November is National Diabetes Month, which is a time to raise awareness and people all about the disease. That's why we thought there was no better time to discuss the sugar epidemic in our country and how it relates to diabetes!

So how much sugar is too much?

The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 25 g of sugar per day, while men shouldn’t consume more than 37.8 g. However, these days the average American consumes an entire 80g of sugar every single day. With levels being so high it begs the question, where is all of this sugar coming from? 

You’re probably reading this and thinking “I haven't touched a piece of candy in months, so I can't possibly be eating too much sugar…. Right?” It would be great if that were true, however, sugar is in practically everything these days! Candies, cookies, and other sweet treats are some of the more obvious sources of added sugars. However, added sugars hide in products most people wouldn't even consider, like dairy products, breads, and even “healthy” fruit juices. Yes, even juice is usually loaded with sugar and lacks any plant fiber, leading to faster digestion and then your body storing that sugar as fat! 

A little extra sugar can’t hurt … right? 

High sugar diets contribute to a lot of health issues. Sure, we hear about sugar from our dentists all the time, and although cavities are a real side effect of a sugary diet, there are a number of more serious health issues that it can cause. Type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and fatty liver disease to name a few. Not only this, but researchers have found that sugar is an addictive chemical that impacts our body. One study conducted by Columbia University found that the dependence on sugar can even be linked to “neurochemical changes in the brain that also occur with addictive drugs.” 

So how can I cut back on all this sugar? 

A high sugar diet is simply a bad habit. By making mindful decisions about what we are putting into your body, we can cut back on sugar. Learn to read nutrition labels, track how much sugar you eat, and swap to healthier alternatives that can still satisfy that sweet tooth! These days, there is a lot of food on the market that say they are healthy while still being loaded with added sugars. And this is why we wanted to create a company to tackle this issue…  

Introducing FAVES! A candy made from whole fruits and vegetables, sweetened by monk fruit, which is a natural sweetener with no added calories. An entire pack of FAVES, which has 20 wafers, only has 1 gram of added sugar and only 2 calories per wafer! We create FAVES using lower temperatures than traditional candy suppliers to keep the fruit and vegetable fibers intact, so your digestion slows and your body won’t absorb the natural sugars as fat. 

Healthy alternatives like FAVES help you satisfy your cravings without actually consuming all the unnecessary, added sugar. Making changes like this to your daily lifestyle will help you to develop healthier habits, and if enough of us become aware of our choices over time, then we're sure that we can kiss this sugar epidemic goodbye!