The American Heart Association recommends that women eat no more than 6 tsp. of sugar a day and men consume no more than 9 tsp. If your sugar intake is higher than this, you may be consuming too much sugar throughout the day. If you have a difficult time cutting back on the sugar in your diet, you may be craving the sweetness of the sugar or the energy that sugar causes in your body when your blood sugar spikes. Substituting sugar for other, healthier foods may help you kick your craving.
Step 1
Separate your emotions and eating sweet foods. If you cope with a difficult situation by curling up with a pint of ice cream, you may be masking your feelings with sweets. Go for a walk or hang out with friends when you're feeling down instead of eating sweets.
Step 2
Replace your usual heaping teaspoon of sugar in your coffee with a cinnamon stick, recommends the editors of "Good Housekeeping" in the book "The Complete Household Handbook, Revised Edition: The Best Ways to Clean, Maintain & Organize Your Home." The cinnamon will give your coffee a sweet, flavorful taste without using sugar.
Step 3
Satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit instead of refined sugar. Puree some strawberries or blueberries and pour them on top of pancakes instead of maple syrup.
Step 4
Use unsweetened applesauce instead of sugar when making a recipe, recommends the American Heart Association.
Step 5
Make food from scratch at home instead of eating prepackaged baked goods and other snacks. These snacks may contain more sugar than you would use yourself.
Tips and Warnings
- Depriving yourself from sugar completely may cause you to binge -- instead, allow yourself to eat a sugary treat once in a while.
- Consult a doctor before making changes in your diet.
Things You'll Need
- Cinnamon stick
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Applesauce
References
- Health Services at Columbia: Go Ask Alice: Still Can't Control Cravings for Sweets
- "The Complete Household Handbook, Revised Edition: The Best Ways to Clean, Maintain & Organize Your Home"; Good Housekeeping Editors; 2007
- American Heart Associations: Sugars and Carbohydrates
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