HOW CAN YOU EAT LESS SUGAR-min

HOW CAN YOU EAT LESS SUGAR?

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High sugar dietsareslowly worsening our health. Sugary foods and beverages lead to weight gain and other harmful effects on our bodies. Most deaths are linked to cancer, heart diseases, and diabetes. In which, these illnesses are related to a high sugar diet.

Sugars are available in different forms. Still, all versions of it perform the same damagestoyour body.Some individuals wrongly thinkthat they’re controlling their sugar levels merely because theyspoon into their home food a small amount of sugar. Well, what about sugars found in processed and packaged products? It’s impossible to tell how much is in your cookies. It’s easy toconsume extreme amounts of sugar without knowing.Avoiding sugar is quite challenging, but you can limit the amount to avoid chronic diseases. So, how can you eat less sugar?

Are artificial sweeteners healthier?

Artificial sugars are free from sugar and have fewer calories than raw sugar. You may think they’re healthier options.When it comes to the body, sugar is sugar, regardless of its form. Artificial sweeteners like saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose help to reduce calories in your diet, leading to weight loss. Therefore, they help to cut weight andcontrol blood sugar.However, they’re more meaningful for individuals targeting to maintain proper weight and may not be so useful to individuals trying to avoid sugar completely.

Any difference between natural and added sugars?

What we consume contains bothnatural and added sugars. However, there is more focuson added sugarsfound in processed foods like yogurts, sweets, and others. The issue is never about the type of sugar. Rather, the main concern is how much sugar you eat and how it’s delivered to the body. There is a reason why an apple is healthier than a cookie. It has fiber and other essential nutrients which help insugar break down. The cookie, on the other hand, contains a lot of unhealthy stuff which will take time before getting processed. However, an apple will still not be healthy when consumed in extreme amounts, because high sugar levels will still have bad effects as that of a cookie.

Which sugars should you be worried about?

Sugar is mostly hidden in processed foodstuff. Products labels will often hide them in scientific names which you canwrongly think are healthy. A good way of identifying sugars is looking for words ending with “ose” such as; glucose solids, high fructose corn syrup, galactose, lactose, glucose, fructose, sucrose, fructose, dextrose, and maltose. Also, watch out for inverted sugar, evaporated cane juice, sucanat, and agave.

How can you eat less sugar?

Reduce the consumption and Replace it

It’s impossibleto suddenly drop sugar out of your diet and expectlong-term results. Even if it may seem possible in the beginning, your strategy won’tlast long. Be realistic with your goals. Start by reducingthe amount of sugar you take in a day. Slowly, limit it until you finally succeed to go a day without taking sugar. If you’re used to taking three bottles of soda a day,start by taking two in a day, then one and soon you’ll realize you can survive 24hrs without it. The next thing will be to replace it so that you don’t find yourself going back to taking sugar. You can opt for healthier options like fruit juices or water instead of sugary drinks.

Be keen on labels

Ingredients in a product will play a big role in your journey to limit sugar consumption. Therefore, you should pay attention to constituents of the processed foods you buy. If sugar is in the top three list of ingredients, it meansitsquantity is extreme. The best thing will be to avoid the product and opt for the one with healthieringredients or less sugar. Be keen to notice sugars hidden in scientific names like agave, sucanat, maltose among others.

Begin your day with proteins

Breakfast is an important meal that may help to keep your sugar consumption in check. Consumingprotein helps to reduce neuropeptide Y(NPY) hormone which is produced in the nervous system and brain and triggers cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. Focus on breakfast withhigh protein andyou’ll notice that your usual strong urge for sugar has reduced.

Avoid drinking sugar

It won’t be easy to avoid your favorite sweetened drink, but the sacrifice is worth it. Huge contributors of high levels of sugar you take daily are sweetened drinks. So, eliminatingliquid sugar is one of the most effective ways to lower your sugar intake. You’ll get impressive health outcomes if you avoid soda, sweetened coffee, and juice.

Drink more water

You think water is boring? Well, it’s high time you make it your favorite drink. Drinking water will help you control your blood sugar levels. Dehydration reduces the volume of blood, making sugar levels in blood higher. It’ll also impair your body’s ability to control blood sugar levels. So dear friend, you have to make water your buddy.

Focus on the main food group

Focusing on the 4 main nourishing foods will control your blood sugar, improve your hormone production, and generally support healthy body composition. Ensure you’re eating enough proteins, fats, fiber, and greens. Having enough amount of these foods will calm hormones related to hunger, make you feel full, thereby protecting you from craving for sugary stuff.

Ditch late-night snacking

Those late-night cookies aregreat contributors of extra sugar in your body. If you can’tsleep without having a sugary snack to help you shut your eyes, we have some advice for you. Brush your teeth at night to help you reduce the urge. Go to sleep early before youfind yourself lusting for sugar. Drink some herbal or decaf tea. Distract yourself by reading books. If you must snack on something, let it be a nutritious snack with low-carb and low-calorie.

Conclusion

The lifestyle we have today is worse than ever. From foods, drinks, and anything we eat is super unhealthy. Most foods have high amounts of fats, sugars, sodium, yet we’re aware of the risk of such meals. Reducing your sugar intake is one of the greatest moves that’ll give you a long, healthier, and happier life. You only have one thing to do to stay healthy and live longer. Dear friend, all you have to do is follow the tipshighlighted in this article. It’s that simple.

Nataly Komova

Nutritionist. Bluffton University, MS

In today's world, people's eating and exercise patterns have changed, and it is often lifestyle that is the cause of many diet-related illnesses. I believe that each of us is unique – what works for one does not help another. What is more, it can even be harmful. I am interested in food psychology, which studies a person's relationship with their body and food, explains our choices and desires for specific products, the difficulty of maintaining optimal body weight, as well as the influence of various internal and external factors on appetite. I'm also an avid vintage car collector, and currently, I'm working on my 1993 W124 Mercedes. You may have stumbled upon articles I have been featured in, for example, in Cosmopolitan, Elle, Grazia, Women's Health, The Guardian, and others.

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