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With so many (and often conflicting) dos and don’ts of weight loss, figuring out what you should eat can be a real challenge. Truthfully, there is not one plan that will work for everyone, which is part of the reason intuitive eating has gotten so popular recently. However, there are still some basic tenets of healthy eating that remain consistent. For example, keeping how much sugar you eat in moderation is pretty much always a good idea.
With that in mind, keep reading for the one food everyone over 50 should be keeping in moderation–especially if they are hoping to drop a few pounds.
Sugary Cereal
Many people think that cereal is a healthy breakfast option. Although diet-friendly cereals definitely exist, they are not as common as their sugar-laden counterpart. Many cereals--even ones that are not filled with chocolate or marshmallows--contain large amounts of added sugar.
According to Healthline, "Added sugar is one of the unhealthiest ingredients in the modern diet. Many products, such as low-fat and fat-free foods, seem healthy but are loaded with sugar."
Eating a ton of sugar first thing in the morning can have a large impact on how you feel for the rest of the day.
According to Well+Good, "Sugary foods—including simple carbohydrates (think white bread and pastries), some yogurts, and breakfast cereals—cause your blood sugar to spike then quickly drop, which can affect your mood and energy levels and even increase anxiety."
Luckily, Eat This, Not That! has some tips for your next trip down the cereal aisle. First, try to find a cereal with 3 grams of fiber and 10 grams of sugar (or less) per 1 cup serving. The article explains, "The fiber will help slow your body's digestion of the sugars, which can limit energy-draining spikes (along with subsequent crashes) in blood sugar that cause you to always feel hungry."
Second, while looking over the ingredient list, check what is listed first. It should be whole grains--not sugar. If it is, it's best to find a different cereal brand.
