Tuesday, March 19, 2024

How Can I Cut Sugar Out Of My Diet

Popular Articles

From The Bottle And Can

I CUT SUGAR OUT OF MY DIET FOR 1 WEEK

Beverages are one of the biggest sources of added sugars in our diets.

Eliminate soda from your regular diet. Just get rid of it. If you must, drink diet soda. Ideally, though, you should get rid of diet soda, too.

That may sound extreme, but sweetened beverages are by far the biggest source of added sugar in the American diet 47 percent, according to the federal government. Soda along with sweetened sports drinks, energy drinks and iced teas is essentially flavored, liquefied sugar that pumps calories into your body without filling you up. Among all foods and beverages, says Kelly Brownell, an obesity expert and dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke, the science is most robust and most convincing on the link between soft drinks and negative health outcomes.

Get this: A single 16-ounce bottle of Coke has 52 grams of sugar. Thats more added sugar than most adults should consume in an entire day.

As for diet soda, researchers arent yet sure whether theyre damaging or harmless. Some scientists think diet soda is perfectly fine. Others, like the Yale cardiologist Dr. Harlan Krumholz, think it may be damaging. Dr. Krumholz recently announced that after years of pounding diet sodas, he was giving them up. There is reason to believe, he wrote, that the artificial sweeteners they contain lead to weight gain and metabolic abnormalities.

Tips To Reduce Sugar Intake

While sugar can be a part of a healthy diet, Dr. Katz makes an important point that almost all health experts agree with we eat too much of it which is evident from the aforementioned reports by the CDC.

As such, health experts recommend reducing sugar intake to within recommended guidelines. The AHA provide some tips to help do just that:

  • Cut back on the amount of sugar you may regularly add to foods and drinks, such as tea, coffee, cereal and pancakes
  • Replace sugar-sweetened beverages with sugar-free or low-calorie drinks
  • Compare food labels and select the products with the lowest amounts of added sugars
  • When baking cakes, reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe by a third
  • Try replacing sugar in recipes with extracts or spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, almond or vanilla
  • Replace sugar on cereal or oatmeal with fruit.

So What Happens To Your Body When You Stop Eating Sugar

Hard as it may be to stop ordering an ice cold cola with your burger, or keep your fingers from grazing the candy dish at parties, omitting sugar from your diet can have a significant impact on your health. If you’re someone who regularly treats themselves to dessert with a cup of tea after dinner, or tosses a store-bought granola bar in with their lunch every day, Siskind warned there might be a tough transition period at first.

“Studies have shown that there are similar effects as when people get off drugs,” she said. “You may experience exhaustion, headaches, brain fog and irritability. Some people even have gastrointestinal distress.”

Translation: it’s a process.

Also Check: How To Come Sugar Disease

Use Applesauce When Baking

If homemade baked goods are your dietary kryptonite, we get it. Warm, gooey cookies are hard to say no to and even harder to stop eating once you’ve started. The goods news is, simply swapping out sugar for unsweetened applesauce can save you hundreds of calories! While one cup of the white stuff has more than 770 calories, the same amount of applesauce has about 100. Depending on how big your cookies are that could easily save you between 20 and 80 calories a pop! While we don’t endorse eating cookies in excess, if your sweets have been healthified, eating one or two extra likely won’t do too much damage to your waistline.

Note: If you’re swapping out sugar for applesauce, a 1:1 ratio works fine but for every cup of applesauce you use, reduce the amount of liquid in your recipe by 1/4 cup.

Restrict Access To Sweets

How can I cut down on sugar in my diet?

This may seem obvious, but its best to say it outright. If you want to cut out sugar, you need to make your living space a sugar-free zone.

You cant be tempted by high sugar snacks, ice cream, and sugary fruit drinks if you dont buy them in the first place.

Replace food high in sugar with food high in fiber such as vegetables, whole grain bread, and brown rice.

You can find a guide to breaking your sugar habit in 10 days here.

