Some people can take it or leave it, but some of us just have to have it. Sugar, sweet and addictive, we start our day with it and end our day with it.
We swear it off… over and over. We joke about our addiction to sugar, about not being able to say “no” to the chocolate donuts our co-worker brings in to share. But while we laugh about it, at home at night, we struggle with those sugar cravings.
Sugar is a problem for many. Although the American Heart Association recommends we consume 6 teaspoons daily, most Americans eat or drink about 22 teaspoons a day. There are 4 grams of sugar in each teaspoon, so start reading those labels of processed food. How many grams of sugar are in each package? “Healthy” foods like yogurt often have 26 grams of sugar (or more) making a small container more than 6 teaspoons of sugar!
Part of the problem with eating sugar is the more you eat, the more you crave it. So if you decide that you want to cut down on sugar, you have to not only cut out the obvious sources such as commercial baked goods, candy, soda and other sugar-laden drinks, but start reading labels on all processed foods. Processed foods are ALL foods packaged in some way and not directly from the earth: boxed, canned, frozen or wrapped.
Watch out for hidden sugars too that are listed ingredients as: fructose, maltose, sorbitol, evaporated cane juice, xylitol, corn syrup, dextrose, malted barley, mannitol, sucanet and sucrose. And although sugar alone is not to blame for the rise in diabetes, a diet high in calories leads to weight gain and being overweight increases your risk of type 2 diabetes.
To painlessly reduce your sugar intake:
- Increase your protein and fiber with each meal and snack. This will keep you full and satisfied and keep you blood sugar stable. When your blood sugar goes down, you will crave sweets.
- Gradually decrease your sweets and sugar intake. Do not completely stop it. Banning all sugar will just intensify the craving.
- Instead of buying commercially baked goods, bake them yourself and use healthier recipes. You can find many and I give my clients several in my program.
- Add lots of naturally sweet fruits
- When eating sugary foods, pair with protein and fiber foods to help prevent spikes and low dips of blood sugar, rather than eating it alone.
You will begin to notice that as you slowly decrease your sugar intake over time, you palate changes, your cravings diminish and sugar begins to taste too sweet. Experiment with adding cinnamon, ginger, vanilla or allspice for flavoring. And when you want to have a sweet treat, go out and buy an individual serving or eat it at a restaurant, rather than buying a large container to keep at your house. And as always… savor each bite.