “That’ll be easy, I don’t eat sugar.” Together, we did a 24-hour diet recall in which she wrote down everything eaten the day before. She had consumed 24 teaspoons of

SUGAR, Page 4B

Thank You

To The Editor:

Last Thursday night, our Chinook managed to leap out of her enclosed back yard (because of the deep snow) and decided to go exploring on South High Street. Unfortunately, we have not been able to teach her the threat that vehicles pose and she was struck by a passing vehicle.

Fortunately, a couple who was also traveling down South High Street witnessed Lona’s accident and took the time to stop to tell us what they had seen. We are both so grateful to them for caring enough to stop. Without their concern, we would not have known what had happened. We would not have known, for several days perhaps, why Lona was behaving strangely and crying, and that she needed to see a vet.

Because of this couple’s concern, we knew to have Lona checked out by a vet for a concussion, broken bones, and internal injuries. (Thankfully, Lona appears to only have extensive bruising.) We were able to get medication for Lona for pain and inflammation, and to support her on a path of healing.

Life is precious. All life.

Thank you to that unknown couple who cared enough to let us know what they witnessed, so we could provide Lona with the medical attention that she needed. We feel blessed that Lona was not more seriously injured. We can deal with her pain, but we are grateful that we are not dealing with her loss.

Thank you both!

Dick and Barbara Danis Bridgton

What was if really for?

To The Editor: Anyone else notice that since Pay Per Bag got voted down, there has been nothing in the paper encouraging us to recycle? No statistics on what item is the most recycled, what item can be recycled that most folks don’t know about, etc. etc.

Makes it look, a bit, like it was all about the money Pay

RIDING SNOWMOBILES is a gas, especially now that there’s