How much sugar is too much?

[rein]

I've been reading a lot lately and trying to adjust a few things in my diet. One thing that puzzles me is sugar. There is so much conflicting information. I know there are theories about the glycemic index but then again everyone calls for eating fruit in your diet. Any day that I add fruit to my diet my sugar count goes from less than 20 grams to 50+ grams that day. I have sworn myself to never go above 70 grams but I hope to never get that high. So, is sugar that bad for you? I am eating about 1200-1400 Calories a day, is 70 grams a good limit (so far I have never hit the 60's)? Like I said, fruit is the only thing that kills me with sugar. It just seems like there are good nutrients that fruit can provide but then again, there is a lot of sugar too. I know that fruits have lower GI than table sugar and there are theories that blood sugar levels have a major impact on weight loss, etc. So, I assume fruit is much better. How much better? Should I not worry about sugar at all as long as it comes from low GI sources? or, should I just try to keep sugar out of my diet as much as possible? I don't know. Since jumping into this the last 3 weeks I have learned a lot but there are still a few things that confuse me.

I may go out and buy the Food for Life book tomorrow and give it a good read. I think he has a pretty good selection of recipe's and a theory that makes sense to me. I am beginning to over think this stuff too much for now.

[Adam_S]

I can't tell you specifically how much sugar is too much, but you should be more than okay with a few pieces of fruit in your diet. Blood sugar is a tricky thing, there is such an enormous problem with adult onset tyep two diabetes now because there is so much unnatural sugar in everything we eat. Sugars from regular whole food are generally good for your body, drinking 40 ounces of coke a day is not. Hell there's a good 1/2 pound of sugar in 40 ounces of classic coke. On top of the high average sugar intake, we're also not as well nourished. Your body uses a BROAD spectrum of vitamins and minerals to help regulate blood sugar, most significantly, chromium and vanadium. If you're deficient in one of those areas, you're much more likely to develop type II diabetes simply because your body doesn't have the proper tools (the minerals) to regulate and maintain healthy levels. I would worry less about the sugar in whole foods than in having good nutrition, and if you can adjust your diet away from most processed foods and sodas, then you should be okay if you're taking an adequete mineral supplement.

Adam