Healthy Living: Reducing Your Sugar Intake Would Make a Great New Year Resolution

Avoiding sugar is not always easy. To reduce your sugar intake you don’t just need to stop eating obvious things like chocolate and sweets but also proactively avoid hidden sugars.

Sugar

Sugar is both an ally and an enemy of the body: we need it for the proper functioning of our organs, but when we eat it in excessive amounts, it becomes a threat to our health leading to serious conditions such as diabetes and obesity. The World Health Organization recommends not exceeding 25 grams of sugar per day or six teaspoons. This may seem like an easy thing to accomplish, but sugar is everywhere. A portion of ketchup can contain up to a teaspoon of sugar, and there is ten times as much sugar in a can of soda. If you want to eat less sugar, you need to rethink your entire diet!

Switch to whole grains

Table of Contents

1 Switch to whole grains
2 At least go for unrefined sugar
3 Avoid drinking alcohol
4 In January, cook your own food
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Rice, pasta, and bread: it’s best to eat them when they’re made with whole grains, which have a lower glycemic index. This means they raise blood sugar levels less than other foods with a high glycemic index. By limiting the rise in blood sugar, you can avoid insulin spikes, which are often responsible for weight gain. It makes more sense to choose dark bread, rye bread, or whole wheat bread, which all have a much lower glycemic index.

At least go for unrefined sugar

The white sugar we usually consume is refined, which means the vitamins and minerals are removed from it. Although it is still food to be limited, whatever form it takes, it should be chosen unrefined to preserve its nutritional qualities. Unrefined sugar which contains potassium, magnesium, and calcium has a very dark amber color, a slightly moist texture, and a caramelized licorice flavor. Ideally, when using sugar for yogurt or cottage cheese, it’s best to use spices like cinnamon. For those who use honey keep in mind that it has almost the same number of calories as white sugar. Even if the glycemic index of honey is slightly lower it is still better to lower its consumption.

Avoid drinking alcohol

The harmful effects of alcohol on health have been known for many years regardless of how much you consume. But did you know that it has a very high sugar content? To limit the damage, it is better to drink water or low-calorie nonalcoholic drinks.

In January, cook your own food

One of the best ways to reduce sugar intake is to ditch processed, fast, and junk foods. Sugar can be found in most canned foods, pizzas, and other industrial sauces. It’s best to cook at home to avoid hidden sugar. If you’re looking for new resolutions for January, this is the one for you!