Sugar has a reputation for causing obesity and diabetes, but the American Diabetes Association says that eating too much sugar does not cause diabetes. Genetic factors and lifestyle are the biggest influences on a person's risk of contracting these diseases. Although sugar occurs naturally in unprocessed foods and cannot be eliminated entirely from a diet, refined sugar, which has no nutritional content and is not found in nature, can nearly be eliminated with smart choices.
Step 1
Shop on the outskirts of the grocery store. This is where the healthiest foods are located. Produce such as vegetables and fruits contain naturally occurring forms of sugar, which is not harmful to your health. And while breads, rices and grains contain carbohydrates that turn into sugars in the bloodstream, when eaten in moderation they are safe, natural whole foods. Body Transformation Expert JoLynn Braley recommends purchasing unprocessed foods that need to be prepared at home. Doing so will ensure that sugar is not added to foods without your knowledge.
Step 2
Read labels carefully. Refined sugar is in everything from salad dressing to spaghetti sauce. Although the consumption of sugar itself isn't a health risk, the problem lies in our overconsumption of the substance. In many instances, sugar is hidden so well that the average American unknowingly consumes an average of 160 lbs. per year. You can spot sugar by reading the nutrition labels on products. Look closely for ingredients ending in "ose," such as fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, dextrose and glucose; corn syrup solids and more. Also remember that honey, maple syrup, brown sugar and fruit juice concentrates are also sugar and pose the same risks when overconsumed.
Step 3
Cook and bake with a natural, unprocessed sugar substitute. If a recipe calls for sugar, you can substitute it with dry or liquid substitutes. While many bakers use agave syrup, which is made from the agave plant that produces tequila, this type of sugar substitute is still refined and has a high glycemic index (which ranks carbohydrates by their effect on our blood glucose levels). Your goal is to choose a sugar substitute with the lowest glycemic index possible. Healthful low glycemic dry sugar substitutes include pure palm sugar, which is made from the nectar produced from the coconut tree's flowers. This tree is not the same palm tree that produces palm oil. Palm sugar appears to be identical to refined sugar in the texture and melting point, however it has a low glycemic index that makes it safer for diabetics than refined sugars. Used extensively in Thai and Indonesian cooking, palm sugar is just now gaining popularity in Western kitchens as a sugar substitute.
Step 4
Stop drinking soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages. Even if you only drink one 12-oz. can of soda a day, that beverage has 10 to 12 tsp. of sugar. The seemingly insignificant act of drinking a soda adds up to 65 lbs. of sugar per year consumed by the average soda drinker. Instead of putting your health at risk by drinking sweetened carbonated beverages, choose naturally flavored filtered water instead. Add a lemon or lime wedge, or crush up mint inside of a glass of water. You can also try making sun tea with herbal, flavored teas like berry or ginger.
Tips and Warnings
- When you're on the go, choose energy and granola bars as a last resort. Even though these snacks are associated with health and fitness, many of them contain large amounts of sugar. Reach for an apple and peanut butter instead.
- Never start your day with processed breakfast cereals. Most of them contain higher sugar amounts than deserts such as donuts, cakes and ice cream. Choose fruits, whole-wheat toast, yogurts and natural unprocessed foods instead.
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