Home Food & Health Sugar-Free Living: How to Reduce Added Sugar Intake and Its Health Implications

Sugar-Free Living: How to Reduce Added Sugar Intake and Its Health Implications

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Sugar-Free Living

To live a healthy life one needs to seriously consider cutting out on sugar intake. Exceeding the recommended level gives an invitation to a whole lot of health issues such as diabetes, weight gain, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatty liver issues, cavities, etc. But thankfully, many of us are now becoming aware of this issue and are opting for no-sugar diets by making healthier food choices. The no-sugar diet has a lot of benefits for our overall health in the long run. It is essential to replace high-sugar foods with healthier options in order to get all the required vitamins, and minerals and help to lose weight as well.

Five tips to reduce sugar intake:

  1. Take one step at a time
    It is important to go slow while starting your no-sugar journey. If you eliminate sugar completely all of a sudden the chances of feeling lazy and lethargic are high. It should be a slow process so that you don’t lose energy if you’re used to having sugar regularly since your body needs to adjust to the no-sugar diet.
  2. Read the labels mentioned on the product
    Noticing the levels of sugar added to the product can help you to understand which items to avoid. Most of the brands have hidden sugars in their products such as salad dressings, different types of sauces, cereals, and condiments, which is a dangerous thing. Being aware of what to avoid is a wise step in order to avoid synthetic sugars.
  3. Reduce intake of simple carbohydrates
    Incorporating whole-grain food items in your diet is a healthy option instead of having simple carbohydrates like white flour, white rice, and white pasta. The body has a tendency to break down carbohydrates into sugar which can cause a spike in blood sugar levels.
  4. Avoid sugary drinks
    The shops are loaded with sugary drinks of various flavours which is very tempting. These are the most common sources of added sugars in our daily diet such as soda, coffee, cold drinks, packaged teas, and fruit juices. All these items can be easily replaced with herbal tea, green tea, black coffee without sugar, etc.
  5. Switch to whole foods
    A no-sugar diet can be successful if we opt for whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish, unpolished grains, lean meats, various nuts, and seeds. Whole foods have higher nutrients, fibers, minerals, and vitamins. Switching to whole foods will reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, etc.

Conclusion:

When it comes to staying fit and healthy, you should ideally avoid food items with high sugar levels. To have a stronger immune system, fibre-rich food items play a key role. Limit the intake of saturated fats, trans fats, and added sugars. Excessive amounts of calories from foods and drinks that are high in sugars contribute to obesity.

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