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Boy is sugar addictive! But you can cut down and even quit eating sugar. You just need to know how. This post gives you 13 things you can start doing today to quit sugar and detox it from your diet and your family’s diet.
How to stop eating sugar
Sugar.
We crave it.
We love eating it.
It’s something we think of as a treat.
But it just isn’t good for us.
Sugar just isn’t good
In fact sugar is downright bad for us.
Sugar can create hormone imbalances, it can give us energy spikes and then big energy dips.
Sugar turns to fat, especially around the stomach area – especially if your metabolism is slowing down.
Plus it can cause sleeping problems.
And those are just a few of the issues with sugar.
Sugar is addictive
The fact that sugar is addictive is a clue in itself that it isn’t good for us.
Just think of the other substances that come to mind when you think of addiction.
So, if sugar is so addictive, is it really possible to cut down the amount of it you eat?
Is it possible to actually do a sugar detox and quit eating sugar for good?
Well, the simple answer is YES.
But of course, it isn’t that simple.
Or rather, it isn’t that easy.
But it is POSSIBLE.
How to stop sugar cravings
I find that the best way to do a good sugar detox is to start reducing the amount of sugar in your diet and your family’s diet.
The less you have of the stuff, the less you crave it.
It’s like retraining your palate.
To help you get started with reducing the amount of sugar in your
These are all things that I do myself to keep the amount of sugar I eat to a minimum.
So take a look and start using these tips from today to keep sugar cravings at bay and reduce the amount of sugar that you are your family eat.
13 Tips for eating less sugar
1. Stop buying processed foods
Processed food is easy food.
But it is often laden with sugar.
Sugar is a cheap ingredient that makes food more appealing to us humans.
There are also myriad ways that sugar is listed in ingredients.
So you might think that you’re buying something that isn’t heaped with sugar, but you could be being fooled.
The best way to avoid added sugar in your food is to avoid processed food.
Opt for whole foods and meals that you plan and make at home.
2. Avoid sugar at breakfast time
It is so easy to reach for something sweet at breakfast time.
Even ‘healthy’ seeming breakfast options, like granola and yoghurt can contain shed loads of sugar.
Avoid sugar at breakfast time and you stand a great chance of avoiding craving it the rest of the day.
Go for a high protein breakfast instead and you are setting yourself up to have balanced blood sugar throughout the day.
The better your blood sugar balance, the less you will crave sugar.
Read more: 8 Simple ways to change your life for the better
3. Make your own snacks
Snacks.
Some of us can go from meal to meal without them.
But most of us can’t.
There are so many so-called ‘healthy’ snacks out there.
But so many of them are choc full of sugar.
It’s that clever labelling thing again, where there are myriad ways of naming what is essentially sugar.
So be clever and avoid all these snacks.
Instead make your own snacks at home.
I’ve got a long list of great snack ideas, all of which are low G.I.
4. Drink water rather than sugary drinks
Now you might be thinking this is about ditching soda.
And yes, you would be right.
It goes without saying that fizzy drinks are crammed full of sugar.
But this is also about ditching smoothies.
Smoothies can be absolutely laden with sugar.
Especially in smoothies where the fibre of the fruit and vegetables has been stripped away.
All that is left is sugar.
So having a ‘healthy’ smoothie can have you ingesting as much sugar as having a chocolate bar or a bag of sweets.
So next time you’re feeling thirsty, reach for a glass of water.
If you’re out and about, carry a stainless steel bottle of water with you (if you care about avoiding buying single-use plastic bottles).
I really hope this post helps you to get past your sugar cravings and cut back on the amount of sugar you eat.
Quitting sugar or reducing the amount you eat can be a life changing thing.
I’ve got a post on 8 simple things you can do to change your life for the better that you might also like to read.
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5. Always aim to eat whole foods
As you ditch processed foods replace them with healthy whole foods.
Go for unprocessed whole vegetables, fruit, seeds, legumes and wholesome proteins.
I go for organic and (high welfare and organic for meat) wherever possible.
6. Careful with your bread
Most shop bought bread is made with added sugar.
The sugar content in an average slice of processed bread in the UK can be as high as 3g.
