"Lemonade is usually packed full of sugar. Instead of regular lemonade make a switch to Crystal Light or other zero calorie lemonade options. You could also enjoy a glass of tea sweetened with lemons."
This is TERRIBLE advice. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame (used in Crystal Light) have been shown to cause both liver and lung cancer in mice and rats -- animals that are used in labs precisely because they're so similar to humans in several anatomical pathways. ("Aspartame administered in feed, beginning prenatally through life span, induces cancers of the liver and lung in male Swiss mice." Am J Ind Med. 2010 Sep 30.)
The newer artificial sugar of sucralose is also terrible. Google around for Dr. Janet Hull, whose research shows that sucralose may harm your body.
Apparently, both the Canadian study and the FDA studies submitted by McNeil for its compound approval showed liver enlargement and an increase in liver enzymes in lab animals.
It's absurd to advise artificial sweeteners for anyone trying to keep an eye on their health. Our brains aren't wired to 'register' this type of sweetness as being "satisfying" or "filling" and all of it gets funneled straight to our livers much more quickly than normal sugars, to be converted into blood lipids, i.e., triglycerides!
You're better off having some real sugar in moderation. If you must, go for honey or agave nectar in your cooking and baking -- at least they have some antioxidants. But artificial sweeteners made in a lab has no place in your glass or plate. If you must, aim to link the real sugars/honey/nectar/whatever with something that can "slow down" the rate at which it enters your body, for example nuts or high fiber foods like veggies and fruits.
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Lisa,
In addition to eating cold cereals with low sugar content for breakfast as you suggest, is it possible to find milk that contains low quantities of sugar?
From reading the labels on most milk containers, it seems to me there is a lot of sugar in regular, and even non-fat milk, at least 12 grams per each eight ounce serving.
Thank you.
Hi Watchful Consumer,
The sugar listed on the nutrition facts panel for milk is not "added sugar", but sugar naturally contained in cow's milk. In my opinion the nutritional benefits of including milk as part of a well-balanced breakfast outweigh the sugar quantity, which at 12 grams is not all that high. I am not aware of a cow's milk option that has a lower sugar content.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
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