How to reduce sugar in your diet?

Sugar are you addicted?

It is to see how you can make your sugar intake a mindless decision and a long term habit. But when your sugar treats become a habit,  it becomes a bit harder to say ‘no’ to, and then the sugar craving becomes an addiction. When that sugar reward becomes a necessary everyday treat, you know you are in trouble.

• Do you grab a chocolate bar in the petrol station?
• Treat yourself on Friday night with ice cream?
• On a long car, journeys reach for the sweets?
• Are sugar treats your ‘prize’ after any exercise?
• Your personal reward after a busy week?
• A nice slice of cake and a cuppa tea?

I’ve been there, I have self-medicated with chocolate. In fact, Americans feel that ‘cake’ has its own food group in the UK.

Sugar damages your health:

It isn’t the weight gain you need to worry about sugar can:

• damage your heart
• promotes your belly fat
• make you feel tired ALL the time
• has a toxic effect on your liver, similar to alcohol
• hides in everyday food
• ages you as much as cigarettes

Sugar is addictive 

Research in the way the brain works shows clearly that sugary foods are linked to pleasure nodes in our brain. Sugary treats release chemicals known as opioids into the bloodstream that attaches to receptors in our brain and they in turn signal pleasure. People feel much better after they have their ‘hit’. The euphoria that follows is hard to resist. Over time the brain becomes tolerant to sugar and to get that same ‘sugar high’, and more and more is needed to get that same feeling.

How to reduce sugar in your diet?

Simply noticing how much sugar you consume is the first step. Begin to become aware of the sugar in your diet.

Review your week and mark off how much:

• Sugar in your tea and coffee,
• Sugary drinks you consume (including fruit juices)
• How many bars of chocolates/sweets you eat during the week.
• Cereal bars
• Breakfast cereal
• Ice cream (up to 23 spoonfuls in each bowl)
• Biscuits
• Cakes

Simply notice or even better note down how much you eat. It will be the first step to helping you reduce the amount of sugar you consume.

Surprising effects of reducing your sugar

You might be surprised to find that your gentle withdrawal from sugar can actually make you feel awful. You may feel tired, irritable, tearful or even experience flu-like symptoms. You might not even associate these feelings with sugar withdrawal, it might seem a bit drastic.

It may take up to a week for these feels to decrease, but of course, that depends on you and your metabolism. In terms of breaking the habit, that will take longer. Generally, it takes two weeks to embed a habit, or longer to lose one so stick with it. Cut back slowly, be kind to yourself and don’t chastise yourself if you just can’t resist.

Don’t miss: Reduce sugar in 12 easy steps

Helping hand – sugary treats that are not so bad….

Your body needs a certain amount of sugar to fuel your brain and replenish your muscle glycogen. But don’t forget you can get sugar from carbohydrates as well as cakes and buns.

Fruit

Aim for just two servings a day – fruit is a yummy sweet snack and it gives your digestive system a good workout, breaking down those cellular walls! Try and eat local fruit like apples and pears their GI is lower, grapes and bananas, on the other hand, will shoot straight into your system and give you a sugar rush.

Dried Fruit

Dried fruit provides instant sweetness. I love it, but be careful you would think twice about eating a couple of apples straight after each other, but not 5/6 dried apricots. Dried fruit is great for a sugar hit but not too much and add some healthy nuts to reduce the GI.

Dairy Products

Milk has naturally occurring lactose or milk sugar. Your milk label might read ‘sugar’ but it is natural lactose. This type of sugar will help you feel fuller and give you a sweet hit.

Yoghurt

Yoghurt has the lactose sugar hit so it will satiate your sugar cravings. HOWEVER Fruity yoghurts have loads of sugar so if you can aim for natural yoghurt or even better real – Greek yoghurt because it has a higher amount of protein. FAGE is great, look out for it on your next shopping list.

If you are looking for some more information then read more about my 6 week Gentle Reset 

What sort of results can you expect?

Watch here Karen’s transformational change and as a teacher, she loved the evidence-based approach and she knew that her work /life balance was comprising her health and that has changed!

Gorgeous is your journey of discovery

PS. Start your journey and begin your transformation change, using nutrition, mindful exercise and personal coaching and become the best version of you click here to find out more about Gentle Reset

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