Natural Sugar Vs Added Sugar
To our bodies, sugar is sugar. Much of what we eat has a mix of naturally occurring and added sugars. The reason we care about added sugars these days with processed foods crackers, breads, yogurts isnt about the type of sugar, but how much and how its delivered.
The reason sugar from a chocolate bar gives me a sugar high and the same amount of sugar from an apple doesnt has to do with the fact that the apple has fiber and other nutrients that help my body break the sugar down slowly. The chocolate bar, on the other hand, might as well be a needle in my vein. Its a direct hit, and our bodies dont always have the ability to process all that sugar at one time.
Check Yourself Out When Grocery Shopping
Is your obsession with Reese’s and M& M’s some of the biggest sources of sugar in your diet? Using the self-checkout kiosks at the grocery store can help you keep these items out of your shopping cart so you can stop eating sugar. According to a study by IHL Consulting Group, impulse purchases dipped 32.1 percent for womenand 16.7 percent for menwhen they were the ones to scan their items and swipe their credit card. Although not all impulse buys are bad for your belly, a whopping 80 percent of candy purchases are unplanned. Switching up your routine can help you slash sugar from your diet and may just be your ticket to slim-down success.
How To Stop Eating Sugar And Break Sugar Addiction Once And For All
Here is the plan that Ive used to break my sugar addiction and stop eating cookies and sweets and drinking caramel lattes every day. I had so much of the sweet stuff when I was a kid that Ive developed hypoglycemia. In other words, if I dont eat at regular hours I tend to turn into a gremlin and if I wait a bit longer I become as pale as a vampire and sluggish like a zombie not exactly the lively, exciting woman I want to be.
Cutting out sugar became vital for me, and below I show you how I did it. I still have a little sugar from time to time but in much more controlled and manageable amounts. It makes me much friendlier and pleasant to be around with. I sleep better my teeth are healthy. I cant count the blessings Ive received by putting an end to eating a lot of sugar. Now its your turn to enjoy these blessings. Read on.
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Start The Day Off The Right Way
Breakfast is the first meal of the day, and for a majority of adults, one of the quickest ways to get off to a bad start.
Breakfast is touted as being one of the most important meals for your health, energy levels and brain. However, breakfast foods are typically full of sugar. These include:
- Bagels
- Bananas
- English muffins
Making healthy decisions and learning how to stop eating sugar first thing in the morning is the best start you can have.
Be mindful that most flavored yogurts, even if the container label says theyre healthy, contain a lot of hidden sugar to make them taste better.
Ways To Kick Sugar For Good
Sweetness is a compelling and powerful taste sensation. You arent weak, craven, or a bad person because you enjoy the taste of sugar. But, like a drug, sugar can be addictive. When you eat sugary foods, your blood sugar spikes, and then crashes, which makes you crave even more sugar. Whats more, sugar that is not burned as fuel by the body gets stored as fattriglycerides specifically, which have a predilection for your midsection. To conquer sugar cravings, lose weight, and reclaim your health, try these interventions:
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Sugar Raises Your Risk Of Disease
As we all know, a sugar heavy diet often leads to excessive weight gain, which in turn can lead to many diseases, including heart disease. However, even if you dont become overweight from eating sugar, you can still be at risk of these diseases.
Excessive consumption of added sugar can massively increase blood pressure, and it can also force your liver to pump more harmful fats into your bloodstream. These two things are a recipe for disease and disaster.
Processed Sugars Have A Bitter
Baked goods, fizzy bottles of soda, and even the so-called “healthy” packaged snacks at your desk are likely jam-packed with grams on grams of added sugars. That initial first bite or sip tastes satisfying enough, sure, but can you honestly say you feel particularly vibrant or energized when that slice of cake or carbonated syrup is sitting in your stomach?
Grace Derocha, a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator and certified health coach at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan told INSIDER there are more than 50 names and varieties of processed sugars in food products, and even though they might taste good, they certainly aren’t doing any good for you.
“The high glycemic index can spike blood sugars in the body fast and drop them quickly as well,” leading to a kind of roller coaster effect on blood sugars, Derocha explained. “As blood sugar levels rise, you’ll experience a quick increase in energy. Sadly, because those levels become regulated quickly, an energy or “sugar” crash is not far behind the spike, especially when dealing with added sugars.”
What’s more, the body uses enzymes in its small intestine to break down sugar into glucose. Typically this isn’t a problem as glucose from carbohydrates are stored as an energy source your body can dip into when necessary, but Derocha pointed out that any excess glucose will be converted to fat, which can lead to weight gain and obesity if you aren’t minding your portions.
