There are no hard and concrete facts about how much sugar we should be consuming each day; however, there appears to be a consensus on the fact that less sugar or even no sugar is the healthier option.
As you mentally try to scroll through the sugar-laden foods we eat daily, the sweet ones come to mind: the cookies, candy, desserts, and soft drinks. But even more than you’d think, Sugar is in almost every manufactured food product. If you were to look in your cupboard or fridge right now you would be surprised by the places sugar would show up, in one form or another. A few examples include mayo, relish, soy sauce and even canned vegetable soup! Sugar is almost everything we eat.
Sugar comes in many forms on package food labels. Some common names you will easily come across include white sugar (often known as table sugar or sucrose), cane sugar, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, Molasses, honey, maple syrup etc. The least processed sugars are the best for you. Honey and Maple Syrup are the most natural. But since they are still sugar, it is important to limit them in your daily diet.
Sugar can have quite an effect on your body. It causes rapid spikes in blood sugar levels which in turn causes higher energy and subsequent crashes when the sugar is absorbed leaving us drained. Our bodies, wanting to bring the energy level back up, craves for sugar and once we feed it, the same cycle continues, and this can affect our immune system. There is believed to be a link between high sugar intake with an increased risk of diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease and weight gain.
Being aware of the amount of sugar in your food is the first step to improving your health. Another step is by choosing less processed foods. This gives you control of what you eat. If you need a little sweetener in your meals, a bit of liquid honey could be added. Real juice rather than juice drinks would also mean lower sugar intake. Single biscuits without the icing filling reduce the sugar even more and cookies like gingersnaps or oatmeal taste good and have some nutritional value too.
So why quit sugar or in the least, eat less of it?
Sugar has been added to a wide variety of foods we eat daily – such as soda, juice, canned food, cereal, processed savory foods, bread, diet food and obvious sugar-rich foods such as cookies, cake and pastries.
There are so many reasons why a sugar heavy diet is bad for us; reducing the amount of sugar or quitting sugar entirely from your diet could avoid problems such as diabetes, weight gain, depression, anxiety, and lethargy.
How much sugar should we then consume?
A very solid reference point would be the AHA’s (American Heart Association) recommendations for sugar intake.
The AHA recommends that men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day. While for women, the number is slightly lower; women should have no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) of added sugar daily.
The good part is food manufacturers have been mandated to list the quantity of added sugars on the Nutrition Facts. Listing the total amount of added sugar means that consumers are informed of the sugar content of each of these products and can watch the amount of sugar they consume.
So, make sure to read those Nutrition labels carefully and be conscious of the quantity of added sugar contained in the product, no matter what sugar alias is used in the label.
Below are a few practical steps you can take to help you consume much less sugar daily
1. Avoid adding sugar to anything you eat.
2. Limit the number of processed foods in your diet such as donuts, cakes, pizzas, and sweets.
3. Consume a well-rounded whole food diet consisting of proteins, healthy fats, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, and limited fruits.
4. Avoid drinking sugar in soda, juice, sweetened coffee, sweet teas, and other sweet beverages.
5. Take the time to read food labels and know how much sugar is in what you eat and know how sugar is disguised on food labels.
6. Prepare more food at home. Look for recipes and ideas in magazines and cookbooks. In most recipes the amount of sugar can be reduced by about one-third.
Everyone makes mistakes, so if you slip up at one meal keep in mind you can take steps to eat cleaner for your next meal. You can still enjoy a slice of cake but remember that it shouldn’t be every day and you should enjoy the sweeter side of life in moderation.
As a simple guide to sugar-less dieting, remember the following tips
- Avoid adding sugar to your food
- Avoid processed foods
- Eat whole foods
- Avoid sweet beverages
- Read food labels and
- Eat homemade foods
Eat less sugar and improve your health significantly
You’d feel a whole lot better about your body, your mind, and your whole life in general
With Love and gratitude as always, Xo!
If you want to learn other ways to help you quit Sugar, then you should get a copy of my cookbook “Wholesomely Sugar-Free Cookbook”. Retrain Your Brain & Create Habits That Will Change Your Cravings, And Body when you buy this cookbook.
“Wholesomely Sugar-Free Cookbook” will show you numerous amazing recipes you can cook as well as give you a Sugar-Free detox plan that will help get rid of the sugar in your system and its cravings.
“Wholesomely Sugar-Free Cookbook” would act as your 7-day, 14-day, or 30-day sugar detox guide and companion for all things healthy, wholesome, and sugar-free whenever you decide to go on a sugar detox plan.
From the very first day of the detox plan, you’ll be surprised to learn about numerous food recipes that are healthy and nutritious which would help to eliminate toxins in the body and reverse all your sugar cravings.
Finally, a collection of simplified meal plans that will help you eat less and less of sugar
You can click the link below to get a copy of the e-book for yourself
Disclaimer: Please note that I am not your doctor while I am a health coach by profession. This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice nor does it establish any kind of medical relationship between you and me. I will not be held liable for any damage resulting from or related to your use of this information.
With Love, Xo!