According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the typical American consumes 128 pounds of added sugar every year. Through the years, numerous studies have revealed links between excessive sugar consumption and a variety of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease. Unfortunately, weaning yourself off of sugar is easier said than done. Here are some useful tips for reducing your sugar intake.
How Much is Too Much?
That depends on whom you ask, but the World Health Organization states that only 5 percent of daily calories should come from sugar. The American Heart Association has published these guidelines:
- 0 grams of sugar for children aged two and younger
- 25 grams, or 6 teaspoons, of sugar per day for kids ages two through 18
- 25 grams, or 6 teaspoons, per day for adult women
- 38 grams, or 9 teaspoons, per day for adult men
Tips for Reducing Your Daily Sugar Intake
- Start Slowly – Quitting sugar cold turkey is overwhelming and difficult. Give yourself the best odds of success by slowly weaning yourself down.
- Read Labels – Because sugar is added to seemingly everything, it’s crucial to carefully read labels for nutritional information when buying prepared and packaged foods.
- Know the Aliases – Unfortunately, reading labels isn’t so cut and dry because sugar isn’t always listed as “sugar.” Various different terms are used, including high fructose corn syrup, corn sweetener and raw sugar. Familiarize yourself with common aliases for sugar to more effectively read and understand labels.
- Take Care with Beverages – Everyone knows that sodas are loaded with sugar. Many other drinks are too, and some of them may surprise you. Fruit juice is a prime example. If you drink coffee or tea with sugar, learn how to enjoy it without. The best rule of thumb is to stick with water as much as possible.
- Use Less Sugar While Baking – As a general rule, avoid baking sugary sweets. When you feel like treating yourself, consider reducing the amount of sugar that’s called for in the recipe by one-third or one-half of a cup. Chances are that no one will even notice. Try vegan desserts which usually use more natural forms of sugar than the processed sugar of most dessert recipes.
- Keep it Out of Sight – Don’t keep sugary candy and other treats in the home. Keep jars of sugar, honey, syrup and other sugary additives off of tables and counters, where you’ll be more tempted to use them.
- Load Up on Proteins, Healthy Fats and Fiber – Excessive sugar consumption creates a vicious cycle where you never really feel full. That’s because sugar is simply empty calories and offers nothing nutritionally. Add more healthy fats, fiber and proteins to your diet to stay fuller longer and to more easily resist temptation.
- Avoid Artificial Sweeteners – People often swap out sugar for artificial sweeteners, which usually contain very few calories or none at all. This is problematic because it confuses your body and can actually make you crave the real thing even more. Instead of using aspartame and other sweeteners, sweeten foods and drinks with things like extracts and spices. Rather than pouring artificial sweetener into your oatmeal, add fresh fruit. There are plenty of ways to satisfy a sweet tooth without using sugar or sweeteners.
- Substitute Often – Try Dates or Turkish figs when you have a sweet tooth. They are loaded with natural sugars and healthier than going for a pack of gummy bears.
- Load up on Protein – If you have plenty of protein or take protein snacks often, you’ll likely crave less sugar.
Considering that more than 71 percent of Americans get at least 10 percent of their daily calories from sugar, odds are that you are consuming too much without even realizing it. Protect your health by gradually implementing the tips above. You’ll be healthier and happier for it!
Check out this Raw Vegan Ice Cream recipe for a healthier version of the sugary ice cream classics.
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