Pierrette Mulumba
Sugar tastes great and it can really lift our moods. However, it has many negative side effects. Sugar provides fuel for cancer cells, promotes weight gain and disrupts insulin resistance which can lead to Type II diabetes.
That being said, not all sugar is bad for you. Natural sugars from fruits and honey is okay- just as long as you don’t overdo it. There are ways on how to cut back on sugar without losing out on minerals and vitamins.
- It’s not a complete goodbye
There’s no need to say a complete goodbye to desserts. Simply lay down rules to enjoying your sweet treats. Try eating it after dinner, on the weekends or make it part of your cheat day.
- Stop with processed foods
This sounds much easier than it actually is. Everything that comes packaged contains added sugars. Try to buy whole-grain foods.
- Fresh fruit over fruit products
Just because it’s made from fruits don’t make it automatically healthy. All those fruit products are full of sugars. Furthermore, the important minerals have most likely been stripped away. Choose to eat fresh fruits as opposed to putting yourself in a sugar coma.
- No more flavoured yogurt
Plain yoghurt is the heathiest yoghurt you can eat. If you’re looking to add flavour to your yoghurt, add fresh fruit and some honey.
- This is a sugar-free zone
Keeping treats around your work place or living area is just asking for trouble. If you’re craving something sweet, you might find yourself over-indulging on your secret stash and that’s the last thing you need.
- Dark chocolate is good chocolate
If you happen to have a chocolate addiction, try opting for dark chocolate. It’s much healthier and you’ll have a harder time finishing a slab of dark chocolate as opposed to wolfing down a slab of milk chocolate.
- Cocktails are filled with sugar
Some people love a good drink but there is a lot of sugar in mixed drinks. If you insist on drinking, go for red wine due to its great health benefits.
- No more fizz
Soft drinks are filled with large amounts of sugar. Learn to drink water. If you need a taste, add lime or lemon. If you miss the fizz too much, opt for sparkling water.
- Ingredient Watch
There are a lot of sugars in foods that don’t even taste sweet. Ingredients are listed by the amount added so if sugar is in the top five- leave it alone. Make sure you read them.
- Sugar goes by many names
Sugar isn’t always listed as sugar. It can also be listed as high fructose corn syrup, dried cane syrup, invert sugar, molasses, sucrose, brown rice syrup, honey, and maple syrup. Don’t expect to just see one of these in your foods. You can find four of them in one single product.
- Unsweetened is the new sugar
Buy foods labelled no added sugar or unsweetened.
- Fake sugar is just as bad as the real thing
In trying to keep up with the sweet life, you might decide to take up artificial sugars. This is a big no-no. Indulging in diet cokes and other sugar alternatives can lead to weight gain.
- Sleep your cravings away
Ever heard of a sugar rush? When we’re tired we often use sugar for energy.
Getting enough rest can help with your sugar cravings as well as other not so healthy cravings.