Plus some sugars are formed naturally as part of the baking process.
There are two things you can do.
The first is to cut back on the amount of bread that you and your family eat.
The second is to go for less processed, more artisan bread.
Read more: Want to eat more healthily? Here are 9 things you can do right now!
7. Switch to dark chocolate
I am a chocaholic.
I totally love the stuff.
But I’ve trained myself to always go for 70% cocoa in my chocolate bars.
Milk chocolate has a much higher sugar ratio to it.
It’s amazing how quickly your taste buds will become accustomed to eating darker chocolate.
In fact I now find it much more delicious than milk chocolate.
8. Sprinkle cinnamon
Cinnamon is nothing short of a wonder spice.
It can add a sweet taste to food without you needing to add sugar.
Cinnamon is also reputed to lower blood sugar levels.
So start finding ways to add cinnamon into your diet to help you deal with sugar cravings.
9. Don’t overdo the dried fruit
Dried fruit is often thought of as a great alternative to sugar laden snacks.
But dried fruit is actually also totally laden with sugar.
Some dried fruit is often coated in added sugar of sugar cane juice to make it sweeter and more appealing.
So don’t be fooled into thinking that mainlining dried apricots is a great alternative to reaching for a chocolate bar.
By all means have some dried fruit, but limit how much and try eating it mixed in with nuts and seeds.
10. Meal plan
Planning your meals in advance is the single best thing you can do to help you and your family cut down on sugar.
Why?
Because planning your meals means that you are planning to keep everyone on track with eating healthily.
There is no room to fall off the wagon and reach for a sugary snack or dial for takeaway.
Planning well-balanced healthy meals will keep everyone’s blood sugar levels nicely balanced.
Plus you can keep track of just how much sugar everyone is eating.
11. Modify your meal recipes
Planning your meals in advance is all very well.
But if you cook using processed foods and recipes that call for lots of added sugars you are shooting yourself in the foot.
So as part of your meal planning, look for recipes that don’t contain shed loads of sugar.
If you have family favourites, substitute in sugar alternatives.
For example, you can use maple syrup (which is low G.I) instead of brown sugar.
You can also often get away with simply reducing the amount of sugar in a recipe without ruining the end result.
12. Learn food-label-ese
There are 101 ways to include sugar in a list of ingredients.
So learn to decipher what the ingredients list really has in it.
Here are just some of the ingredients that basically equate to added sugar:
- Anhydrous dextrose
- brown sugar
- cane crystals
- cane sugar
- corn syrup
- corn syrup solids
- crystal dextrose
- evaporated cane juice
- fructose sweetener
- fruit juice concentrates
- high-fructose corn syrup
- honey
- liquid fructose
- malt syrup
- molasses
- fructose
- lactose
- maltose
It’s mind boggling isn’t it!!
Now this final tip isn’t directly a food related tip. But it is one of the single most important things you can do to stop sugar cravings and therefore break your addiction to sugar.
13. Get more sleep
It’s that simple.
Your body will be in balance if you get enough sleep each night.
Studies show that a lack of sleep has us humans craving junk food and sugar.
I’m sure you know the feeling.
You go to bed late, you get up early, you’ve only had a few hours sleep.
What do you want?
Sugar.
When do you want it?
Now!!
So do yourself and your family one massive favour and get your sleep in order.
Aim for a good quality seven hours per night for adults and up to ten hours per night for school age children.
I’ve got a post on simple tips for better sleep. There are so many things you can do to improve the amount you sleep and the quality of sleep you get. So pop over and read the tips: Simple tips for great sleep.
I really hope you find these tips help you on your way to cutting down – or out – sugar in yours and your family’s diet.
If you’re on a real mission to improve the way you and your family eat, I’ve also got a post that has nine simple tips to get you eating more healthily.
Plus I’ve put together a whole bunch of useful posts for improving your health and wellbeing in the Wellbeing section.
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Hello, I’m Luci, founder of Mums Make Lists (Est. 2011). Over the last decade or so, I have combined my experience as a mum, journalist and shopping editor to create useful guides and lists of ideas and inspiration to make it easier for busy parents to plan and host kids’ parties and find great gifts. Read more.