The average American consumes about 160
pounds of refined sugar every year. Think about that for a minute. That’s a lot
of sugar. Just two hundred years ago we only used about 20 pounds of sugar per
person per year.
We know all this sugar isn’t good for us.
It’s rotting our teeth, giving us Type II Diabetes, and contributing to the
obesity epidemic in the western world. The bad thing is that added sugar has
found its way into all sorts of foods we consume on a daily basis and it isn’t
just the sugary breakfast cereal or the ice cream that is the culprit. There’s
sugar in our salad dressings, our frozen dinners, and pasta sauce to give you
just a few examples.
What can we do to cut back on the amount of
sugar we consume on a daily basis? Let’s start by cutting out some of the big
offenders.
Cut
The Soda and Other Sugary Drinks
Let’s start with something easy that will
also have a huge impact. Stop drinking soda and other sugary drinks. That
includes seemingly innocent things like the sweet tea you’re enjoying or the
fancy coffee drink but, it could also be your favorite juice beverage. Look at
the labels and figure out how many teaspoons of sugar you’re drinking each day. Just four grams of sugar is equal to a teaspoon of sugar. If you don't want to be eating that much sugar, then cut them out. Stick to water, black coffee and herbal tea for a few days. I even enjoy kombucha because although you do put quite a bit of sugar in it, the bacteria eats it. You generally will have about 2 grams compared to 24 that you'll get in your juice. It’s not an easy transition, but it will be well worth it in the end. Be prepared for sugar detox, and caffeine withdrawal. If you are out on the go, grab the strawberry infused green tea from Starbucks and you'll get half the sugar of your tea, a little caffeine, and an slower transition off the soda.
Stop
Indulging In Sugar Laden Treats
Next it’s time to give up your favorite
sugary treats. Enjoy a bowl of oatmeal or scramble up some eggs instead of
pouring a bowl of sweet cereal. Skip the muffin, cake, cookies and candy even when they are gluten-free because that's still sugar! Instead reach for a piece of fruit or cut up some fresh veggies.
Go for protein if you're hungry in the afternoon
instead of raiding the cookie jar. If you are hangry add in some healthy fats. And in this weather make sure you are getting enough hydration. Do your
best to train your brain and taste buds to not crave sweet treats all day long.
Stick
To Real Food
Last but not least, work on reducing the
added sugars that sneak into your diet via all sorts of convenience foods.
Anything that’s labeled low fat, fat free or gluten free that comes in a box is worth avoiding
since the fat is usually replaced by lots of sugar and salt to make it
palatable. Your best bet is to stick to real food. Stick with single
ingredients and cook your meals from scratch. This allows you to control what’s
going into the food you eat - including the sugar.
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