We need the equivalent of 12 teaspoons of sugar for brain energy, cell energy and muscle energy on average a day. Too much sugar poisons our body, causes diseases and ages our bodies too fast.

Work it out with this friendly table:

EVERY 20 Calories of Carbohydrate (Sugar) = 5 Grams of Carbohydrate (Sugar) = 1 Teaspoon of Sugar.

If you haven’t memorized this simple conversion, please do it now and it will give you the means to staying lean for life! Your goal should be to eat no more than 12 teaspoons of sugar per day, or 60 grams of carbohydrates. This number is in sharp contrast to the average American who eats a whopping 60 to 70 teaspoons of sugar each and every day!

You can eat the carbs, but be careful since the equivalent of 12 teaspoons of sugar adds up quickly.

For example:

• 1 cup of milk = 2 teaspoons of sugar

• 1 Bowel of breakfast cereal with milk = 8 teaspoons of sugar

• 1 cup of rice (cooked) = 9 teaspoons of sugar

• 1 banana = 5 teaspoons of sugar

• 1 baked potato (not including skin) = 7 teaspoons of sugar

• 1 sweet potato = 8 teaspoons of sugar

• 2 slices of bread = 4 teaspoons of sugar

• 1 cup of strawberries = 2.5 teaspoons of sugar

• 1/2 grapefruit = 2 teaspoons of sugar

• 1 average soda/soft drink = 8 teaspoons of sugar

And guess what the sugar equivalent is of one large croissant or bagel? A whopping 12 teaspoons of sugar! That is all the sugar your body needs with no nutritional value for your cells’ health. (There’s that explanation point again.)

In contrast, strawberries give you a big carbohydrate “bang for your nutritional buck.” You can eat lots of them with minimal sugar. Strawberries have lots of water in them.

Here is a great tip: Eat more protein, about 1 pound per day for real energy.

Another tip: Its not always called Sugar!

But it is still sugar.

Artificial sweeteners are to be avoided without exception.

Aspartame – marketed as Nutrasweet (artificial, 0 calories)
Acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K) / E950 –
marketed as Sunett / Sweet One (artificial, 0 calories)
Agave
Agave Nectar
Barley Malt Extract
Brown Rice Syrup
Brown sugar
Corn sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
Crystalline Fructose
Dehydrated Cane Juice
Dextrin
Dextrose
Evaporated Cane Juice
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar (golden syrup)
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Malt syrup
Maltose
Mannitol
Maple syrup
Molasses
Neotame
Raw sugar
Rice Syrup
Saccharin (artificial, 0 calories)
Saccharose
Sucralose – marketed as Splenda
Sucrose
Sugar
Sorbitol
Sorghum syrup
Syrup
Treacle
Turbinado Sugar
Xylose

P.S. Pass it on to those you care about.