Sugar, oh so sweet ! has the world in its power, addicted to its taste. But don’t be fooled by its innocent sweet taste as it is very harmful to us when added to the food . Sugar should be eaten less.
Sugar is found in both natural and added form. Fruits and milk have sugar in its natural state . Every other form of sugar which is added during preparation is very harmful to humans and is the cause of various diseases like diabetes, tooth decay, fatty liver disease, weight gain , higher blood pressure etc.
To live our life disease free, we need to eat less sugar. This will not only result in natural weight loss but eating less sugar will also make us healthy.
But we all know that its so difficult to give up on sugar. Generally our good intentions work for a few days or weeks but within a few days we are back to craving sugar.
But there is a way to eat less sugar and get our weight and health back.
Let’s explore the ways we can eat less sugar.
- Make a list of all the ways you consume sugar.
Some examples are granola bars, cookies, cake, icecream, ketchup, frozen meals, sauces, cereals, candies, cooked sweets etc. The list should include all food items with added sugar even if the amount of sugar is small. Basically any food which isn’t fruit and is sweet and has added sugar.
2. Once you have identified your sugar source, try to replace them or eliminate them from your diet.
3. Say No / Eliminate
Eliminate some food items from your diet to consume less sugar. Here are some ideas :
- Table sugar ( white sugar or brown sugar)
- Syrups of all kinds
- Honey
- Molasses
- Cereals with added sugar
- Oatmeal with added sugar
- Cake
- Icecream
- Cookies
- Sweets
- Soda
- Juice ( fresh or factory made)
- Premade frozen meals
4. Replace your previously eaten sugar food with healthy food choices in an effort to consume less sugar. Here are a few ideas :
- Fresh fruit like bananas, apples, oranges or seasonal fruit as dessert
- Frozen fruit like blueberries, cherries can replace ice cream
- Add fruit and nuts to cereal or oatmeal
- Try extracts like almond, mint, orange, vanilla instead of added sugar
- Substitute Use unsweetened applesauce in your baking recipes, homemade chutneys for sugary sauces
- Cut the servings of your food in half and eat less sugar.
- Limit artificial sweeteners
- Compare food labels and choose the food with the lowest sugar
- Cut sugar completely from your diet for the most benefit
4. Eat more protein
As per this study, having more protein makes us feel full which keeps us away from junk food ( which are high in sugar and salt). To eat less sugar , stock up on avocados, beans, seeds and nuts.
5. Limit high sugar food in home, car and bags
Just don’t tempt fate by having sugary food around you. Carry a small amount of seeds and nuts with you in your purses, backpacks and cars to eat less sugar. Always carry your water with you to avoid sugary drinks.
6. Don’t add sugar to food preparation
Never add sugar to your coffee, tea or cooking. Use food extracts or lemon juice instead, to eat less sugar.
7. Have a plan
Have a written plan on your refrigerator of all the healthy options for you. This is especially important if you are living with kids or family members who have their regular sugar laden snacks in the kitchen.
Always keep your pantry and fridge fully stocked with your less sugar options like nuts and fruit.
Conclusion:
Where there is a will, there is a way. If you want to eat less sugar or want to eliminate sugar from your diet entirely, you can do it.
Follow the common sense approach. Find out your sources of sugar and replace them with fruits and nuts.
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