You’re in luck if you’re looking to cut back on or completely give up sugar. The average person eats more than three times the recommended daily allowance of sugar—22 teaspoons (tsp). Heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity can result from consuming excessive amounts of sugar. But giving up on sugar, whether cold turkey or not, can be challenging.Here are a few easy strategies to reduce the amount of added sugar in your diet.
Half the sugar
If you’re used to adding 1 spoonful of sugar in your coffee, just half it. Reduce the amount of sugar specified in the recipe by one-third to one-half when making cakes, brownies, or cookies. You won’t usually notice the difference in taste but your sugar consumption will go down drastically.
Replace sugar triggers for healthy items
Rather than heading out for ice cream, get your family moving by engaging in physical activities like biking or walking. When you crave sugar, munch on candied fruits, dates and fresh fruit, like apples, bananas, or oranges. Give these a permanent place on the table. When you’re on the run, these are convenient to grab and munch on and are a great sweet fix.
Cut back on white sugar
When you spoon refined white sugar into your coffee or add it to baked items, it seems less but is detrimental to your health. The system absorbs this simple sugar fast, creating increases in blood glucose levels and insulin that can wreak havoc on the body. Try consuming desi khand, brown sugar towards the start and quit that slowly.
Focus on the top sugar sources
The five categories of sweetened beverages, sweets and sweet snacks, sweetened coffee and tea, candies and other sugars (jams, syrups, toppings), and breakfast cereals and granola bars are the main sources of added sugar. Start by determining which category you typically receive the most additional sugar from. You’ll experience the biggest decrease in total sugar if only you can cut on your top most source of sugar.
Make time to sleep
Reduced immunological function, obesity, depression, and poor focus have all been related to sleep deprivation. But sleep deprivation can also influence your eating habits, making you more likely to choose foods that are higher in calories, fat, sugar, and salt. Research indicates that those who stay up late and don’t get enough sleep tend to consume higher amounts of calories, fast food, and soda, as well as less fruits and vegetables, compared to those who wake up early and get enough sleep.
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