Is there too much sugar in your diet? Excess sugar intake is a leading cause of obesity, tooth decay, diabetes, and heart disease. Researchers are also looking into the relationship between sugar intake and Alzheimer’s disease. Despite the risks, many of us who have a sweet tooth find it hard to cut back. Eliminating sugar isn’t necessarily the answer either. Sugars are a key source of energy for many of our organs, especially the brain. It is a matter of choosing wisely where those sugars come from. Lowering your intake doesn’t have to be too great a challenge – here are just a few tricks that could help you satisfy that sweet tooth in a healthier way.
Snack Time: Fruits & Nuts
Many fruits and nuts contain sugar. After all, that is how those plants evolved to attract animals to spread their seeds. These natural, unprocessed sugars provide that sweetness with some added bonuses. Fruit and nuts tend to be rich in micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals that are important parts of our diet. Some of these can even help to counteract the negative effects. Fruits, in particular, also have the added benefit of providing a good source of fiber.
Fiber is is a type of carbohydrate that our body does not have the capability of processing, You may be asking yourself how something that our body doesn’t process can be beneficial. Think of fiber like the brush that cleans our intestines. Recommended daily fiber intake depends on both age and sex. Men that are 50 years and younger should consume 38 grams daily and those over 50 should have a goal of 30 grams per day. Women 50 years and under are recommended to have 25 grams daily, which decreases to 21 grams daily for women over 50 years. Dietary fiber will not only help you feel more full and prevent constipation, but it has the added benefits of lowering cholesterol and decreasing the risk of colon cancer. This makes fruit and nuts a good go-to snack for when we’re having a sweet craving.
Avoid Sugary Beverages
Soft drinks, sports drinks, and even fruit juices are full of sugar and are one of the biggest offenders when it comes to increased sugar intake. It is easy to overdo it on the sugar just by beverages alone because fluids do nothing to satisfy hunger. Carbohydrates do not have as big of an impact as fats and proteins on the release of hormones that tell our brain that we are full. These hormones also regulate the pyloric sphincter, which is the valve between the stomach and small intestine that regulates the emptying of our stomach contents into the small intestine. Therefore, fluids flow freely from the stomach to the small intestine, providing your small intestines a large dose of sugar to absorb and providing the stomach with no stretch, which also
If you are someone who does not like to drink plain water, you are not alone. But there are some different ways that you can stay hydrated without denying your taste buds of some flavor. For starters, you can infuse water with different fruits or combinations of fruits to impart some flavor onto your water without drastically increasing the sugar content. You can keep a pitcher of water in the fridge with fruit in it, or put a couple pieces of fruit in your water bottle for those times you are on-the-go. This can be something as simple as lemon or lime slices. My personal favorite is cucumber slices, which I think gives it a refreshing flavor. You can also experiment with herbs like mint and basil. This is a low-cost option that will allow you to experiment to find those perfect combinations that work best for you. If you’re looking for a sweet and fizzy drink that is already packaged for you to drink, there are plenty of low or no sugar, carbonated water options out there, such as Hint flavoured water. For those who just can’t give up their soft drink, many soft drinks producers also have zero-sugar options. While the research still remains mixed on the effects of artificial sweeteners, it is a better alternative to the sugary soft drinks. The most important thing when buying a packaged drink is to look at the nutrition label to see how many added sugars are in each serving.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate is generally a lot healthier for you. I bake almost exclusively with dark chocolate these days, as I find the flavor to be richer and more complex without relying on sugar to provide all the flavor. Although, some brands will increase the sugar content as a way of compensating for the extra cocoa levels. Again, this is where comparing nutrition labels comes in handy. Brands such as Equal Exchange dark chocolate, which contain low sugar levels and no hidden additives. These brands might cost a little more, but you’re paying for a higher quality chocolate and while it is healthier than milk chocolate, you still shouldn’t go to town. Try to enjoy a little bit at a time, rather than eating an entire bar. This could be the ideal snack for evenings. You can even melt it and dip fruit in it!
Avoid White Bread
White bread may not taste sweet, but it’s actually packed with sugar as a way of disguising the bitterness of the yeast. Many whole grain
Frozen Bananas
While bananas do contain sugar, as discussed earlier, it’s a healthier alternative. If you’re looking for a healthy ice cream substitute, why not try freezing bananas? They have a similar consistency to ice cream and contain less sugar and fewer calories. Frozen bananas in a blender or food processor can be quickly whipped up with other fruit to give a tasty ice cream alternative. You could even try freezing bananas on sticks and dipping them in melted dark chocolate for a crunchy exterior.
Get Saucy
A lot of sauces and salad dressings contain hidden amounts of sugar. Salad dressings are often packed with added sugars. The same goes for ketchup and pasta sauces. Consider making your own sauces so that you can control the sugar levels – here is an example of a low-sugar ketchup recipe.
This is a contributor post, which has been reviewed and edited personally by me before being published. Links to external reviews are meant to provide additional ideas to readers and do not reflect my personal opinion or review of products.
Featured photo credit: Anete Lusina