Sugar is an important ingredient in many food products. Most of the food products we eat don’t even taste sweet, but they have sugar included in them. Many lifestyle diseases are a result of sugar. As sugar is the cause of many diseases like diabetes, tooth decay, high blood pressure etc, a small act of reducing sugar or eliminating it from your regular diet will give you a lot of health benefits. In this post, we show you How To Avoid Sugar In Your Diet.
Many daily food products like bread, juices, sauces, salad dressings etc., have a good amount of sugar. Many people have lots of tea and coffee which also adds to the sugar content in the body.
How To Avoid Sugar In Your Diet
Let us look at some of important things that you should know in order to avoid sugar.
1. Always read the food labels carefully before buying things.
Most foods contain sugar which is listed as part of the ingredients list. Please check the ingredients list carefully. If sugar in on the list as one of the top ingredients then it is not good. Many foods which do not taste sweet like bread, sauces, chutneys etc., have sugar in them. Next time you buy the flavored healthy yogurt, please check the label.
Remember we are more concerned with artificial sugar than with natural sugar. Fruits, vegetables, honey etc., have natural sugar which is not harmful, if eaten in right quantities. Fruits and vegetables have natural fats and healthy fiber which helps in processing the natural sugar in a much better way. In short, the sugar found in apples, mangoes and bell peppers will not harm you or contribute to your weight gain, as chocolates, sweets and pastries would.
2. Avoid buying processed foods.
Most of us use processed foods like pickles, sauces, papads, sausages, processed meat, cereals and ready to make foods etc. These foods contain high amounts of sugar and saturated fats, which are harmful to your health.
Research has indicated that even healthy cereals are loaded with sugar. Please check the food label and ensure that the sugar per serving is less than 6 grams. Try and make your own homemade tomato sauce rather than buying a canned tomato puree or sauce. Not only will it be fresh but it will also be tasty and healthy. Also, you can make your own salad dressings.
3. Choose fresh and whole fruits over canned juices or soft drinks.
Many people have a glass of canned juice thinking that it is very healthy. In reality, canned fruit juices are loaded with sugar. In other words, eat whole fresh fruit for the best health benefits. Try and eat seasonal fruits. It would be good if you choose lemon, cherries, berries etc., over banana and apples as they (former) have higher glucose and lower fructose which is good for you.
4. Avoid all soda’s and fizzy drinks from your diet.
Try and completely avoid coke, fizzy soda’s, diet cokes, Pepsi and other soft drinks. Soft drinks and fizzy sodas are loaded with sugar. Instead go for fresh lime water, fresh fruit juices, coconut water etc. These are natural and healthy drinks which help to keep the body healthy.
[content-egg module=Amazon template=grid]5. Do not keep tempting treats at home.
In order to cut down sugar from your diet, the first thing to do is to remove all the sweet temptations from the house. Do not keep any sweets at home. If you are tempted to have pastries or ice creams then just have a small portion. Many times the effort to get this small portion of ice cream or sweet will be so much that you might just give up and decide to avoid it. If you have a sweet tooth then you can try a small piece of dark chocolate or freshly baked small wheat honey croissants as a healthier option.
6. Try and buy unsweetened food products.
Many food products have a “no added sugar” label on them. You can try and have these cereals, porridge or other food products with this “no added sugar” label on them. You can buy unsweetened and natural food products. Avoid dried fruits which are sweetened with sugar syrup etc., to extend their shelf life.
7. Try to be innovative in your foods and drinks.
Try and be innovative in your desserts. You don’t need to have deserts which are loaded with sugar. Instead have healthy options of deserts which have honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, other sweet spices and fresh fruits. It will not only taste good but will also be very good for the body.Chewing fennel seeds after food is good because they are naturally sweet and help to avoid bloating of the stomach.
Some of the important reasons why you should avoid sugar –
- It increases your weight which is harmful to the body.
- It spikes the insulin levels thereby leading to diabetes.
- It also prevents proper digestion of food.
- It increases your blood pressure level thereby having a bad impact on the heart health.
- Less amount of sugar will help in keeping you more alert during the day besides helping you to sleep appropriately at night.
It is important to consciously choose to remove the excessive sugar intake from your diet. Encourage your children to eat healthy right from the beginning. Avoid giving them sugary and oily food which is not good for health. Avoiding sugar is a conscious decision that you need to make for your family and yourself and this decision will reap a lot of benefits in the long run.
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Please read our earlier article Health Benefits Of Guava
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