A friend of mine frequently quotes her husband’s favorite saying, “Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” This conventional financial wisdom works well in the personal health and fitness arena as well. Watching the pennies translates into being aware of what you are eating – including all of the ingredients – and incorporating movement into your life.

The pennies can be resisting little handful of M&Ms, chocolates or hard candy as you walk past the candy jar. The pennies can be a little smaller-sized dessert or maybe skipping dessert altogether. The pennies can be faithfully working out every day and getting in little extra bits of exercise -- by parking farther away from your destination, executing your favorite dance moves in front of the TV or performing squats at your computer.

If you don’t prepare your own meals - including the condiments - it will be worth your efforts to determine exactly how much sugar has been added to your food. According to US News – Health, “…the amount of added sugars in Americans' food options increased 19 percent between 1970 and 2005.” The following list identifies foods you wouldn’t suspect are high in sugar:

• Fruit On the Bottom Yogurt - 40 grams of sugar per 8 oz. serving.
• Reduced -calorie French dressing – 14 grams of added sugar per ¼ cup serving.
• Reduced-fat coleslaw dressing - a shocking 26 grams of added sugar per ¼ cup serving.
• Lemonade made from powdered mix - more than 16 grams of added sugar.
• Fat-free-syrup caramel popcorn - 18 grams of added sugar per 1-ounce serving.
• Granola bars -- 11 grams of added sugar in a 1-ounce serving of a granola bar with oats, fruit, and nuts.
• Light cranberry juice – 22 grams per 8 oz serving.

Remember that the American Heart Association guidelines for maximum sugar intake a day are 100 calories (25 grams) for women and 150 calories (37 grams) for men. So watch your pennies: read labels, eat fruits and vegetables and make your own baked good – using Dr. Grandma’s products ensures they will be extra yummy without added sugar.

Don’t make incorporating healthful habits into your life a big scary thing – work on the pennies – and the dollars: good health and a vibrant life will take care of themselves.

Dr. Grandma’s wishes you the happiest and healthiest of holiday seasons. Merry Christmas to all.