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The Houston Chronicle January 20, 2008

Nationally renowned nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman, the author of 30 books including The Fat Flush Plan and The Fast Track Detox Diet, has released a revised and updated second edition of Get the Sugar Out: 501 Simple Ways to Cut the Sugar Out of Any Diet. Gittleman, who lives in Idaho, chatted with reporter Kim Morgan about the tips and recipes in her book.

Q: The first edition was published in 1996. Why did you feel there was a need for revision now, 12 years later?

There is compelling new research in regards to sugar connections with numerous disorders, whether that be obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome or breast cancer. So it was high time to revisit the book. The most challenging dietary aspect is getting the sugar out of your diet, what to do to avoid sugar cravings, and how to lose weight without using a lot of artificial sweeteners.

Q: Yes, it's the great artificial sweetener debate: Splenda (sucralose) or Equal (aspartame) or Sweet N Low (saccharin)?

The good thing is they don't create tooth decay. Basically, that's it. What concerns me is none of these artificial sweeteners has anything nutritious to offer.

Q: What sweeteners do you recommend?

Real honey.. Number one, it's an antioxidant. And you will get sweetness from it. I'm a big believer in honey in your tea, and even in your coffee. My personal favorite sweetener of all time is date sugar. It is a very high source of fiber, and it's made from pulverized dates, which gives you a lot of potassium.

Q: Your book says sugar consumption has sky-rocketed from 12 pounds per person per year in the early 1800's, to 180 pounds per person per year in 2006. Where do we get it all?

A lot of it is hidden, and a lot is from high fructose corn syrup. The use of HFCS became commonplace in the late 1970's, and obesity levels started to rise. This type of sugar leads to a higher accumulation of body fat than regular table sugar. HFCS is truly a bad guy. And it's in everything: canned foods, salad dressing, baby formula, spaghetti sauce, soft drinks, energy bars.

Q: How much should we eat?

Keep daily intake of sugar to less than 40 grams. If you've got some kind of disease or disorder like cancer or heart disease, then it should be less than 20 grams. When you choose sweets, choose those with less than five grams of sugar per serving.

Go to annlouise.com for information on Gittleman and her books.