Despite its exquisite flavor, eating lots of added sugars has proven bad for your health. According to a study on sugar consumption, adults who ate 10 to 24 percent of their calories from added sugar had a 30 percent increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. To help you stay healthy, this article discusses 6 important tips for completely removing added sugar from your diet.
How To Permanently Remove Added Sugar
To kick or cut back on your added sugar intake, here are some steps you can follow:
Have an “Add,” Not a Subtract Mentality
By approaching a challenge from a mindset of abundance, you can make it feel less harmful than saying you can’t have certain things. In the context of reducing sugar in your diet, this means including nutrient-rich foods, such as beans, fruits, seeds, lean protein, and whole grains.
Clean House to Remove Tempting Sugary Foods
If your house is loaded with cookies, boxes of sweetened cereal, and granola bars, you will likely eat them. As a solution, Jennifer Ashton, the chief medical correspondent of ABC News, said you should clear your home of these items.
If Nothing Else, Cut Out Sugary Drinks
Though sugar is added to many products, you can reduce your intake by eliminating sweetened beverages. This is an excellent move for your health, with research showing that drinking your sugar can lead to sky-high blood glucose levels. Alternatively, you can increase your water intake or opt for an unsweetened sparkling beverage.
Reduce Another Heavy Hitter: Desserts
You need to reduce foods like desserts with lots of sugar but not many nutrients. They do not offer much nutritional value, so your body won’t miss them.
Read Labels to Suss Out Added Sugar
It’s difficult to remove added sugar from your diet if you don’t know all the names it hides under. According to Sugar Science from the University of California, added sugar goes by 61 names. This includes agave, beet sugar, coconut sugar, and sweet sorghum.
However, labeling laws now require companies to list the amount of added sugar in food. This can help prevent about 600,000 cases of type 2 diabetes over 20 years.
Treat Yourself But Limit It to Just That
It is advisable to take sugary treats when the opportunity presents itself to avoid deprivation and failure. However, you should limit it to an amount that does not prevent your progress.
Conclusion
Added sugar can lead to serious health complications if you do not regulate consumption. However, these steps can ensure you enjoy sugary treats and stay healthy.
