First off, in today’s processed food world, it’s going to be impossible to cut out all sugar unless you become a level twelve vegan who grows their own crops, or if you have tons of money to throw at farmers market vendors.
Why bother going the extra mile to cut sugar from your diet at all?
Well, it’s slowly being accepted that sugar is the real cause behind excessive weight gain. This article broaches the scientific reasoning behind it, and how sugar is secretly being added to everything we eat. Perhaps most importantly, it reminds people that exercise is often not enough.The good news is, it’s very easy to take simple steps to cut a large amount of sugar from your diet.
Be aware of what you’re eating. You need to truly look at food labels and see how many grams of sugar are in each product. You should also note that the World Health Organization recommends no more than fifty grams of added sugar a day. That is things like soda, candy and fruit juices. That does not include a piece of fruit. Fruit juices are bad because they contain all the sugar but none of the fiber. Fiber helps the body process the sugar and provides a feeling of fullness. The juice is an empty gesture.
Don’t assume some products are sugar free. Things like protein bars and salad dressing, foods that shouldn’t have sugar, are loaded with it. Don’t feel like you have to cut all of your go-to foods out of your diet right away—there’s no problem with a slow and steady transition. No matter what your diet looks like currently, it’s really helpful is to find out exactly what your highest source of sugar is and eliminate that first. Chances are it’s soda, but it is still worth it to investigate the problem areas and solve them first.
The hardest and last step is cooking more. It’s the processed foods that contain all the sugar. Once you have identified what does and doesn’t have sugar, you’re left with a lot of natural foods. You have to, more often than not, cook them into something more edible.
Cutting sugar is definitely a time-consuming, money-sucking endeavor, but it’s totally worth it to feel and be healthier. Though, it’s important to remember that splurging is OK sometimes. Tom Haverford said it best: Treat yo self. Eat a piece of your best friend’s birthday cake. It won’t kill you.
Feature Photo via We Heart It