For years, science has supported the theory that sugar can be as addictive as alcohol or tobacco. Does it then follow that this commonplace but potentially harmful substance should be similarly regulated?

According to researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), absolutely.

In their study, "The Toxic Truth About Sugar," published in the scientific journal Nature, the authors advocate taxing sugary foods and controlling sales to children under 17.

According to their statistics, reported on CBS New’s HealthPop, worldwide sugar intake has tripled in the last 50 years, and the average person is taking in a whopping 500 calories from added sugar in processed foods alone.

But is sugar really "toxic," like the authors of the Nature article say? In those quantities, yes.

We all have a sugar craving from time to time. For some it’s early in the morning, in hopes that a caffeine fix or a sweet pastry will get us through the day. For others, the hankering pops up around 3pm when our blood sugar starts to drop off after lunch. Or perhaps some of us raid the fridge or pantry for a late night treat. These sugar cravings are simply our bodies asking for energy. It’s important to listen to these cues and provide ourselves with naturally sweet foods to help alleviate these intense cravings.

Reducing sugar in one’s diet can be quite challenging. According to the Wall Street Journal, the average American consumes up to 355 calories, or more than 22 teaspoons, of sugar a day. The biggest culprits - soft drinks, candy, and desserts like cookies and cakes. However, added sugars also creep up in many perceived healthy foods such as yogurt, fruit juices and whole-grain cereals. The American Heart Association recently released a statement, urging consumers to drastically cut back on the amount of added sugars in their diet – women should limit their sugar intake to 100 calories, or about six teaspoons, a day; men should limit to 150 calories, or about nine teaspoons. A 12-ounce soft drink can have up to 8 tablespoons of sugar!

Where should you begin? Look very carefully at the ingredients on a nutrition label. Sugar comes in many forms and can be disguised as corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, sorbitol or evaporated cane juice. Try substituting sugar with natural sweeteners like agave nectar, honey or brown rice syrup.  Swap processed products for foods without a nutrition label attached – like whole grains, fruits and veggies, which contain high amounts of fiber to slow the digestion process. Finally, coach yourself to be more mindful and aware of your body’s messaging. If it’s energy you need, a chemicalized, sugary snack will only lead to a crash in a few hours. And if you’re satisfying an insatiable sweet tooth, enjoy a healthy treat. Your body will thank you later.

When the NY Department of Health and Mental Hygiene passed a law that required chain restaurants to post calories on their menus restaurant six months ago, owners didn’t believe it would make a big difference in what people ordered. A recent survey, however, found that nearly a quarter of consumers say the nutritional information is having an impact on what they eat. Read this interview to see the healthy changes New Yorkers are making.  

While it’s great that this change has made consumers more aware of what they are putting into their bodies, it is also important to understand the caloric density of foods. In other words, how much nourishment are you getting from those 100 or 200 calories? For example, a 100-calorie pack of cookies may have fewer calories than a handful of almonds, but the nuts have much more nutritional value. Empty calories found in lower-fat foods may not sustain you the way a food with higher fat and calorie content would.

Do you think restaurants should be required to post ingredients on their menus as well so you know exactly what benefits you’re getting out of your meals?

Most people are confused about how many calories they need. The USDA recommends 2,000 calories a day, but how do they know what each person needs?

Someone as active as Olympic gold medalist, Michael Phelps, who trains 30 hours a week may not be able to subsist on a 2,000 calorie diet. In fact, according to a recent Wall Street Journal post he consumes 12,000 calories a day! Each meal is 4,000 calories. While an average person may have a bowl of cereal with cut up fruit for breakfast, Phelps has 3 fried egg sandwiches, 2 cups of coffee, an omelet with 5 eggs, a bowl of grits, 3 pieces of French toast and 3 chocolate chip pancakes. This may seem like an extreme amount even for an athlete, but if Phelps does not eat more calories than he burns in a race then his body will not recover in time for the next one. Because he exercises and burns thousands of calories, he is able to eat all that food and not gain weight.  

Some say the secret to weight loss is not really about the calories, but the nutrients they provide. The idea of eating more and weighing less is very popular, and why not? Get this. You can eat a package of Oreos for 2,200 calories or for that same amount—and more nutrition—you can eat, 1 pound each of carrots, papaya, apples, onions, lettuce, kale, tofu, 2% cottage cheese, 2 pounds each of cantaloupe, celery and cucumber. Go for the gold in your own life. Try consuming high volumes of nutrient-rich vegetables and fruit to fill you up and see how you feel.

Recently, The Department of Health passed a rule enforcing New York City chain restaurants to post their calorie content on menus. This was not an easy feat and has been in the works for a while. Michael Jacobson, executive director of The Center for Science in the Public Interest and guest speaker at Integrative Nutrition has been urging fast food restaurants to do this since the 1980s.  

The menu rule only applies to restaurants that serve standardized portions and have 15 or more locations nationwide. This is all part of New York’s anti-obesity campaign. In an earlier post we mentioned how an area in LA recently passed a law prohibiting new fast food restaurants from opening due to the high rate of obesity in that area. If McDonald’s or Taco Bell promises to include calorie information will the City Council reconsider?  

Some restaurants in New York were caught off guard and are slowly, if at all, adapting. Those who don’t change their menus face a $2,000 fine. Other restaurants are only offering calorie information for some items, but not for others. The goal of this rule is so people can make more informed, healthier choices, not to take these chains out of business. Even if you are not in New York, have you noticed some restaurants posting calorie information on their menu boards? Which cities? Does it influence what you order?

Weight loss is a huge issue for Americans today. Our society idolizes people who are thin. But with an overabundance of snack foods, junk foods and fast foods, combined with a lack of daily exercise, many Americans struggle with their weight. One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to lose a few pounds. Many people turn to counting calories as a way to get fit. When they have trouble following their own diet regimen, they look for help in the more than $30-billion-dollar diet and weight loss industry.

Many people who have lost weight and kept it off have looked past the diet books and fads and found what works best for their own bodies. I encourage people who want to lose weight to experiment with different methods and see what works.

4 Tips for Weight Loss:

1. Always Eat Breakfast. People who eat breakfast are much more successful at keeping weight off. When you skip meals, you become calorie deficient and usually end up binging later in the day. 

1. Drink More Water. By replacing soda, alcohol or coffee with water, you can cut a significant amount of calories from your daily routine. Many people can effortlessly lose 10 pounds by simply replacing soda with water throughout the day. 

1. Get More Sleep. Growing evidence supports that missing out on sleep can increase your appetite. Most people need about 7-8 hours of sleep each night. 

1. Be a Food Detective. Read food labels and don’t eat anything you can’t pronounce. Stick to simple, whole foods to nourish your body.