A Bit Of Background First: What Happens When You Eat Sugar
Sugar is fast-burning, high-octane fuel for your cells. Unlike other forms of carbohydrate, glucose does not need to be broken down or heavily metabolized before it can provide your body with energy. This means that glucose can enter your bloodstream quickly and can give your cells a rapid energy surge.
The missing key between the step of getting glucose from your bloodstream and then into your cells is insulin. Imagine that your cell is a room and its locked from letting glucose inside, even though its knocking at the door after youve eaten a high-sugar meal.
Insulin is literally like a key in that it unlocks the doors to your cells and allows glucose to enter. One side-effect of this happening is that your cells are able to make energy very quickly. However, regular cellular hits of sugar also trigger a cascade of physiological events that may ultimately cause inflammation and skin issues.
Fizzy Drinks & Juices
Water and milk are really the only drinks kids should be having on a regular basis.
Fizzy drinks are completely devoid of kind of nutritional benefit and are stacked full of sugar or artificial sweeteners.
While fruit juice does contain some vitamins, all the fibre has been stripped out and it contains a much higher ratio of sugar to vitamins than whole fruit. Save the fruit juice for special occasions and stick to water instead.
Thats all well and good to say but how exactly can you get your fussy children to drink water?
There is no magic answer thats going to work overnight. The key really is perseverance.
If your child drinks a lot of squash or fruit juice, start by diluting it with a little water and gradually increase it more and more.
Have lots of fun cups and glasses on hand, and give them a choice of different straws to make the experience a little more exciting.
Ice cubes are another great way of encouraging kids to drink more water during the summer. Freeze fruit or a little fruit juice in ice cubes. Theyll love watching it melt into the water.
Try these recipes: Juice Ice Cubes Fruit & Herb Ice Cubes
Are Sugar Substitutes Better For You
There are sweeteners that can replace sugar and some are kilojoule-free. Theyre often used to sweeten drinks such as tea or coffee, or as an alternative to sugar when baking or cooking.
There are 3 types of sugar substitutes:
- Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin and sucralose have no kilojoules. They are used widely by the food industry in products labelled diet or no sugar.
- Nutritive sweeteners such as fructose, isomalt, mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol and polydextrose are not kilojoule-free. They either have the same energy than sugar.
- Natural intense sweeteners such as stevia and monk-fruit extract are kilojoule-free and generally made from plants. Because they are much sweeter than sugar, only small amounts may be needed.
Remember, sugar substitutes may still cause tooth decay, and evidence is mixed regarding whether they help with weight loss.
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Why Cut Out Sugar
Reducing sugar intake may improve a persons health.
Many adults eat much more sugar than the authorities recommend. The National Institutes of Health , for example, estimate that adults in the United States get around 15% of their calories from added sugars alone. This sugar intake does not even include natural sugars, such as those in products such as fruit and milk.
Excessive sugar consumption has links to several harmful health conditions, including:
- nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- dental plaque and cavities
Reducing the amount of sugar in the diet can help a person reduce their risk of these health conditions.
Replacing high sugar foods with healthful options can help a person get all of their essential vitamins and minerals without the added calories. It may also help them lose weight, if necessary.
Here are eight simple tips a person can use to help cut sugar from their diet:
Does The Amount Of Carbohydrate We Eat Affect The Skin Too
Research into Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome has highlighted the link between sugar consumption, overall carbohydrate intake, hormonal activity and skin breakouts.
PCOS is a hormonal disorder characterized by elevated levels of circulating insulin, polycystic ovaries, disrupted menstrual cycles and hirsutism. Hormonal levels are also affected by PCOS and this is known to contribute to issues with acne and breakouts.
As PCOS commonly involves insulin resistance, people with PCOS are at higher risk of developing diabetes. Therefore, PCOS research has investigated what dietary measures may help to regulate insulin and blood sugar levels. And a positive side-effect of this improved insulin control appears to be having clearer skin!
Low GI diets have been found to help women with PCOS, with some studies showing that lower GI foods can help to regulate menstrual cycles, blood sugar control and insulin action.
However, some experts believe that eating low GI foods is not enough. There appears to be a further benefit to eating less carbohydrates overall – even of the low GI variety. In fact, some research shows that an overall daily intake of as little as 20 to 100g per day of carbohydrate may be beneficial to PCOS.
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Painless Ways To Cut Sugar Out Of Your Diet
Its no surprise that refined white sugar is pretty bad for your health. But how do you cut sugar out of your diet for good?
Those who have been Paleo for a while know how great they feel when they limit sugar, and everyone knows that its a big no-no for diabetics. But what about for everyone else? Should they try to cut sugar out completely, or just limit their intake? Is sugar really that bad?
Sugar comes in numerous forms, and its almost impossible to avoid if you eat any type of processed or already-prepared foods. So whats one to do? Are some sugars worse than others? And how do you avoid it?
