Americans are consuming way too much sugar -- about 22 teaspoons a day, to be exact. Since The American Heart Association suggests consuming no more than 100 calories of sugar a day (that's six teaspoons), FitSugar offers some tips for lightening up on the sweet stuff. Even though Halloween may not be the easiest time to lighten up on sugar, the bulk of our fructose and sucrose intake actually comes from our regular diet and beverage choices.

Cut back slowly, they say, and start with weening yourself off the sugar you add to foods. No more spoonfuls in your coffee and less on your cereal, OK? It's also not a bad idea to choose your daily sugar vice -- allow yourself one bowl of ice cream after dinner, but don't indulge during the rest of the day. Watch out for natural sugars, too, like brown sugar and molasses. And steer clear of liquid sugars -- one 12-ounce can of Coke has a whopping 40 grams of sugar!

We know, it's hard to cut back on something so yummy -- sugar is addictive, after all, but maybe this book can help.

Need to slim down? There's one surefire way -- slashing sugar.

Enjoy a bite, then put your fork down. Photo: ~ www.davidleetong.com ~, Flickr

The American Heart Association is now urging everyone to cut back on sugar intake. Easier said than done, since sugar is present in many food items, like commercially packaged bread. Still, you should try, because Americans are consuming an average of 22 teaspoons a day.

FitSugar is talking about slashing sugar from your diet, and if you jump on board, it could save more than your heart -- it could help trim your waistline, too.

Here's what you want to do: Cut back on added sugars -- those found in your favorite soda, that gooey piece (or two) of chocolate cake, the candy that sits in a bowl on your desk. Don't worry about natural sugars found in fruit, veggies or dairy products. Just pay attention to food labels and nix all products that list the bad guys: Sugar, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, molasses or evaporated cane juice.

Ladies, the AHA recommends you limit your sugar intake to 6 teaspoons (100 calories) a day. If for nothing else, do it to save your skin.

Photo: Bekathwia, Flickr

If you're trying to lose a few pounds, trading your regular soda for the diet version could be doing more harm than good. True, swapping a can of Coke Zero for the regular kind slices 139 calories from your daily intake, but research from the University of Liverpool in England suggests that your body processes artificial, calorie-free sweeteners the same way it does regular sugar.

Just as your taste buds can't differentiate between regular and artificial sweeteners (aside that chemically aftertaste), the receptors in your intestines aren't able to tell the difference either. Once the intestines sense sweetness, they seek out glucose to absorb. So even though that Equal is calorie-free -- your body may still take calories from somewhere else if these receptors are activated.

"Artificial sweeteners can also activate the glucose sensor and increase the capacity of the intestine to absorb more sugar," Soraya Shirazi-Beechey, lead author of the study and a professor of Molecular Physiology and Biochemistry at Liverpool University, tells the Daily Mail. "If someone wants to lose weight, I don't think artificial sweeteners are going to help," she says. "My recommendation is to eat natural foods, but to eat less of them."

It's unclear from Shirazi-Beechey's research whether the amount of glucose absorbed after sensing an artificial sweetener would equal the calorie-equivalent of a regular soda.

Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life.

Fructose-sweetened dessert Photo: dizznbonn, Flickr

Unless you've been away from television, newspapers and computers for the last couple of years, you've probably heard that high-fructose corn syrup is bad news. Well, it is.

But it's not just high-fructose corn syrup -- it's fructose as an added sweetener (in any form), and the problem is not just that it contributes to weight gain (which it does, by the way).

Back in 1977, average daily consumption of fructose was about 37 grams per person per day. Recent surveys show that it's up to 54.7 grams, or about 10 percent of total caloric intake. And for teenagers -- who consume a ton of soda -- fructose intake averages a whopping 72.8 grams, the equivalent of 18 spoonfuls of the stuff every single day.

Why should we care?

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Trying to lose weight in a hurry? Most of us will cut out carbs like pasta, sugar and potatoes, but recent reports warn you should not be so hasty -- while the pasta and sugar can probably go, potatoes are actually a powerful weight loss tool.

Here's the thing: Most people assume potatoes will make them fat because they're typically regarded as having a high glycemic index. But according to a study by the British Journal of Nutrition, this is technically not true -- the GI of a potato depends on the type and how it's cooked. Plus, experts are quick to point out that potatoes aren't in the same carbohydrate league as sugary sweets and refined flour -- eating them will help you stay full longer than you would eating simple carbs like sugar.

Still not convinced that potatoes are for you? Here are some spud stats to keep in mind:

Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life.

Photo: TheBusyBrain, Flickr

I've ranted about high sugar cereals for years. Even those masquerading as "healthy" cereals are usually high-glycemic (meaning they raise blood sugar quickly), and they contribute to weight gain, cravings and ultimately, lower energy.

And most of these cereals are fiber lightweights, despite the fact that we're constantly being sold on the notion of cereals as "high fiber" foods. With the exception of Fiber One, UltraFiber, Bran Flakes and a few others, most commercial cereals only contain a gram or two of fiber, which is one of the reasons they're so "high glycemic" in the first place.

Now a new study has shown that high-glycemic foods like cornflakes are not only bad for the waistline -- they're also bad for the heart.

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Liz Neporent is a diet and fitness expert and author of 12 fitness bestsellers. She regularly appears on national TV programs and is the president of Wellness 360, a New-York based wellness provider. You can also follow her on Twitter @lizzyfit.

Photo: D Sharon Pruitt/Flickr

Limiting sugar and carbs will help me drop belly fat – Fit or Fiction?

