Tips To Help You Eat Less Sugar Each Day

You probably know by now that too much sugar is bad for you. While there are sugars that are naturally found in whole foods such as fruits and honey, the Western diet has become more and more increasingly reliant on adding artificial sugars and sweeteners into almost any food or food product you could possibly imagine. This overload of artificial sugar is causing a great deal of troubling health issues in our society. In fact, the increase in sugar intake and consumption has been scientifically linked to everything from higher obesity rates to greater chances of a patient developing diabetes.

This is mainly because consuming large quantities of sugar causes inflammation in the body, which leads to a whole host of health problems. What's truly frightening is that you may think that you aren't eating a lot of sugar, but you would truly be surprised at how many foods that don't taste sweet - breads, pasta sauces, frozen dinners - contain astronomically high amounts of added sugar (if you don't believe me, check the Nutrition Facts label on your favorite foods to see for yourself). Fortunately, there are ways to wean yourself off of ingesting too much sugar, as I learned from a very helpful post by Care 2 that deals with this very subject.

One of the reasons you may be turning to sugar-heavy foods is because you feel like you need a boost in energy, or that you aren't staying full for very long. The problem with this is that foods that are loaded with sugar will cause unhealthy spikes and dips in your blood sugar levels. Foods that are high in fiber, healthy fats, and protein won't have this affect; in fact, they will keep your blood sugar levels stable for a longer period of time. Choose foods such as nut butters, eggs, and avocados to incorporate into your favorite snacks and meals. If you can't resist the taste of chocolate, opt for dark chocolate, which has the least amount of sugar and the most amount of antioxidants. 

Whatever your dietary habits are, the one thing you should really work to cut completely out of your diet is anything that contains false sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners are often found in diet sodas, and they are incredibly unhealthy. They offer no nutritional value, and they increase your tolerance for sugar over time, so you will more than likely end up craving more and more of the stuff. If you must sweeten your foods, try switching from sugar packets and artificial sweeteners to raw honey and pure maple syrup.

Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Tony Webster