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Top Foods With Fruit Rather Than Syrups
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.
Sugar Substitutes You Need To Try
For a sugar detox, you need to find some alternatives to satisfy your sugar cravings. This can be a fruit smoothie or a frozen yogurt bark recipe. Whatever you try, stay away from refined sugar. Refined sugar is far more harmful than natural sugars found in raw honey and fruits, and it can be as addicting as drugs.
Honey has a plethora of benefits including being antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It also reduces the risk of cancer and helps fight infections. Whether you have a sore throat or digestive problems, honey can fix seemingly everything. Replace refined sugar with honey in your recipes and feel the difference. Not only will it satisfy your sugar craving but also improve your immune system in the process.
When you feel the sugar rush coming, dont reach for chocolates or brownies. Fruits like berries, mangoes, bananas, and apples have plenty of natural sugar in them and will satisfy your sweet tooth easily without causing any damage to your body. Snack bars made from oats, dates, peanut butter, dark chocolate, and honey are also a good option for a quick dose of sugar.
Sweet potatoes are a rich source of vitamin A and vitamin C. They taste sweet and are pretty filling too. Besides containing a variety of minerals, theyre also high in fiber which promotes gut health and digestion. People trying to lose weight often eat sweet potatoes to control their hunger.
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Youll Lower Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Quitting sugar gives your bodys natural detox systems a chance to do their job. In the first couple of hours without sugar, your pancreas will start to produce less insulin and your liver will also start to catch up on processing stored toxins, explains , a certified nutritional counselor and program director of GroundSea Fitness, a detox retreat in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. This process will take a little longer if you are already insulin resistant , he adds. The time for most of these symptoms to completely subside can run up to five weeks, at which point one will no longer be a slave to refined sugar.
Why Is Sugar So Bad For You
We all know what having a sweet tooth feels like
You come home, tired and drained and the first thing you do is go to your candy stash. Youve earned it, right?
Or your hit that afternoon slump. A donut or a sugary coffee is exactly what you need to get energized.
I know because I used to be so hooked on sugar! I was working as a management consultant in New York City and my days were busy and stressful. I tried to make up for all the late nights and intense workdays with anything I could grab quickly, whether it was cupcakes, cookies, or chocolate.
But after my two children were born, I started to realize just how damaging my food choices were. Not only did I put on weight, but I had even less energy for spending time with my family.
I knew something had to change.
As a result, I began reading scientific studies on weight loss and how to get rid of my sugar addiction. It did take trial and error, but ultimately, I figured out a methodology.
Since then, Ive significantly reduced my sugar intake. But the best part is that it doesnt even feel like a sacrifice or something I struggle with because I eat such delicious food every day.
I feel lighter and so much more energized . I also lost 40 pounds in 9 months, flattened my tummy, and fit into all those old clothes I loved but thought Id have to throw away.
You see, if you feel like your weight wont budge, your sugar cravings can have a lot to do with it.
Heres what I mean by that.
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Simple Ways To Stop Eating Lots Of Sugar
Eating too much sugar may be devastating for your health.
Added sugar, which is the sugar found in sodas, sweets, and other processed foods, has been shown to contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and tooth decay .
Research suggests that most Americans eat anywhere from 5592 grams of added sugar daily, which is equivalent to 1322 teaspoons of table sugar each day representing about 1216% of daily calorie intake .
This is significantly more than the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendation of getting less than 10% of your daily calories from added sugars .
The World Health Organization goes a step further, recommending less than 5% of calories from added sugar for optimal health .
However, it can be challenging to slash added sugars from your diet. This article lists 13 simple ways to stop eating so much sugar.
Be Aware Of Milk And Milk Alternatives
Milk is a beverage that offers many nutrients that can support your health and wellness.
It contains protein, carbohydrates and fat . Also, milk contains lactose, which is a form of sugar.
For many people out there, lactose intolerance and allergy means that milk may not be for them, which leads them to switch to milk alternatives.
The popularity of milk alternatives has risen in recent years, and part of it is because many of these options do not include lactose.
However, some milk alternatives, such as almond milk and coconut milk, contain some sugar as a way to make it taste better.
The good news is that there are sugar-free or unsweetened options available, so consider purchasing the unsweetened milk alternatives whenever possible as a way to cut out the amount of sugar in your diet.
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Dont Deprive All The Time
As for allowing myself some unhealthy things, Basbaum actually approves. Denying yourself doesnt last for people, she says. I like to use the 80/20 rule. So, 80% of the time youre eating the way you should cooking at home, packing lunches, fresh foods, lean meats. The other 20% of the time you eat the two donuts, the big thing of popcorn. You can live your life, stay healthy, and still have treats, she assures.
