If you're used to having a high-sugar diet, now may be the time to start reducing your sugar intake. There is a mountain of evidence linking increased sugar consumption with increasing rates of diabetes, overweight, obesity and heart disease, as outlined by the American Heart Association. Foods and beverages that contain added sugar only increase your daily calorie intake without providing anything else of nutritional value. It's therefore a good idea to take simple steps to gradually remove sugar from your diet.
Step 1
Remove hidden sources of sugar form your diet. You may be surprised to find that items like salad dressing, ketchup, baked beans, chewing gum and mints all contain sugar. Read product labels carefully to ensure you're not consuming sugar without knowing.
Step 2
Choose your breakfast cereal carefully. Many breakfast cereals are laden with sugar some containing as much as 11g of sugar per 30 g serving. Choose unsweetened whole-grain cereals or oatmeal and sweeten yourself by adding pieces of fruit.
Step 3
Use less sugar when preparing food. Using only half the amount specified in a recipe won't likely make a difference to the recipe outcome.
Step 4
Use sugar substitutes. Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and saccharine, are synthetic substitutes for sugar containing no calories. Natural alternatives to sugar include honey, agave nectar, maple syrup and Stevia.
Step 5
Substitute high-sugar drinks such as soda and fruit punch with water. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular soft drinks are a major contributor to the total added sugar in American diets. Alternatively dilute high-sugar beverages. For example dilute regular soda with diet soda and fruit punch or fruit juice with seltzer. Continue diluting until you get used to having the unsweetened version.
References
- American Heart Association: Dietary Sugars Intake and Cardiovascular Health
- Kellogg's: Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Cereal
- Consumer Reports: Eating too Much Sugar? Try These 5 Ways to Cut Back
- Guardian: Cereals Laden with Sugar, Report Warns
- MayoClinic.com: Artificial Sweeteners, Understanding These and Other Sugar Substitiutes
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Does Drinking Beverages Sweetened with Sugar Increase the Risk of Overweight?
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