In a world where health consciousness is on the rise, we often scrutinize food labels for fat content, calories, and sodium. But there's one sneaky culprit that often goes unnoticed: sugar. While some sources of sugar are obvious, like candy and soda, many others are hidden in seemingly innocent foods, making it challenging to monitor our intake.

Hidden sugars lurk in a variety of foods, from seemingly healthy options to unexpected culprits. 

Take yogurt, for example. While touted for its probiotic benefits, many flavored yogurts are loaded with added sugars to enhance taste. 

Granola bars, another go-to snack for the health-conscious, often contain high levels of added sugars to bind the ingredients together and enhance flavor.

Even savory foods aren't exempt. 

Condiments like ketchup and barbecue sauce can pack a sugary punch, contributing to our daily intake without us even realizing it. Salad dressings, marinades, and pasta sauce can also be packed with hidden sugars

Even seemingly healthy smoothies, protein powders, and nut butter can make your smoothie less carb-friendly.

So why should we be concerned about hidden sugars? Regular consumption of sugar increases your blood sugar levels and your insulin levels. Excessive sugar consumption has been linked to a host of health issues, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Sugar provides empty calories, offering little to no nutritional value and contributes to weight gain. Thinking about having a baby? A 2018 study found an association between consuming sugar-sweetened beverages, including sweetened sodas and energy drinks with infertility in males and females.1 

Fortunately, there are steps we can take to uncover hidden sugars in your 'healthy foods'.

1. Read ingredient lists. Look for ingredients like sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, and maltose, which are all added sugars. Terms like "low-fat" or "fat-free" are flavored with extra sugar.

2. Choose foods without an ingredient list. Opting for whole, unprocessed foods is an effective way to reduce hidden sugar. Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains are naturally low in sugars and offer various health benefits.

3. Be mindful of portion sizes. Foods low in sugar can contribute to excess sugar consumption if consumed in large quantities. Practice moderation and balance in your diet to ensure you're not unwittingly overindulging in hidden sugars.

Have sugar cravings?  If it's always chocolate, that could indicate magnesium deficiency. 

Try a 21-day sugar detox to clear out your system and your brain signals. If that is too intense, start by eliminating all sugar-sweetened beverages. 

Know you are going to eat sweet foods for a special event?  Try combiningwith fiber or vinegar. For unknown reasons, it has been shown that eating these foods along with sugary foods decreases the intensity of blood sugar and insulin level spikes. A high-fiber diet is highly recommended for overall health and helps keeps sugar cravings down. 

Have you eaten too many sweets? Have a glass of lemon water. It can help decrease the blood sugar load and has a soothing effect on the stomach.

Whether your health goals involve weight loss, avoiding insulin spikes, improving fertility, or just healthy eating for good health, be an informed consumer. Take control of your health and well-being, by becoming aware of hidden sugars to make more informed decisions. Don't let big food companies decide for you. 

Next time you reach for that seemingly innocent snack, look closer at the label. You might be surprised at what's hiding inside.

1.Hatch EE, Wesselink AK, Hahn KA, Michiel JJ, Mikkelsen EM, Sorensen HT, Rothman KJ, Wise LA. Intake of Sugar-sweetened Beverages and Fecundability in a North American Preconception Cohort. Epidemiology. 2018 May;29(3):369-378. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000812. PMID: 29384791; PMCID: PMC5882510.