Sugar is one of the main enemies to your health and weight loss journey. It doesn't contain any useful nutrients and it is linked to a number of health conditions, including diabetes and certain cancers. It is important to realize that lots of foods, such as fruits, contain natural sugar. This doesn't mean that they should be avoided since they also contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The enemy here is added sugar and our mission is to cut down on its consumption.

The average American consumes 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily, while the recommended amount is about 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men. Main sources of added sugar are liquid calories from soda, energy and sports drinks, breakfast cereals, and pastries, such as cakes, pies and cookies. Manufacturers are sneaky, they don't write on a label of a soda or a pie that it contains significant amounts of added sugar. They use various names for sugar and usually list lots of ingredients that are very similar – added sugar: brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, fructose, maltose, etc. Check the labels and avoid products with added sugar. It may be hard to give up drinking your daily cans of cola or eating your favorite dessert after dinner, as sugar is very addictive. Start slowly – first refuse just 1 can of cola and 1 dessert a day, then keep going until you decrease added sugar in your diet.