The month of Valentine’s comes with a lot of “sugary goodness.” And for many Americans, the sugar party keeps going all year long. We care about your health too much to keep this info from you: A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association connects a higher percentage of calories from added sugar with a significantly increased risk of dying from heart disease. Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is an obvious sugar source. Consider foods where sugar content isn’t so obvious:

• Yogurt – Consider sweetening your own plain yogurt with fruit instead of buying fruit-flavored yogurt. Even plain yogurt can be loaded with sugar. Be a label-looker and compare yogurts for sugar content.
• Breakfast cereal – Yes, even whole grain and organic granolas can have a significant amount of sugar.
• Snack or energy bars – Check the sugar content because cereal and energy bars vary widely.
• Condiments – Ketchup, barbecue sauce, salad dressing, hoisin sauce, teriyaki and pickle relish all bring sugar to the meal.

When reading labels, pay attention to the number of servings, and realize that the grams of sugar are per serving. Reducing sugar can help combat conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes – two of your heart’s enemies.