Basbaum doesnt recommend this approach to everybody, though. Some people might be too strict or take advantage of it, she says. She does prefer people to follow this rule over an extreme.
My big takeaway from this sugar season has been that, the more I focus on eating real food and not fake food, the easier it gets. Candy and yes, the fudge, makes my body tired. Its just not worth it.
But, as Basbaum warns, a total denial isnt a sustainable idea. So, if some chocolate shows up on Valentines Day, I wont turn it down
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Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Sugar
The sugar statistics in the U.S. are pretty dreary. They say the typical American eats 6 cups of sugar every week. Thats 152 pounds of sugar in a year! Why are we eating so much sugar? First of all, its everywhere. As the most popular food additive in processed foods, sugar is hard to avoid. Secondly, its highly addictive. Most of us are addicted to sugar, whether we realize it or not. To stop eating sugar is a difficult task, but it can be done, and the rewards are many! Lets take a look at 12 things that happen when you stop eating sugar.
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Water From An Air Up Bottle
Its been reported that 16 million Brits want to reduce their sugar intake but are struggling due to a lack of alternatives, which is why we love the clever water bottles from Air Up. Using a specific technology called retronasal smell, Air Up bottles contain a scent pod that fools your brain into thinking youre tasting a flavoured drink when youre drinking water.
You can buy the reusable water bottles and recyclable flavour pods from the Air Up website. The Starter Set, which includes one bottle and two scent pods, is priced from £29.95.
Focus On The Fab Four
The Fab Four is a light structure I built to help my clients remember what nourishing foods they should eat.
It includes:
These foods can help elongate your blood-sugar curve , and support hormone production, microbiome proliferation, and healthy body composition.
Eating the Fab Four calms various hunger-related hormones and can help reduce your appetite:
- Protein, fat, and fiber induce cholecystokinin , a satiety hormone that can help you feel full. Burton-Freeman B, et al. . Ratios of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers on satiety and energy intake in overweight pre- and postmenopausal women.
- Protein and leafy green vegetables increase glucagon-like peptide-1 , which has played a role in bringing down blood sugar levels in people who have type 2 diabetes. Chudleigh RA, et al. . Comparative effectiveness of long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonists in type 2 diabetes: A short review on the emerging data.
- Eating a fiber- and protein-based meal may increase concentrations of peptide YY appetite control hormone. De Silva A, et al. . Gut hormones and appetite control: A focus on PYY and GLP-1 as therapeutic targets in obesity.
Check out this sugar-free granola recipe if youre in a crunchy mood.
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How To Stop Sugar And Carb Cravings In Seconds
If you crave sugar, carbs, processed foods, or struggle with emotional eating, binge eating, or food addiction this post has all of my top tips that stop cravings quickly.
Long before I knew anything about nutrition, fitness, health, or how to help others I struggled with carbs, sugar cravings was a full blown food addict.
Literally the old me
I personally know what its like to struggle. I professionally know how to stop sugar and carb cravings.
LEFT: Me personally struggling with cravings. RIGHT: Me professionally in complete control over food, off sugar, and without any cravings.
Learn more about My Story and How you can Request custom content here
I know what really works and thats why Im sharing ALL of my top tips to help you stop struggling and start overcoming your cravings, too.
If you have random sugar cravings, if you have intense sugar or carbs cravings, or if you flat out feel addicted to processed junk foods crave food all the time, this post covers all of the above.
NOTE: If you crave something specific, like pickles for example, that can indicate a nutrient deficiency. These tips wont help resolve cravings caused by nutrient deficiencies. The tips in this post stop sugar and carb cravings, specifically and exclusively.
Everything Im about to share works, if you work it.
Im going to start with the best tips that stop cravings, first, then Im going to add on more tips, tricks, suggestions, and supplements proven to stop cravings, too.
Symptoms Of Cutting Added Sugar From Your Diet
Cutting added sugar from your diet may lead to physical and mental symptoms.
How the body reacts to giving up sugar is different for everyone. The symptoms and their severity will depend on how much added sugar you were taking in through sweetened foods and beverages.
Some people find that their symptoms last from a few days to a couple of weeks.
As your body adapts to a low added sugar diet over time and your added sugar intake becomes less frequent , the less intense your symptoms and cravings for sugar are likely to be.
You may find that your symptoms are worse at certain times of the day, such as between meals. Stress may trigger for sugar, so you may find that your symptoms feel worse during times of stress.
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