In need of a sugar detox?
Increase Your Dietary Fiber Intake
Eating high fiber foods may help you stave off hunger and cravings. They take longer to digest, causing you to feel fuller for longer.
High fiber foods also contribute to healthy blood sugar regulation. Keeping your blood sugar levels stable may help prevent cravings.
Aim for high fiber vegetables, beans, and legumes.
Pairing high protein and high fiber foods is best for healthy blood sugar control. Examples include mixing high fiber veggies like broccoli into your eggs or spooning some pumpkin seeds over your oatmeal.
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I Actually Eat Pretty Well
Im not going to lie. I thought that by dialing back my sugar the weight would fall off and Id be at my lean and mean racing weight. Youve read how that happens, right? But I didnt lose weight. I didnt gain weight either.
I realized that, despite my sweet tooth and my nightly bowl of ice cream, I eat well and dont have much to cut out. Sure, if I wanted to shed ten pounds, I could probably do it. But Id have to seriously sacrifice by cutting out all sweets and dialing back my caloric intake, which during marathon season, may not be as high as it should be anyway. So, chalk one up for me, for eating a pretty balanced diet and performing pretty well on the road.
Over the years Ive learned that depriving yourself of certain foods or food groups is the worst thing you can do to your mind and body. I used to cut out carbs. I couldnt maintain a healthy weight. I was miserable. Once I started eating everything in moderation, my weight stabilized I was happier, and I stopped feeling like I was missing out on things.
Where am I now, you might ask? Im not as strict as I was during that month-long experiment. But I am more mindfulor I try to be. I read the labels closely. I ask myself if I really need that square of chocolate that has made its way onto my desk. I try to make my own versions of foods I like if possible. I try to limit the amount of ice cream in my freezer. And of course, I run a lot.
Check For Sugar In Canned Foods
Canned foods can be a useful and inexpensive addition to your diet, but they can also contain a lot of added sugar.
Fruits and vegetables contain naturally occurring sugars. However, these arent usually an issue since they dont affect your blood sugar the same way added sugar does.
Avoid canned foods that are packed in syrup or have sugar on the ingredient list. Fruit is sweet enough, so go for versions labeled packed in water or no added sugar.
If you buy canned fruits or vegetables that do have added sugar, you can remove some of it by rinsing them in water before you eat them.
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Identify The Main Culprit
We all have one type of food or drink that is probably the most major of all the culprits of our continued dependency on processed sugar. Maybe you are a sweet coffee drinker. Maybe you love your Dr. Pepper. Maybe you sneak a candy bar every day at 2:30pm to get you through the afternoon at work. Its likely this one culprit that scares you about letting go of processed sugar and quitting for good. Its also likely this one culprit that is holding you back from reaching your health-related goals.
Each change you make during this process of quitting processed sugars will help you with the next change. Attacking this main culprit head-on will certainly work to help you remove the need for sweets within the rest of your diet. Start looking at that treat as your ball and chain to sugar. Get rid of it and youll be soooo much better off I promise.
Beware Of Dried Fruit
Though we’ve never met a raw fruit we didn’t love, dried and canned fruits are entirely different stories. Food manufacturers often add sugar, juice concentrates, vegetable oil, and syrups to extend their fruit’s shelf life and improve the flavor. Steer clear of these culprits to cut sugar and stay slim!
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Why You Should Avoid Sugar
There are many reasons why you should avoid the sweet stuff:
- It makes the body produce less leptin
- It disrupts how amino acids transfer to muscles
- It spurs insulin resistance, which can lead to Type II diabetes
- It induces oxidative stress
Not all sugar is terrible for you. Natural sources like that from fruit, honey, and maple syrup arent as bad as from processed sugars and HFCS but its still possible to overdo it. Theres no reason to cut all fruit out of your diet in an attempt to remove all sugar youd be giving up all those antioxidants, phytochemicals, fiber, minerals, and vitamins at the same time.
So now you know WHY you should avoid sugar and which types are worse how about some tips on how to do it?
What Type Of Sugar To Cut And Keep
Before you start cutting every sweet treat under the sun, consider this: not all sugar is created equal.
There are natural sugars like fructose in many fruits and lactose in dairy products that you should still consume in moderation because they come with additional vitamins and minerals your body needs to function.
Then there are added sugars that you can often find added to certain foods and drinks like pre-packaged bread, ketchup, and soda, to name a few. These added sugars provide your body with no real nutrition. And, when consumed in excess with processed foods, have been linked to obesity, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome.
“The refined sugars, or things that you see on any food label that says sugar or sucrose, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, agave it’s all sugar,” says Despina Hyde Gandhi, registered dietitian and diabetes educator at the Weight Management Program at NYU Langone Health. “Those are all the things that we want to try to avoid.”
