I will be the first to admit that I love any and all things sugary including the obvious things like soda, candy, cookies, and all desserts and we all know that too much sugar is not good for us. But how much sugar is too much? Yes, I would like to address sugar today and I do not want this article to sound preachy, it is just something I have been educating myself on and thought I would share because I was thinking that some of you may also not be aware of the affects too much sugar has on us. This doesn't mean that I won't be posting any more yummy dessert recipes, which I do often, but I just thought it is a good reminder for us all to try and be smart about our sugar intake and eat it within reason.

The recommendation for sugar is no more than one tablespoon of sugar per day (including natural sweeteners like honey, coconut sugar or maple syrup). Shockingly though, most Americans get about one cup of sugar per day, about 16 times the recommended amount. Part of this is due to the fact that tons of sugar is added to things that you wouldn't even consider "sugary" like ketchup, salad dressing, bread, barbeque sauce and more. It can all add up pretty quickly.

If you think about it, it's only been relatively recent that humans have had such easy access to sugar, so it is no wonder that we want the concentrated fuel that sugar provides. But since many of us live such a sedentary lifestyle, it is not necessary and actual harmful to have so much of this concentrated "fuel".

Sugar affects our bodies in the following ways:

· Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, lung, gallbladder and stomach.

· Sugar can increase fasting levels of glucose and can cause reactive hypoglycemia.

· Sugar can cause many problems with the gastrointestinal tract, including an acidic digestive tract, indigestion, malabsorption in patients with functional bowel disease, increased risk of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

· Sugar can interfere with your absorption of protein.

· Sugar can cause food allergies.

· Sugar contributes to obesity.

I myself have a very strong reaction and addiction to sugar. While some people can eat one piece of chocolate or one cookie, I can just eat and eat and eat until I finally have to stop myself. I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was involved in health challenge where I didn't eat any sweets for five weeks. At the end of this five week period, I realized what a positive difference not having so much sugar had on me. I had more energy, I wasn't tired all the time and I didn't have so many mood swings. It was actually interesting to me too, because that first night I started eating sweets again, it made me pretty sick and none of my favorite sweets tasted very good to me at all that night. I am proof that you can get off sugar and sweets and not crave them anymore. It was after about the second week that I honestly did not crave sugar constantly and it was such a liberating feeling to know that I had control over my body in this way.

Here are a couple ways to stop sugar cravings:

• Cut out or lower sugar intake

· Of course it is much easier said than done, but cutting out sugar or drastically lowering your sugar intake is one of the best ways to stop craving it. Sugar is like like a drug and it's addictive qualities have been compared to cocaine.

· Cutting it out of your diet for just 3 weeks can make a huge difference in stopping the addictive cycle. After those three weeks, you can slowly add in small amounts (start at 1 tsp, then work up to 1 tbsp per day).

• Balanced Meals with Healthy Protein and Fats

· It's important to build balanced meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner instead of snacking all day. Leaving the opportunity for snacking open just gives you more chances to reach for a sweet treat.

· If your body is satisfied and has gotten the proper nutrients, you won't crave sweets as much. Make sure that you have a good portion of vegetables, protein and healthy fats with every meal. The balance of nutrients will help curb your cravings.

· Getting enough protein and healthy fats help your body stay satiated and full, so you are less likely to crave sweets or feel like snacking on sugary foods.

• Don't be fooled by "health food" marketing. Cut out sources of concentrated sugar.

· Products like smoothies, juice and protein bars are constantly marketed as "health food", but contain a lot of sugar that can affect blood sugar levels.

· Even though "protein bars" have a lot of protein, they are usually very processed, have a lot of sugar and are designed for serious athletes who burn a lot of calories and need concentrated sources of fuel by way of carbs, calories and sugar. Unless you're a marathon runner, professional athlete or a serious crossfit enthusiast, you probably don't need these kinds of "meal replacement" foods.

· Both smoothies and juices are extremely concentrated sources of sugar, which can affect blood sugar and cause a sugar rush just like one you would experience by eating a candy bar or a piece of cake.

· This doesn't mean that you can never have a smoothie, but make sure that you build a smoothie that isn't just fruit and fruit juice. It's vital to have healthy sources of protein, fat and fiber in a smoothie to mitigate the effects of the sugary fruit.