So says a study published Monday by the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. It finds that 71.4% of U.S. adults get more than the recommended 10% of their daily calories from added sugars in foods and drinks – and that higher levels of sugar consumption are correlated with higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease.

Between 1988 and 1994, Americans got 15.7% of their calories from added sugars, on average. That figure rose to 16.8% in the years 1999 to 2004, then fell to 14.9% between 2005 and 2010, the researchers found. In the past, experts focused on obesity and cavities as the primary health problems related to over-consumption of added sugars. But recent studies have linked the sweeteners directly to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver cirrhosis and dementia, among other chronic health problems, Schmidt wrote.

Restaurants put sugar into a lot of their dishes.

We have to stay away from processed foods, too. Companies put sugar in so many food products!

http://www.businessinsider.com/foods-surprisingly-high-in-sugar-2014-2

That's shocking!  You might as well just satisfy your sweet tooth with a doughnut, instead of having a healthy item, that actually isn't that healthy!

The big surprises for me were the Starbucks latte and the tomato soup.

Some restaurants put sugar in their salad dressings, on their meats, etc.

Often that kind of sugar is not even noticeable to the taste. Bad!

as an added danger, processed sugar and wheat are prime food for candida, which is wreaking havoc on american digestive systems.  turns out, we're obese because of processed foods, not fat intake.  and those processed foods are feeding the parasitic candida in our guts, which are just growing more abundant.  then, as if that weren't all bad enough, the candida actually affects our brains, which crave more sugar to feed the parasite!

sounds like a conspiracy theory, i know, but it's the freaky truth.  the solution? cutting out sugars and flour, drinking kefir and eating plain yogurt (i know, it doesn't taste nearly as good as the sweetened yogurt!), and eating fresh fruits and vegetables can restore your system's balance and replace the bad guys with good bacteria.

now when i have the munchies, i stand in front of my fridge and sigh, "make the right choice." and i reach for carrots or yellow bell peppers or yogurt instead of cookies.  poor cookies... they used to be my favorite!

but i must say, i've only been doing this for a month and i already feel MUCH better.  i am losing weight, but more importantly, i FEEL healthy, awake, and energetic!  goodbye processed food, hello hotness!

I had not heard that theory of obesity before, so I will have to read more about candida.

One thing about candida is that they sound like they'd make a great villain in a children's book!

I had never heard of Kefir until you mentioned it, so I looked it up:

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/09/12/kefir-benefits_n_3914818.html

I guess Kefir, like yogurt, is probiotic in that it adds good flora to our guts?

I love your story Emily -- the hardest part is getting in the habit of making the right choice.

It makes me happy to hear how much better you feel.

Is there something special about carrots and yellow bell peppers or will any vegetables do? 

V8 too, or is that too processed?

haha!  yes!  candida as a children's book villain!  what an idea!!

kefir is great. it has as many calories as milk but it is way better for you.  and it has more good flora than yogurt.

any vegetable will do.  they all have fiber and they all are beneficial.  but they say the more colorful the vegetable, the more vitamins it has.  i just prefer carrots and yellow or orange bell peppers because they taste delicious!  celery, not so much. :)

i'm also working on the perfect smoothie.  once i figure it out, i'll give you the recipe!

v8 is high in sodium, but yes, it is good for you.

and you're right: it IS hard to get in the habit of making the right choice.  the other day i said to myself, "make the right choice. ugh. the BORING choice!" but once i started munching on my orange bell pepper it didn't feel so boring.  it really does feel right.  our bodies are made to eat this stuff.

thanks for your kind words, adam.  it really is awesome to actually feel a difference!  i've never been much of a dieter, but when i found out about candida, it all made sense. my sluggishness, my obsessive cravings for sweets, my not-going-anywhere belly fat... all are symptoms of an overpopulation of candida. it kind of grossed me out to know those little buggers were in there eating my food and demanding more!  i wanted to kill them with fire!!  but it is much more comfortable to do it with kefir and veggies. :)

Wikipedia says there are many Candida species but this page talks about the bad guys:

http://mindbodygreen.com/0-8376/10-signs-you-have-candida-overgrowth-what-to-do-about-it.html

There does seem to be something about refined sugar and carbs that attract them.