In his new diet book, "The Belly Fat Cure," Jorge Cruise reveals the No. 1 one secret to getting healthy – fast! "It all comes down to knowing how to eat the correct amount of sugar and carbs -- what I call the S/C Value. Without this ratio, you will fail to produce the hormone leptin, and you will store belly fat," Cruise tells readers. A client of his who went on the diet lost an unprecedented 13 pounds in one week as a result of eating chocolate, Dortitos and ice cream.

Crave-NX surprised me. I honestly expected it not to work, at best, or at worst, to not like using it. But it did manage to take the edge off my between-meal cravings, and it wasn't an unpleasant experience after all. Here's what I liked about Crave-NX:

• It comes in a small bottle that's perfect for sticking in a purse or pocket.
• It's relatively inexpensive, at $7.77 per bottle.
• It's got a decent flavor and is easy to use.
• It's works fairly quickly.

I'm a notorious sugar addict, but if you've ever given up processed carbs or sweets, you know that after the first three or four days, it gets a lot easier. I can see Crave-NX being a crutch during that "detox" period, until the cravings get easier to handle.

Obviously, if you're going to try Crave-NX, it's a use-at-your-own-risk kind of situation. And that, perhaps, is the biggest negative I could find about the product. Their website is curiously free of information about how Crave-NX really works or even an ingredients list. A friend suggested to me that maybe Crave-NX works because I think it's supposed to. I hadn't considered that, but the placebo effect could be a factor here.

I'm very cautious about using products when I don't know what's in them or what they might do to me when I take them, so if I was simply a consumer who stumbled across the Crave-NX website, I probably wouldn't buy it because of that lack of information. When I emailed the company to ask for more information, they did send along an ingredients list, as well as a small study, but I still got no clear information on how Crave-NX works in the body to prevent hunger and product is not FDA approved.

As Jonny reminded us a couple of weeks ago, despite its "all-natural" status, we still need to keep sugar at arm's length. Held up to its competitor, high fructose corn syrup, it might look like the lesser of two evils. But just because it's a "better" choice, doesn't make it a good choice. Sugar is still empty calories no matter how you look at it.

Sometimes, though, the food that sugar is wrapped in is not. For instance, Oreo cookies are a clear-cut food to avoid and eat only in moderation. But apples have sugar and are rich in fiber, vitamin and minerals too.

That's not the only surprising thing about sugar. Think you know everything there is to know about the sweet stuff? Take this sugar facts quiz from AOL Health and you might be surprised by what you learn about sugar, sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners.

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Sugar lovers want to have their cake ... but they want it to be calorie-fee, too. Despite the fact that sugar's back in fashion -- namely for its "all-natural status" -- the hunt continues for a sweetener that tastes good and is calorie-free.

Some think stevia might just be that. Stevia comes from the plant of the same name (it's sometimes called the sugarleaf plant), and its extract is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Because it comes from a plant, it can be marketed as "all-natural." Truvia, one of the brand names stevia is sold under, even comes in a pretty little green packet that screams "natural," especially when placed next to Sweet 'N Low's pepto pink.

Stevia's been around a while -- it's been heavily used in Japan for years -- but was only approved by the FDA for use as a sweetener late last year. Now it's poised to go up against other no-calorie superstars like Splenda, Equal and Sweet N' Low. The competition is tough, but given stevia's "all-natural" claims, it's poised to find a niche in the market. Truvia and Purevia, two brand names, are showing up in cleverly-named products like Sprite Green and Trop50 (orange juice, water and stevia).

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You might not be able to change your desk job, but you can change the way you sit. Find out why slouching is bad for your back and butt and how to fix this common problem.

A club sandwich just happens to be one of my favorite menu items, and here's why I rarely order it: Martha says a club contains a whopping 1,030 calories. Next time I want to indulge, I'm sharing it with someone else!

Put that two-piece bathing suit in your shopping cart. Fitz has two exercises to help you create some awesome abs.

Jonny reminds us that in the battle between high fructose corn syrup and sugar, there are no winners. Both should be avoided when possible and enjoyed only in moderation.

See a salad on a fast food menu? It might actually cause you to eat fries instead. Don't let the notion of healthy food make you let your guard down. Order it, eat it and be healthy instead.

So you want to make some healthy changes but aren't sure where to start? Try stocking up with one of these seven fridge superstars.

Ever sat in front of the TV munching on chips, only to realize you've polished off half the bag? Laura's got tips for being a more mindful eater.

A study links vegetarians to eating disorders, but could it really be the other way around? Maybe people with eating disorders are "hiding" behind vegetarianism.

Good on you, That's Fit readers! Forty six percent of you keep a diet diary. That's a great way to keep track of calories and not let mindless eating get away from you.

Do you have a fitness buddy? I tried it for a week, and it really is a great motivational tool. Try calling up one of your friends this weekend and commit to a shared workout.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

It can be hard to totally avoid white sugar. It's a pretty common ingredient in many foods, after all. As good as it tastes, though, you'd be wise to limit your intake as much as possible. But do you?

"FitSugar" wants to know how you handle sugar -- do you ban the white stuff always, sometimes or never? Do tell, in this poll right here.

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Print ads and commercials trying to dispel the public's negative beliefs about high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) have been popping up all over the place in recent months. It's no wonder those who stand to profit from HFCS feel the need to defend it; many manufacturers are starting to create HFCS-free foods to give consumers a choice.

Pepsi will soon be hopping on board the HFCS-free bandwagon. Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback are old-school versions of the popular sodas -- instead of HFCS, they're sweetened with sugar. It's sweet to have choices, isn't it?

Of course sugar doesn't do your hips any favors, either. So, you'd think weight-conscious consumers would be totally on board with artificial sweeteners. Surprisingly, only about 15 percent of Americans opt for artificially sweetened products.