Turn Down your Sweetness Dial: Sugar and Your Health
It’s no secret that excessive sugar intake is unhealthy. Research shows that too much sugar in our diets contributes to obesity, diabetes and higher levels of blood triglycerides. Of course none of these conditions are good for our health. So do we need to purge all sugar from our diets? No. Sugar itself is not the problem, but rather our relationship with sugar.
Think about how much added sugar you consume throughout the day. Experts recommend 100 calories (6 teaspoons, 25 grams) of added sugar per day for women and 150 calories (9 teaspoons, 37 grams) per day for men. Natural sugar in fruits or milk/plain yogurt is not an added sugar. The key is to indulge in moderation. While added sugars can be quite delicious, these are empty calories that offer little to no nutritional value to your diet. The first few weeks of reducing your sugar intake can be tough, but it only takes 21 days to break a habit.
Here are some tips to help you reduce your sugar intake and lead a healthier life…
Mix your sweetened/fruit yogurt with some plain yogurt - dial down the sugar content per volume of yogurt. Make your own granola with a low sugar content or add nuts, seeds and dried fruit to your yogurt/milk.
If you add sugar to your beverages (coffee, tea), try to cut it in half. Try to cut back or eliminate soda and other sweetened beverages from your diet.
Cook at home; Modify your recipes to reduce their sugar content. Limit the amount of sugary “treats” in your day.
Read more about the effects of sugar on your health here.