After reading this article from the Salt, you may want to put down that donut. According to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine, Americans who got a quarter of their calories from sugar are “twice as likely to die from heart disease as those who limited their sugar intake to 7 percent of their total calories.” In a 2,000 calorie diet, these sugar fiends are consuming about 31 teaspoons.

On average, Americans consume 22 grams of sugar per day. This doesn’t refer to naturally occurring sugar in things like fruit and milk but rather, added sugar mostly in packaged goods like yogurts and cereals. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (100 calories) for women and 9 teaspoons (150 calories) per day for men in added sugar.

In order to reduce sugar intake the article suggests cutting out sodas and being mindful of nutrition labels. From a personal standpoint I had a doctor recommend Greek yogurts over regular because they have less sugar (and more protein). Additionally, to make a bigger impact in your blood sugar, he said “you have to sweat” meaning doing 45 minutes of cardio on most days.

How do you keep your sugar intake under control?