Do you remember the song Sugar by the Archies?..sugar, ah honey honey, you are my candy girl and you got me wanting you. Honey, ah sugar sugar, you are my candy girl and you got me wanting you. The song was released July 26, 1969, and was written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim.

Here we are in 2011 and “sugar, sugar” still has us wanting it by epidemic proportions and the reason it is addictive because it is practically in everything we eat! Is your body a sugar shack? Are you aware that the average American consumes about 170 pounds of sugar  a year.

Dr. Nancy Appleton, Ph.D, (author of Lick the Sugar Habit and Lick the Sugar Habit Sugar Counter) states that three teaspoons of refined sugars work to throw the body out of balance and compromise its health.

Connie Bennett, CHHC, and author of Sugar Shock disclosed some shocking numbers in her book that you should beware of:

• half cup portion of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey contains 28 grams or 7 teaspoons of sugar and a full cup has 14 teaspoons of sugar
• 8 ounces of Minute Maid Strawberry Slurpee from 7-eleven has 33 grams or 8.25 teaspoons of sugar
• 16 ounce grande of Starbucks Strawberries & Creme Frappuccino Blended Creme includes 85 grams (with whipped cream) is 21.25 teaspoons of sugar

There are many foods that contain hidden sugars and this a small list:

• breads
• crackers,
• some salad dressings
• ketchup
• tomato sauces
• some mustards
• cocktail sauce
• sushi rice
• soy milk
• mayonnaise
• cough syrups and cough drops

While the song Sugar was a hit. Sugar consumption is not.