Why I cut back on sugar — and how you can too: Opinion

I have never described myself as a "sweets person." I don't often crave desserts or pop. But a few years ago, when I started paying attention to it, I realized that lots of sugar "crept" into my life.

Cake for a co-worker's birthday, boxes of candy on the hospital wards during the holidays, a cookie or muffin at the café when no other options were available.

Not too long ago, dentists were the only health professional warning you about the dangers of sugar, but more and more doctors are joining that chorus.

As a family doctor, I try to walk the walk when it comes to health habits. As I learned more about the health impact of sugar, I decided to take action in my own life and make it a personal goal to reduce sugar.

Sugar: The bad news

Sugar can cause more than just cavities. A diet high in sugar has been linked to chronic diseases like heart disease, fatty liver, Type 2 diabetes and obesity, which can lead to disabilities including blindness, limb loss, organ failure and even early death.

Family doctors across Canada see these conditions in their clinics daily. What is really alarming: we are starting to diagnose these conditions in kids.

In 2015, the World Health Organization came out with recommendations to limit the amount of added sugars we consume. They recommended that no more than five to 10 per cent of our daily food energy should come from added sugars.

What does that look like in real life?  Adults should have no more than the equivalent of 25 to 50 grams (six to 12 teaspoons) of added sugar per day, and kids' intake should be capped at half that — 12 to 25 grams (three to six teaspoons). For the most health benefit, the WHO suggests consuming the lower end of that range.

Just in March 2019, the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics released a strongly worded statement calling for public policy to help reduce sugar consumption.

Adding taxes to sugary beverages, reducing the presence of sweetened drinks in hospitals and making policies to promote healthier drinks (like water) were just some of their recommendations.

How I cut back

My personal goal to reduce sugar finally gave me a reason to say no to sweet treats.

I started packing my own low-sugar snacks so I wouldn't end up grazing on sweets. And often, if I wasn't hungry, I would just skip the cake or candy altogether.

Reading nutrition labels really helped me. If you are buying any product with a logo, it's a good idea to check for added sugars.

Yogurt is a great example. The next time you're at the grocery store, compare the labels of the plain versus flavoured yogurt.

Most people don't realize this, but the majority of flavoured yogurts in the grocery store contain about three to four teaspoons of added sugar in each tiny package.

Because of this, I quickly made the switch to plain yogurt, and I add fruit, nut butter or seeds to flavour it.

Another source of sugar in my life was condiments. I switched to pure nut butters from the more processed sweetened versions. I stopped buying sugary condiments like ketchup or barbecue sauce in favour of mustard, or spreads like hummus.

Other processed foods like pasta sauces, salsa, and soups contain added sugars. My approach to this was to make my own items from scratch, adding zero sugar. I make large batches and freeze them to make better use of my time.

What did I find out from making these changes? I didn't miss the sugar. I think perhaps my tastes adjusted as I reduced it more and more. That made sense to me: 100 years ago, humans weren't eating foods infused with sugar. It just wasn't something my body really needed and when I cut it out I didn't miss it.

I haven't taken a scorched-earth approach — I still have the occasional piece of birthday cake, and I love a piece of dark chocolate (which is actually quite low in sugar).  But by being conscious of all the sources of sugar out there and making deliberate choices to avoid it, I am consuming much less than I was. It all adds up.

Starting young

Recommendations for kids are half of those for adults, and yet it's incredibly easy for kids to get well over even the recommended adult amount, just by eating so-called "regular" food.

And away from home, kids can be exposed to large quantities of sugar — for example at school or sporting events.

Young families lead very busy lives these days and fast food can be so convenient.  Let's look at a typical fast-food kid's meal: a small hamburger, apple slices, a small orange juice, and a yogurt tube.

It sounds like a relatively healthy option, right? No fries, no pop.

But, surprise: it actually contains 42 grams of sugar. Some of that sugar is naturally occurring (for example, in the apple slices), but over half of it comes from the orange juice and added sugars, which health organizations advise against.

Back when I was a kid, juice was seen as an easy way to get fruit into the diet and portrayed as much a healthier option than pop.

But juice is actually really high in sugar. It is much more beneficial to eat a piece of fruit and have a glass of water to drink. 

The Canadian Paediatric Society supports the WHO advice. It recommends restricting added sugars and limiting juice. Both the CPS and the new Canada Food Guide also endorse water as our drink of choice.

It may seem like a very challenging task for parents to change what their kids are eating — especially if their kids are used to lots of sweet food. But remember, the less added sugar at home and in their lunchbox, the lower their chances of getting serious chronic diseases.

How to take charge of your intake

I know that making changes as an individual is hard. It can feel like you are swimming upstream when sugar is a part of so many foods and drinks.

Sometimes it can feel like you're restricting yourself and that you can't enjoy "treats" like everyone else.

I found it helpful to reframe my thoughts: I wasn't punishing myself, but rewarding my "future self" by opting for more healthful foods.

I was fighting against a system that was making me unhealthy.

Someday, I think we will look at added sugars similarly to how we now view cigarettes: extremely detrimental to our health.

Our food system and policies need to start acknowledging the harmful effects of excess sugar. As a doctor, I'd love to see the supply of sugar start to dry up.

But until those changes happen, why not take charge of your own intake? Trust me, it can be done.

This column is part of CBC's Opinion section. For more information about this section, please read this editor's blog and our FAQ.

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