Ideas for cutting sugar from your diet

The average American consumes 156 pounds of sugar every year. For some, that love affair can end on a sour note.

"I had some health issues, and it ended up being sugar that was triggering these headaches I was having," said Laura Martin, author of The Green Market Baking Book.

Added sugars can increase inflammation in blood vessels and raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. Some studies suggest high sugar intake can lead to depression and can change the structure of collagen in the skin, leaving wrinkles.

"It's amazing how quickly you can see some of the damage from these added sugars. You can literally see changes within an hour on an ultrasound of how this negatively impacts your cells," said Amy Jamieson-Petonic, a registered dietician.

Many sugars are also hidden in foods, such as tomato sauce, ketchup, barbecue sauce and salad dressings. Soda has about ten teaspoons of sugar.

Instead, drink sparkling water with a splash of juice. Eat whole foods, not processed. And sweeten foods naturally with spices, like coriander, cinnamon and nutmeg.

If you cut hidden sugar from your diet, then a holiday splurge can sweeten your day without derailing your diet.

Federal guidelines offer limits for the amount of salt and fat Americans take in, but there is no similar federal guideline for sugar.

The American Heart Association recommends women consume less than 6 teaspoons of added sugar each day and men consume less than 9 teaspoons.