The first step to cutting added sugar out of your diet is being aware of the different foods that contain it. That means always reading the labels. According to Sugar Science by the University of California, San Francisco, added sugars can come in a variety of forms. Here are some to look out for on food labels:
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Shop On A Full Stomach
It’s true what they say: Out of house, out of mouth. Seems simple enoughuntil you’re actually in the grocery store. To ensure you’ll have the restraint to stop eating sugar, have a small snack before you leave the house. Experts say that when we’re shopping hungry, we’re far more likely to lose sight of our dietary goals and load up on unhealthy, sugar-laden eats.
You’ll Feel More Energetic
If your morning diet is dependent on bagels and pancakes, and you find yourself reaching for one too many cups of joe, it’s definitely time to rethink your eating habits. Cutting out these culprits laced with added sugar and replacing them with slow-digesting protein- and healthy fat-rich snackssuch as these best foods for energycan help balance your energy levels throughout the day.
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You’ll Lower Your Risk Of Type Ii Diabetes
Research referenced in the Zero Sugar Diet states that for every 5 percent of total calories you eat from added sugars, your risk of diabetes hikes up by a whopping 18 percent. So if you gobble up around 1,800 calories a day, your maximum amount of daily added sugar intake should be around 24 grams. Guzzle down an 8-ounce serving of Coke, and you’ll rack up two more grams than you should!
Caution When Dining Out
Restaurant menus don’t come with ingredient lists, so you have to be discerning and ask lots of questions. Salads are your best bet because you can very easily control the ingredients and ask for an oil-and-vinegar dressing. Sandwiches are likely out because bread almost always has sugar.
Depending on how much effort you want to give it, you can work with your server to find something that’s entirely sugar-free as-is on the menu, or you can customize a dish with only the ingredients you know you’re cleared to have.
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How To Completely Eliminate Sugar From Your Life In 2 Months
How To Completely Eliminate Sugar From Your Life In 2 Monthsearn a small commission How To Completely Eliminate Sugar From Your Life In 2 Months
Ever wondered why you couldnt lose weight, or couldnt seem to stick to a healthy diet? Its likely that you were roped in by a sugar addiction and didnt even know it. Heres a five-step plan to help you cut cravings for the sweet stuff and start filling up on whole foods. Eating this way won’t just help you kick sugar to the curbyou’ll feel better, lighter, and more energized. Plus, you’ll find it so much easier to stick to your healthy weight.
Don’t Rely On Artificially
Though turning to artificial sweeteners may seem like the go-to move when cutting back on the real stuff, don’t be fooled! Splenda, Sweet n’ Low, diet soda and sugar-free candy aren’t any better than the real deal. What’s worse, some research, including a report in Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine and a separate American Journal of Public Health study both found an association between fake sugars and weight gainnot loss.
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The Many Names Of Added Sugar
Its in about three-quarters of all prepackaged foods at the grocery store and has more than 50 names, so it can be hard to keep up. Some of the more common ones are corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, raw sugar, cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, dextrose, agave, brown rice syrup, coconut palm sugar, barley malt syrup, and more. Look for a list of names from a reputable source if you want to be sure of what youre buying.
Breaking The Sugar Cycle
My challenge started on a Friday. By Wednesday, I was hitting proverbial brick walls left and right, with so little energy and no resources to give myself a quick “jolt” to get through the afternoon. I was also irritable, which made work difficult and daunting. Naps were my friend in this period. They provided energy, and they let me escape a bit of the sugar-free meltdown.
That period lasted about 24 hours-I liken it to the keto flu during the first few days of the keto diet-and then it was over. After that, it was smooth sailing, as long as I avoided the sugar pitfalls of office birthday parties and free cookies at the farmers’ market.
But that’s just the challenge-sugar is everywhere. Avoiding it is a bit like avoiding sunlight. No matter what you do, it will get in, so you have to be smarter than the sugar.
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Where Do I Find Added Sugars On Food Labels
Learning how to read food labels can help you manage the amount of sugar in your diet. Labels tell you if any sugars have been added, as well as the total amount of sugar in a product.
Check the:
- ingredients list ingredients are listed in order of weight. The higher up the list, the bigger the proportion of that ingredient. Sugars may be listed as sucrose, glucose, dextrose, maltose, golden syrup, maple syrup, molasses, coconut sugar, agave syrup or others. High-fructose corn syrup is another added sugar, but its not common in Australia.
- nutrition information panel sugars are listed under Carbohydrates. The amount of sugar per 100g is an easy way to compare products for their sugar content. For example, if one cereal brand has 10g of sugar per 100g and another has 5g of sugar per 100g, the second option may be the better one.
The amount of sugar per serve shows how much sugar you will consume in one suggested serve of the product. This is a measure of total sugar both naturally-occurring and added sugar.