Also Check: Sugar In Low Blood Pressure

How To Cut Carbohydrates

You may be aware that the human body needs sugar specifically, glucose to survive. Glucose is actually the primary energy source that your body uses. However, despite the fact that your body relies on glucose, you don’t need to actually consume sugars. Your body is able to break down all the carbohydrates, fats and proteins you consume on a daily basis and turn them into glucose.

Since your body uses three different macronutrients to survive, you can eliminate carbohydrates like sugars, sugar alcohols and starches without problems. However, dietary fiber is an important part of a healthy diet. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, most adults should consume between 22 and 34 grams of fiber each day .

There are two types of dietary fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Both soluble and insoluble fiber are important for the health of your gastrointestinal tract. Soluble fiber can help lower cholesterol and regulate blood glucose, while insoluble fiber helps to promote digestion and the excretion of waste from your body. Regardless of the amount of carbohydrates you choose to eliminate from your diet, consuming fiber is important, as it can help lower your risk for a variety of diseases, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

Read more:19 High-Fiber Foods Some May Surprise You!

How To Eliminate Sugar From Your Diet In 21 Days

Experts agree that most folks are OD’ing on sugara disaster for our health and waistlines. Spend the next three weeks ditching the sweet stuff, rewiring your cravings, and feeling better every day.

Mounting research shows that going overboard on sugar can lead to high cholesterol and blood pressure and a greater risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, not to mention excess weight gain. But theres a difference between added sugars and the kinds found naturally in whole foods, like fructose in fruit and lactose in dairy: Eating naturally occurring sugars is generally considered healthy because they contain nutrients with metabolic benefits, such as fiber and antioxidants. Added sugars have no such perks they are the type youll be eliminating during this challenge.

RELATED: 10 Artificial Sweeteners and Sugar Substitutes

Week 1 to-do list:

RELATED: 10 Coffee Drinks That Are Worse Than a Candy Bar

Week 2 to-do list:

  • Start slashing: Retrain your palate by making incremental changes. You can lower your taste for sweetness in two weeks, says Dr. Katz.
  • Measure carefully: Scoop the sweetener you think you needthen put back half. Half a teaspoon goes a long way, says Sally Kuzemchak, RD.
  • Mix it up: Combine no-sugar-added foods with the sweet versions .
  • Drink only water: For a full week, down H20 instead of sodas and fruit juices.

Read Also: What Vitamin Deficiency Causes Sugar Cravings

How To Quit Sugar In 5 Days

Quitting the sweet foods you know might seem like a punishment, but added sugar is likely harming your health. Cutting back on added sugar cold turkey might seem like a giant obstacle.

Thats why were talking in-depth about how to quit sugar in a smart, sustainable way cold turkey can be way too jarring for most people. So before you say no to the notion of a no-sugar shopping list, keep in mind that it only takes a mere 5 days to lessen your need for refined sugar.

In that timeframe, your taste buds have the ability to reacclimate to less added sugar, sweet foods, and you will start to enjoy sugar-free options more than you could have expected.

During your sugar-free journey, you will absolutely notice some sugar cravings, but there are ways to combat blood sugar spikes, cravings, and the discomfort of quitting sugar. Below are five ways to kick sugar to the curb, but first lets discuss natural sugar versus added sugar.

Standard Diets And Carbohydrate Consumption

Why I cut out sugar and processed food in my diet

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that most people consume a balanced diet made up of carbohydrates, protein and fat. The general recommendation is that the standard 2,000 calorie diet provides 45 to 65 percent of calories from carbohydrates, which roughly translates into 900 and 1,300 calories per day from carbohydrates. Each gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories, which means that you should be consuming about 225 and 325 grams of carbohydrates on a daily basis.

Most people know that carbohydrates can be found in foods like bread, pastries, rice and other grain-based foods. However, carbohydrates are much more than that: This macronutrient can be found in foods like fruits, vegetables, juices, legumes, dairy and a variety of other products. Carbohydrates are categorized into four main types:

  • Lactose
  • Maltose

There are also sugar alcohols, which are classified as carbohydrates. Like their name implies, sugar alcohols are chemically similar to both sugars and alcohols.Your body can’t fully process sugar alcohols, which means they pass through your gut, undigested. This gives sugar alcohols fewer calories than other carbohydrates.

