Added sugar sources have many aliases – and go by many names. Not all these are the white granulated table sugar that most people think of, but different forms of sugar. Some of these may be for flavor – adding sweetness to the food, but they also may have important properties in the preparation, baking, or mouthfeel of a food.

When people refer to sugar, they think of or refer to white granulated table sugar. And people will often assume or mistakenly think that if they use a sugar alternative – such as honey or agave nectar- they are making a healthier choice or something more “natural.” But are any of these healthier alternatives to white sugar?

People say that they don’t eat carrots because they are high in sugar. They don’t eat potatoes because they are “all” sugar. They don’t eat fruit because they are high in sugar. Avoiding these plant foods because of their sugar content is among the more ridiculous statements I have heard. Why? Because naturally occurring sugar just isn’t the same as added sugars in food.

This is the first in a series about sugar and all things sugar. Sugar in the form of glucose is THE fuel for the brain, the fuel for all our cells, and the fuel for our muscles. So, when people make a blanket statement such as “sugar feeds cancer cells,” that is true, but only because sugar feeds ALL cells in the body.

For years now, people tell me that they don’t eat carbs – bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes. – I must wonder why specifically these four foods considering that rice isn’t a nutritional zero or significant contributor of excess calories in the typical American diet either.

Growing up, too much coffee was not a good thing. At least that is what the commercials on television told me. Not that I drank coffee as a kid. Seeing those commercials made me think that this was not a good thing to consume. And what was too much coffee? In some cases, having only half a cup was an acceptable amount in any more than that was not. Only half a cup because my doctor said so.

Why we need to focus on a specific month for fruits and vegetables, I don’t know. Let’s devote the entire YEAR to fruits and vegetables. Focus on eating fruits and vegetables every day of every month of the year. However, here we are in September, formerly “National 5-a-Day Month,” and it is now “Fruit and Veggies Month.”

Many people set goals for the new year to lose weight, eat healthier, or start the latest trending diet, including lists of foods to cut out or avoid. This year consider an approach different from a temporary diet or short-term program by doing something for more than a few weeks while also improving health and weight.

While there is nothing wrong with a diet for a couple of weeks or 30 days, dietary changes that will positively impact weight and overall health require eating better well past a month of restrictions.

Eat like turtle doves! They eat fruit and seeds primarily.

If humans, specifically those of us in the United States, ate more fruits and seeds, as well as vegetables, whole grains, and nuts, we would be a whole lot healthier as a population.

According to the Urban Dictionary, the expression “grab for the gold ring” is “to take a chance and reach for some goal or desire.” We often neglect things in our lives or put them on the back burner, which decreases our healthy life and quality of life. Think about what you want to reach for in the next year, and consider these five things in your life.