You already know how bad sugar is. In matter of fact, some experts have linked sugar consumption to various things. Some of these things include cancer, heart disease and obesity. With that said, below are a few tips to help you cut sugar from your diet.
- Get Motivated- It takes a lot of motivation to give sugar the boot. You need to get properly motivated, which is why you should read Dr. Joseph Mercola’s thoughts on this subject. Also, you should read Dr. Nancy Appleton’s book called ‘Suicide by Sugar,’ which is a great book.
- Stay Away From Sweetened Drinks And Soda- Soft drinks contain a lot of sweeteners and sugar. You can reduce your sugar habit by a lot if you stop drinking soft drinks. Also, stay away from candy, as a lot of candy is packed with a lot of sugar and sweeteners too.
- Don’t Buy Packaged Foods- Stay away from packaged foods, and this includes organic packaged foods. There tends to be quite a bit of sugar in packaged foods. Also, don’t keep such foods at your home because you might be tempted to eat them.
Feel free to make your own snacks, such as stove-top popcorn. Also, you can eat fruits and veggies for a snack. For breakfast, you can eat foods such as hot cereal, eggs and toast or homemade muffins’
- Choose The Right Foods When Out To Eat- Sugar is hidden in so many menu items at restaurants, and you need to make the right choices when you are out to eat. Stay away from dressings for salads, as well as desserts. Stick to roasted veggies and grilled meats, as they are not full of sugar.
- Go Sugar Free For Two Weeks- If you simply reduce your sugar consumption, then you could end up eating just a little bit less than what you were eating before you started. Instead of reducing your sugar intake, you should do away with sugar for two weeks. You might be surprised how effective this is and how much better you will feel when the two weeks are up.
- Have A Friend Join You- Find another person that has the same goal as you. You and the other person can share healthy recipes and exchange food and meal ideas. You will find that cutting out sugar easier to do when you are doing it with a friend. If you can’t find a person you know, then find an online friend.
Sugar is bad for us on so many levels and there are all sorts of reasons that it could be said to be killing us as the infographic from Shade Station shows.
As once was the case with cigarettes, sugar is a big killer. However, information, knowledge and education can help us create a better quality of life and avoid this sweet killer.
It’s important to keep sugar consumption in perspective, despite the alarmist trend of late to vilify this single ingredient. As USDA data shows, fats, oils and starches comprised 84% of the additional calories in the average American diet, while sugar from all sources contributed just 9%. Calories from soft drinks played an even smaller role in this increase.
Also, the tendency to blame sugar for an array of complex health conditions is inaccurate and misleading. A New York Times article underscores this point, making clear that sugars are not the pariah some would claim: http://nyti.ms/10ntOrz.
Taking a moderate approach to all calories we consume, combined with physical activity, is a sensible and scientifically backed means of achieving better health. However, demonizing one source of calories undermines this broad, holistic approach that has the potential to substantively change behaviors over the long term.
Thanks for the insights, much appreciated!