¿Le encantan los dulces? 6 Ways to Cut Sugar
While we all have a sweet tooth every now and then, consuming too much added sugar can not only be extremely detrimental to our health, but can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes and even heart disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019), consuming less added sugar on a day-to-day basis, can lead to longer and healthier lives.
Added sugar is the type of sugar that is added to foods when they are being processed or prepared. This does not include the sugars found in fruit, milk and other food where sugar naturally occurs.
So how do you go about combatting that sweet tooth? Sugar is a master at deception, and hides in many common foods that you may not think of as ‘sweet’.
- Avoid cereal and donuts for breakfast: Rather than a sugary donut or bowl of cereal, try Greek yogurt or scrambled eggs. This will allow you to stay fuller, longer and help to avoid the cravings you may get mid-day.
- Don’t drink your sugar: You’d be surprised how much sugar your low-fat latte actually has in it. Just by avoiding sugary-beverages, you can reduce the amount of sugar you consume dramatically. Try consuming one less sugary-beverage per day, to start.
- Cinnamon, cinnamon, cinnamon: If you’re used to adding sugar to your coffee or morning breakfast, try cinnamon instead! This will still give you the sweetness you’re looking for, without the added health effects.
- Water Infusion: To help you avoid other sweet drinks, try infusing your water with citrus and other fruits to give your sweet tooth the same effect, without all of the added sugar.
- Cut the sauce: Next time you grab your favorite sauce or dressing, take a look at the nutrition label. You’d be shocked at the amount of sugar hiding in your sauce!
- Get more Zzz’s: When you’re sleep deprived, your hunger hormone (grehlin) increases and your cravings can increase. Be sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep to help curb those cravings.
Interested in other ways to take control of your health? We have information that can help. Find seven manageable ways to get started today.
