According to the American Heart Association, women should have no more than 6 teaspoons (25 g) of sugar per
day, and men 9 teaspoons (37.5g). But, the average American is consuming closer
to 20 teaspoons per day without even realizing it. Why? Well,
basically we’re being duped. Laurie David, the executive producer of the documentary Fed Up, explained to us, “Manufacturers try to trick you by measuring [sugar] in grams,
which no one has any clue what that means. Here is the simple equation to
memorize: 4 grams equals 1 teaspoon. Learn that and you will be shocked by the
amount of sugar in a lot of seemingly harmless products.”
Here are a few tricks for how to reduce your sugar intake,
without making any major lifestyle adjustments.
Try a nutritional reset.
Try to eat no added sugar, even for just one week, and take notes on how you feel. Last summer I cut out
sugar for 30 days to get a sense of how reliant I really was, and to experiment
with eating healthier. This winter, I embarked on another 60-day journey and
documented it all on sugardetox.me.
I’m amazed at how I feel — I have more consistent energy (no more sudden
dips), clearer skin, and a more settled stomach. If you’re looking for a ton of
free resources, recipes, and frameworks, that site is one place to help get you
started. 
Sugardetox.me has also partnered up with Conscious Box
to create a Sugar Detox Survival Kit that curates a box of sugar-free goodies
for people to try. The box goes on sale in April.
Eliminate or
significantly reduce fruit juices and other sugary beverages.
According to the Dietary Guidelines
Advisory Committee, nearly half of total sugar intake comes from these sources.
If you eliminate these from your diet (including all your juice cleanses!), that’s half the battle!
Cut out salsas,
sauces, and packaged salad dressings.
Over a quarter of our sugar intake typically comes from
these sugary substances. Instead, try making your own condiments.
Pack your own lunch!
This may come as no surprise, but cooking for
ourselves gives us more control over what we eat. If you don’t have the
time, try prepping your meals beforehand. Hard-boiling eggs at night for
tomorrow’s breakfast, cutting veggies to roast later — these small
habits will add up to good health in the long run.