YOU can avoid 80% of diseases if you ate correctly. Here is a simple equation to gives an idea of what I am talking about:

• 3.5 grams of sugar = 1 tsp or 1 packet of sugar


• Your average yogurt has 23 grams of sugar per serving. That is 6 ½ tsp of sugar in that tiny container of yogurt you buy. An alternative try Greek Plain Yogurt with only 7grams per serving. Sweeten with fruit.


• Your Gatorade drinks - they have per serving 14 grams of sugar. Not bad right? However take a look at the bottle; usually there are 2 to 4 servings per bottle. How many of you drink only 1 serving?


• Regular Soda – On an average a 12 oz soda can has 40 grams of sugar that equals 11 ½ teaspoons of sugar! How many cans do you drink in one day? Maybe you drink BigGulps? By the way if you are saying to me “Trina, I only drink diet”, that is another column I will have to write later.
  


• Cold Cereal – I picked Honey Nut Cheerios. Measure out ¾ cup, almost 3 tsp of sugar! How many of us eat ONLY ¾ cup in the morning?
  Milk – 1 cup of milk has approximately 13 grams of sugar = 4 tsp of sugar! Breakfast cost you 10 tsp of sugar. Not including the Pop Tart or glass of juice you had with your cereal.
  

Some simple advice; eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you can. Adults need as many as 9 servings a day. Read labels. Just because the package says whole grain or healthy is not always true. Understand what a serving is. I am a visual person so I will measure and weight my food for a few weeks to have a better understanding of portion control. Educate yourself and be a role model for your children. You can find me on Facebook for everyday healthy tips.