I've been reading about Kefir, too. Fascinating food, though many sources say plain yogurt is fine too.

(Aside: "Kefir and the Veggies" would be a great name for a Rock band. Or buddy film.)

I'm glad to hear any vegetable will do. I'd like to believe peppers have more nutrients than celery.

And I'm happy that v8 is good for me except for the sodium. I've always liked v8.

Vegetables seem more important than fruit. Please do let me know when you find a great smoothie!

I do think a good children's book could make Veggies seem more exciting.

Especially if they're doing battle with the Candida, who sound like a foul and demanding bunch!

I love what you said -- "our bodies are made to eat this stuff" -- and it makes me wonder how to spread the word...

that was a good article you found.  it reinforced what i have learned through several sources.  do you know about dr. mercola?  he has a TON of useful health information.  you can search his site for an article or video on just about any subject.  http://www.mercola.com/

i think veggies are better than fruit because they have less sugar.  but fruit is still good for you!

and i do love "kefir and veggies" as a band name! (i'm always coming up with band names too!)  it could also be the title of a children's book... :)  and i love the villain as candida: the "foul and demanding bunch!"

I've heard that about fruit too, something like eat 5 servings of vegetables a day, and 2 servings fruit, fruit is still considered sugar, it's just a healthier sugar, that should be eaten in moderation.  If one gets really strict you even don't eat certain vegetables, the ones that are too high on the glycemic index, like corn, and potatoes.

Here's a cool and informative/surprising glycemic load index:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

Glycemic index and glycemic load offer information about how foods affect blood sugar and insulin. The lower a food's glycemic index or glycemic load, the less it affects blood sugar and insulin levels.  

And here's a recipe for a low-glycemic smoothie:

http://thrivenaturalfamilyliving.blogspot.com/2013/08/low-glycemic-index-smoothie-recipe.html

PS.  Srsly, this has been such an informative stash. Thank you Janill, Emily Kate, and Adam for getting me back on track.  I have a blackberry addiction.  It's expensive.

Yam 54, Sweet Potato 70, Russet Potato 111, I'm surprise the difference between the yam and sweet potato, I thought they were almost identical.

That surprised me too, Janill.

I never considered corn and potatoes to be vegetables because they're so starchy.

Geege, you're very welcome.

And Emily, I had not heard of Dr Mercola before -- very interesting! -- but I'm really digging that children's book idea ever since you said veggies were boring. I imagine cool veggies that are more like samurai or ninjas or crime fighters of some sort, taking down the foul and demanding Candida gang!

geege, a blackberry addiction sounds very healthy to me! (and most other addictions are far more expensive!!)

adam, i'm loving the idea of the ninja veggies.  i already have a character i'm working on who could definitely be part of this tale!

Cool. And I'm imagining something cooler than Veggie Tales.

I think vegetables need to be portrayed as awesome. As action heroes. Not just the food of Popeye!

It would be cool to see Super Carrot drill into the earth like Yulia Lipnitskaya.

I can't get enough of this gif!  Thanks for finding it, Adam.

You're very welcome Geege! Happiness is finding the right gif for the moment.

eeeeeeeeeeeek!! best. gif. ever!

i'm laughing out loud!  i wonder what was going through her mind as she realized she was descending?

and one day we'll tell her she was the inspiration behind Super Carrot!

Heh heh. I'm pretty sure this isn't real -- it's just a clever gif maker playing with our minds. :)

oh phew! that makes a lot more sense. i was confused as to why there was water under the ice!! (gullible me... always ready for a laugh!)

Haha, yeah, there is not typically water under the ice.

clearly, i've been watching too many gifs!!  they've warped my sense of reality!

bit it'll make a great Super Carrot move.

I'm not familiar with Super Carrot moves. 

I do share your love for gifs!

This thread inspired me to start a page for good rock band names:

http://pandawhale.com/post/37974/candida-and-the-veggies-would-be-a-great-rock-band-name

Aha! So this is how that thread started!

wow, this is a great page!  and the origin of our rock band names page!!!  

Yes, and on that page if you click on the source link on top you can find this page again too. :)