Sugars are found naturally in some foods and drinks, like fruits or milk. They might also be added to foods and beverages, like cakes, cookies and soft drinks. Many of the products you consume may contain a mixture of naturally-occurring sugars and added sugars, like fruit and vegetable juices.

Don’t Miss: Blood Sugar Increase Symptoms

How To Sugar Detox: Going Cold Turkey For Three Days

The good news is that even if youre not a true sugar addict, by eliminating sugar from your diet, you can quickly lose unwanted pounds, feel better and have a more radiant appearance.

There is no one person who wouldnt benefit by eliminating added sugars from their diets, Lustig said.

Children can benefit, too. Lustigs research revealed that when obese children eliminated added sugars from their diets for just nine days, every aspect of their metabolic health improved despite no changes in body weight or total calories consumed.

But going cold turkey is what works best, at least in the beginning.

Early on in my practice, when I would notice that people had real addiction to sugar, wed start trying to wean them of sugar or limit their intake or eat in moderation but the word moderation is so clichéd and not effective, Alpert said. It was just ineffective to ask people to eat less of something when theyre struggling with this bad habit. You wouldnt ask an alcoholic to just drink two beers.

What was so successful in getting my clients to kick their sugar habit was to go cold turkey. When they would go cold turkey, I wasnt their favorite person but the number one positive effect was that it recalibrated their palate, she said. They could now taste natural sugars in fruits, vegetables and dairy that they used to be so dulled to.

Can Cutting Sugar Lead To Weight Loss What The Science Suggests

Registered dietitians and public health officials alike agree sugar consumption is a major cause of weight gain and obesity in the United States, but the link between sugar and weight gain is complex.

While natural sugars found in fruits and dairy are healthy as part of a whole food, the problem, experts say, is the sugar thats added to our packaged, processed foods. In addition to containing added sugars, which offer no nutritional value, these foods are usually high in calories and unhealthy fat.

Added sugars are added calories without the nutrition, so it adds energy to your overall diet without really increasing the diet quality, says Angela Lemond, RDN, owner of Lemond Nutrition in Plano, Texas.

According to a meta-analysis published in January 2013 in the journal BMJ, decreasing intake of free sugars that are added to foods, and naturally occurring sugars in honey, syrups, and fruit juices, is associated with a small amount of weight loss, and increasing sugar intake is associated with a small amount of weight gain.

Studies also show that the type of carbohydrate matters. In fact, a review published in 2012 in the journal Food and Nutrition Research found a diet high in refined grains which the body processes similarly to sugar was associated with weight gain, while a diet rich in whole grains was linked to weight loss. Refined grains remove the bran out of the whole grain, which removes a lot of the vitamins and most if not all the fiber, Lemond says.

Also Check: How To Reduce Diabetes Instantly

Sugar Addiction And Cravings

Our brains depend on glucose for energy. Without glucose, your brain would struggle to work. We often reward ourselves with sweet treats. For me, its Ice cream, cakes, and cookies.

Sugar causes a rush of both glucose and endorphins in your blood, which gives you a short burst of energy. Instead of your energy levels staying up, sugar will crash your energy levels, which can cause you to feel weak and lethargic.

Your sugar cravings are likely different to that of your best friend, sister, brother, dad, neighbour etc. This is because addictions are habitual. Habits form when your brain is satisfied with the end result. Whatever it may be. Alcohol, drugs, sugar.

Sugar comes in many forms, and its almost impossible to avoid if you eat any type of processed or already-prepared foods.

If your diet includes muffins, doughnuts, bagels, chocolate, and fizzy drinks, then chances are your sugar cravings result from what you have eaten. The more you eat them, the more your brain will want them.

It is a never-ending vicious cycle. So lets look at what happens when you cut sugar out of your diet..for good.

Top Foods With Fruit Rather Than Syrups

Less stress quotes, new to vegetarian recipes, how to cut sugar out of ...

