8 Ways To Cut Sugar Out Of Your Diet

8 Ways To Cut Sugar Out Of Your Diet

Everybody knows that sugar is your food enemy, and it’s smart to consume as little of it as possible. But, I hear you when you say, it’s hard to cut down on an ingredient you have been consuming your entire life. Avoiding sugar completely is next to impossible, and thankfully, not a good health move either.

So, here we are here to help you curb your sugar intake with these smart tips!

1. Replace Refined Sugar With Natural Sugar

Get acquainted with all the natural sugar alternatives to replace refined sugar products. Natural sugars like pure maple syrup, jaggery, sugarcane juice, and raw honey are easily accessible, and can be used to replace refined sugars like white sugar, corn syrup, sucrose, and ALL artificial sweeteners.

2. Stop Buying Processed Food

Avoid tetra packs, tin cans, and boxed food as much as possible as all these processed foods are notorious for having added sugar. Instead of eating a packaged snack, reach for something like cut fruits and yogurt. The more whole foods you can eat, the easier it will be to avoid processed stuff and still eat enough to feel satiated.

3. Set Rules for Dessert

When it comes to dessert, there are several options that are healthier than the others. Opt for fruit-based desserts that have natural sweetness to them, like pies that are filled with fruits, or dark chocolate treats that are the healthiest form of chocolate, and loaded with anti-oxidants too.

4. Avoid Drinking Sugar

Alcohol contains a lot of sugar, and if you top that with a mixer or chaser, that is more sugar added to your drink. Avoiding soda is a good idea, but watch out for bottled iced teas, energy drinks, bottled coffee drinks, and store-bought smoothies. All those drinks that are set out to be healthy, but still contain a lot of the sweet stuff than you’re supposed to have in an entire day.

5. Don’t Make Your Breakfast Look Like Dessert

The biggest mistake we all make is having a tremendous amount of sugar each morning! Like they say, Hollywood is not America, in the same way an American breakfast is not all-healthy. Bagels, muffins, waffles, pancakes with syrup, and sliced bread with jam are all full of carbs and processed sugar. So hey, just a reminder, don’t treat your breakfast as your cheat day dessert. Opt for healthier options like a fruit, un-sweetened cereal, oatmeal, smoothies, etc.

6. Swap Your Juice For Whole Fruit

Buying those fancy juicers, and having sweet juices basically breaks down the ingredients to sugar and water. A whole fruit has fibre, which is lost during the process of juicing. Healthy fibres keep your stomach full and in turn decrease your cravings between meals.

7. Read Labels

Get familiar with the ingredients on packaged goods, and avoid products made with white sugar, corn syrup, high fructose, corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, fructose, and ALL artificial sweeteners. Sugar hides under several sneaky names on the nutrition list, so make sure to read up on them before you give them the green light. Watch out for certain products that you don’t think are sweet, like tomato sauce, crackers, condiments, and salad dressings, which can be packed with sugar. Get acquainted with all the natural alternatives to replace refined sugar products.

8. Have Infused Water

Most of the time, we mistake thirst for hunger, so sipping on water all day long will give your body a better understanding of when it actually needs fuel. Staying hydrated is the best way to curb hunger. If having water seems to be a difficult task for you, then infuse it with fresh fruits to add some flavour to it. My favourite flavors are strawberries, oranges, cucumbers, or the plain ol’ slice of lemon.

Initially, cutting down on sugar will feel like your worst nightmare, but eventually your taste buds will adjust. Disclaimer: You’ll probably find ice cream too sweet, and appreciate the natural sweetness in fruits and vegetables a lot more!

Kreena Desai

Hauterfly's Content Writer and Video Producer, Kreena is a sucker for all things DIY. In love with nail art, beauty, fashion, textiles, and all things creative under the sun, she follows the mantra: Why buy, when you can DIY?!

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