Are you someone who loves eating any kinds of desserts or sugars in general? Then you need to know the limit. Eating excessive sugar can be ruinous to your health. Added sugar present in cool drinks, processed foods and other sweets has been one of the first reasons for cavities, obesity, heart conditions, diabetes and many more harmful effects.
In the present day, because of various social and environmental factors, the consumption of sugar has increased exponentially. Most people are said to be taking sugar at levels higher than the dietary allowance.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 5% of the daily calories can be from added sugar. This value is approved to maintain optimal health. For leading a healthier lifestyle and maintaining a proper diet, cutting down on sugars plays a crucial role.
It is a challenging task to completely give up eating sugars. Especially if you have a sweet tooth, it is all the more difficult to cut out sugars from your diet. When you are cutting out sugar, the type of sugar also plays a vital role. Glucose and fructose can be absorbed by our body more easily than sucrose, the disaccharide.
This article has 10 ways to stop consuming extra or added sugar:
Avoid sugary drinks:
Cold drinks, sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, sweetened water, sweetened coffee and tea may be tempting but the amount of added sugar in them is sky high.
You may not like eating fruits as such but when given in the form of smoothies or fruit juices you will enjoy them. The question here is, are these liquid forms as healthy as fresh fruits? The answer is NO. Smoothies and fruit juices have elevated amounts of added sugars.
The damage done from the liquid forms is more compared to the solid forms. The body absorbs liquids faster than any solid food. This leads to an increase in the level of blood sugar. Furthermore, it is easier to overconsume liquids than solid foods.
This causes higher levels of blood sugar. It is also noticed that you may gain weight. Your overall health can also be ruined. If you like having some beverages during the day, you can go for healthier alternatives like herbal teas, coffee and tea with limited sugar and coconut water.
Make sure you are well hydrated. Drink plenty of water. It is advised to avoid even fresh fruit juices with added sugars. Rather eat fruits than consume them in juice forms.
Give up on your favourite desserts:
Keeping away from mouthwatering desserts may be sad in the beginning but once you notice the benefits of it you’ll not regret it. These sugary snacks or desserts can make you crave more sugar and you may end up consuming abundant sugar levels.
We agree that Cakes, doughnuts and ice creams are tempting but it is ideal to cut them off from your diet. You can satisfy your sugar cravings by having the below-mentioned foods. These foods have comparatively little amounts of sugar and also come with various advantages.
- Dark chocolate
- Fresh fruits
- Greek yoghurt with fruits as toppings
Fresh fruits will surely please your cravings and they also elevate many vitamins, minerals and fibre in your diet.
By increasing the amount of protein consumption:
If you frequently have food cravings, then you could be taking less protein than what is required by your body. Consuming enough protein can reduce your cravings, make you feel full for long periods and reduce hunger.
Adding protein-rich food is a must in anyone’s diet. Chicken, fish, egg, lentils, cottage cheese, tofu, tuna and legumes are some of the protein-rich foods that you can incorporate into your meals every day. Dairy products, nuts and avocado are also rich in protein.
Restrict high sugar foods in the house:
When you have your pantry full of sugary snacks and beverages, you tend to lose focus on your goal and you’ll end up consuming them. So, restrict yourself from buying high-sugar food. If you are living with your parents or partner, encourage them to cut down sugar from their diet along with you.
This way it’ll be helpful for both of you as you can encourage each other and keep a check if anyone is eating these foods. There are plenty of options for snacking which have low sugar content. They are healthy and munching on them will satisfy your tummy as well.
Shift to natural sweeteners:
There are many sweeteners on the market which are better alternatives to sugar. You must avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose. Though these artificial sweeteners are free of calories and sugar, they have some undesirable effects. They can cause weight gain, poor control of blood sugar and increase sugar cravings as well.
Better to go for natural sweeteners in the market like stevia, allulose or monk fruit as they have no calories and sugar. There is still a lot of research that needs to be done on these sweeteners.
Sleep enough:
A good night’s sleep is crucial for your overall health and fitness. When you are not sleeping enough, it will reflect in your food choices. When you are sleep deprived, you end up choosing and consuming more sugary, high-calorie foods. You also end up eating foods with elevated salt and fat content.
According to many studies, lack of sleep can lead to obesity, reduced concentration and immune power. Furthermore, consuming high amounts of sugars are usually associated with insomnia or disturbed sleeping patterns.
Eat whole foods:
Whole foods should be a must in your diet. These foods which have not been processed or refined include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and meat. Whole foods do not have any added artificial substances in them. Preparing simple meals from these foods and eating them can help you improve your well-being.
Many people choose processed foods rather than whole foods which have added sugars, salt and other unnecessary substances. These are added to artificially improve their taste and they get sold easily because of this. Therefore, it is suggested to prefer whole foods over processed foods.
Avoid seasonings with added sugars:
Nowadays, adding different types of sauces and dressings to your food is very common. Your favourite sauces like ketchup, sweet chilli sauce, and barbecue sauce have high amounts of added sugar in them.
Can you imagine that the amount of sugar in ketchup is much higher than in many desserts? Be mindful of the sauces and seasonings you use in your foods as they can make a huge difference.
Mayonnaise is a better option that you can use when you are consciously trying to cut out sugar from your diet. Lime, herbs and spices, mustard and vinegar also are less sugary alternatives. While at the store, make sure to buy sauces and dressings which have a “no added sugar” label on them.
Furthermore, pre-made or packaged foods are likely to have high added sugars. It is a must to avoid canned foods. When you buy canned food, make sure to buy those with no added sugar.
Avoid sugary breakfasts:
Cereal is one of the most popular breakfasts. Many brands of breakfast cereal are loaded with excessive sugar. Not just cereal, if you are having pancakes, muffins, waffles and jams for breakfast, then it is time for you to restrict yourself from eating them. All these dishes have added sugars.
Instead, you can have scrambled eggs with veggies and cheese or avocado toast. Breakfast rich in fibre and protein will energise you until your next meal.
Beware of “natural” processed foods:
Processed foods which have labels like “natural” and “healthy” are nothing but a fraud. This is a marketing tactic that people get fooled into believing. These processed “healthy” snacks can sometimes have added sugar more than chocolates.
It is always suggested by the experts to avoid processed foods as much as possible. Choose fresh foods like fruits over dried, dehydrated or processed versions of them. Boiled eggs can be a great snack to add to your diet. It also gives you the additional protein your body needs.
Avoid sweetened coffee and tea
Tea and coffee can be very refreshing when you are trying to get through a day full of work. But consuming these beverages without a limit with added sugars can harm your health. It is for the best to avoid them.
Conclusion
Nowadays, most young people or young adults depend on fast food. They end up having higher amounts of sugar than the required amount. It is essential to keep a check on the sugar levels you take in as this kind of diet can lead to severe health problems such as cancers, type two diabetes, obesity and heart conditions.
Eating less sugar isn’t as easy as just avoiding sweet foods. Many processed foods and packaged products that we consume daily have unimaginable amounts of added sugar. When you are cutting out sugar from your diet, it is also necessary to cut out these processed foods.
Restricting sugar in your diet isn’t as easy as you imagine it to be. Your first step towards it can be cutting down on the most apparent sources of sugars, that is aerated drinks, desserts and sodas. But it is also important to cut down your consumption of food products with added sugars.
We suggest you add sugars which are present naturally in fruits and vegetables and have other added sugars as a treat on special occasions.