Pancakes and syrup is certainly a dynamic duo, but if you want to stop eating so much sugar, you’re going to need to separate the two. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to eat bland pancakes. Top your flapjacks with fresh fruit for a nice touch of sweetness. You can also make pancakes with ricotta cheese and lemon zest for a fresh take on the breakfast staple.

You May Like: Whether Banana Is Good For Diabetes

The Best Sweeteners To Choose From Ranked From Worst To Best

We eat a lot of sugar in the United States an average of 765 grams of sugar every five days the amount in 17 cans of soda! That translates to about 130 pounds of added sugar every year, and about 3,550 pounds of sugar over the course of a lifetime. Thats like eating 1.7 million Skittles or an industrial-sized dumpster of cane sugar.

You might wonder about these numbers if you arent chomping on fistfuls of candy or drinking 2-liter bottles of soda at one sitting, but much of this sugar consumption comes from hidden sources of the sweet stuff its in condiments, kombucha, crackers, soup, salad dressing, and almost everything else that comes in a package. Even so-called health food like granola or health bars, smoothies, and yogurt. Sugar is often disguised, hidden behind euphemistic names, so it can be hard to recognize, but lets be honest, most of us dont want to have to worry about going without a single grain of sugar for the rest of our lives.

So lets get practical. Heres my list of the sweeteners to avoid completely, which ones are not great but okay in moderation, and which ones should be your go-tos when you want something sweet.

The Worst:

Artificial sweeteners

These are the worst of the worst. The most common culprits, on colorful display wherever coffee is sold, include:

The truth is, there arent many large-scale studies on the subject of autoimmunity and artificial sweeteners, but lets look at what is out there:

High-fructose corn syrup

Agave nectar

Why Is Sugar So Hard To Quit

There has been a lot of research recently on sugar and its effects on the mind, brain, and body. What studies have shown is that sugar does in fact have habit forming properties.

Some studies have even pointed to the fact that sugar is as powerful as some controlled substances because it activates dopamine receptors.

Thats serious business and something you want to get a handle on before a full-blown sugar habit takes hold.

Don’t Miss: Sugar Tablet Before Or After Food

Ways To Cut Sugar Out Of Your Diet

Have you been trying to lose weight and, despite regular exercise, failing? Or, maybe you’ve heard all the stories of those who have managed to cut sugar out of their diet completely and wish to join them. Whatever your reason, the removal of sugar from your diet is not only healthy, but beneficial to your lifestyle. People report feeling happier, healthier, and cleaner after reducing their sugar intake. Your cognitive functioning improves, as well as your feelings of well-being.

Below is a list of the six ways that I have found most effective for cutting down or completely stopping your sugar intake. They are easy to practice and are very effective. In the end, they will make your life a whole lot easier.

Easy Steps To Reducing Your Sugar Intake

3 ways to reduce your sugar intake

Sugar is ruining our health . Its a fact that we all know yet all blissfully ignore time and time again. Could you find any idea about steps to reduce your sugar?

Not only is sugar making us sick, its making us overweight, overtired and prematurely old. Sugar causes problems that make not surface for many years to come so switching your diet to a low sugar diet could be the best thing you could ever do for your health.

There are many reasons to give up sugar but reasons are useless without practical tips of putting into action what they preach. These are some tips from me about steps to reduce your sugar?

1. Go all out Remove any trace of sugar from your existence.

Empty your kitchen cupboards, office desk drawers, car, bags and all top-secret stashes of all unhealthy sugar and sugary food. If you can remove any potential temptation you will be much more likely to stick it out.

2. Replace & Re-stock

Re-stock all of the above places with amazing all-natural substitutes and keep natural snacks and fruit on you at all times. Fulfill you desire to eat sugar by replacing it with natural sugars that will enable you to kick the white stuff.

3. Be prepared for the worst especially at the start

Prepare yourself mentally for the effects of a sugar rehab. The first 3 to 4 days will be the hardest. But by the end of the week youll be a whole new you. You will feel so much better for giving up sugar you will never want to go back.

Recommended Reading: How To Reduce High Sugar Level Immediately

Related news