So Much Sugar!!

I have to say I am shocked....I've been doing a lot of research lately on refined sugars and their effects on our health. There is so much correlation in studies that leads to all kinds of health problems, including one of the biggest epidemics in our country right now which is Type II Diabetes.
Refined sugar is such a menace to our bodies and I'm just shocked and sick to think that I have consumed all I have to this point in my life!
Not only because I have a sweet tooth, but because I eat use ketchup, eat soup and bread and put salad dressing on my salads!
Since all the research, I've been cutting way back on my sweets and I'm making it my goal to be refined sugar free at some point. Don't know when, but I make my choices consciously so that I continue to minimize that crap out of my life - my mantra right now is "the crap is poison". I know it's not eloquent, but it works for me.
From what I've been reading, if you break it down, there is approximately 1 teaspoon of refined white sugar in 4 grams of sugar listed on food labels.
So I looked at our ketchup label......it's even a name brand organic ketchup because I was trying to have healthy stuff in our fridge....4 grams of sugar in 1 Tblsp! So basically I just heaped a teaspoon of sugar onto my food!
I took out our BBQ sauce, which I bought from a health food store...again hoping it would be healthier...6 grams in 2 Tblsp...more sugar!
Went to the pantry....generic 8 oz can of tomato sauce -- 3 grams of sugar in 1/4 cup of sauce and there are 3.5 servings in one can! More Sugar!!
A can of organic split pea soup (ok, there can't be much sugar in split pea soup, right?) 4 grams of sugar in one cup of soup and there are 1.5 servings in the can! When I make my own soup, I don't add sugar to it....that would just feel way to weird! Gross.....more sugar...
Oh and don't let me forget the grape jam! 9 grams of sugar in 1 Tblsp!! This white crap is everywhere and it's not just a pinch!
Is it hard to imagine why we're now consuming, as a nation, 135 pounds of sugar per person per year??!! That's up from 26 pounds per person per year just 20 years ago! Prior to the turn of the century, the average consumption was only 5 pounds per person per year! And back then, cardiovascular diseases and cancer were virtually unheard of! Hmmmm, any correlation?
I mean, I know that there are many, many other factors, like fast food, processed food, low mineral content in our food, higher stress levels (which deplete our body of vital nutrients) and all those conveniences that weren't available back then...BUT....it still all has to do with our food in the most part. Yet, it's something we need, right? Food is fuel for the human body. We must get our nutrients for a healthy lifestyle....but the thing that downright ticks me off is that food manufacturers and suppliers completely neglect to tell us that what they're making (for the most part) is total crap. We're not getting any nutrients from some dried up bag of mac-n-cheese! Neither are kids! Don't even get me started on the terrible nutrition facing kids..that's another post all together!

Here's a pretty comprehensive link if you want to get some more info on sugar and what it really does to our bodies: http://www.cspinet.org/new/sugar.html

Ok.....ok.........ok...............I'm not really trying to get on a soap box, I just wanted to write a little something on sugar so hopefully it helps someone and creates some awareness which I was so grateful to have when I learned about it.

BUT......don't go sugar-free either.....it's just a terrible substitute to make us think we're making a better choice. I've been doing some research on sugar substitutes too.....another day.....

So, where are we?
Back to apples!!! :D
Peace to all....