Wow! The American Heart Association is finally catching on. They've come to realize sugar intake is implicated in numerous health conditions including obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke (and, by the way, cancer). Thus, they are strongly recommending limits on sugar intake to the tune of no greater than 100 calories a day for women (about 6 teaspoons), and 150 calories a day for men (about 9 teaspoons). For reference, be advised that a 12 ounce can of cola contains about 130 calories (8 teaspoons of sugar). Yes, I would still consider these recommendations too high, but it's gratifying to finally see an organization like AHA taking heed of valid and reliable scientific research to bring to the fore the deleterious effects of refined sugar intake. It is high time indeed.

Now, just a few weeks prior to AHA's recommendations, a new food-labeling initiative called the Smart Choices Program was rolled out and is starting to make appearances in supermarkets around the country. The program uses a single green check mark displayed on the front of a product package to assure consumers that the food they've chosen is healthful, and has "met strict science-based nutrition criteria derived from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Institute of Medicine and other sources of authoritative nutrition guidance."