Why would you want to eliminate all sugar? Sugar is a source of fuel for active muscles. All fruits, veggies and grains digest into sugar, the fuel that feeds your muscles as well as your brain. Milk also naturally contains sugar (lactose).

The concern should not be about "sugar" but the source of the sugar. For example, sugar in soda pop is "empty calories" -- with no nutritional value. Sugar in oranges comes along with lots of vitamin C, potassium, folate and other health-promoting nutrients.Eating tastry sweet oranges is a smart food choice, preferable to drinking orange soda. (But either source of sugar will fuel your muscles, while the natural sugar will also invest in your health.)

Yet, nutrition guidelines do say that 10% of calories can appropriately come from refined sugar. So, as an active person, you likely need at least 2,000 calories a day. That means, you can enjoy 200 calories or refined sugar, if desired. That's 50 grams -- a can of soda pop (if desired), with space for a cookie as well!

Rather than get hung up on sugar, look at the balance of foods in your whole diet. You want to eat 85 to 90% nutrient-dense foods. But you need not eat a "perfect diet" (for you, this sounds like a sugar-free diet) to have a good diet.

Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD