How to Reduce Sugar Intake

If reports are to be believed, 152 pounds of sugar is consumed by an average American every year. This amount has increased by almost 30 percent in the last two decades.

It is this increase in consumption of sugar which puts thousands of people at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, premature aging, osteoporosis, cancer, etc. Added to it, it is seen that the consumption of healthy food has gone down drastically.

The recommended sugar intake is not more than 10 teaspoons per day, however, people end up consuming on an average 20 to 22 teaspoons. In other words, about 355 calories in the daily diet come from sugar intake itself. With all the health problems arising, it is important to know how should one go about reduce intake of sugar and take measures for the same.

To bring the sugar consumption to average sugar intake, one will have to be consistent with their efforts. Also there are chances that a person might slip, however, one should not get disappointed and continue with the planned action. Having said that without wasting any more time, we will find out how to lower sugar intake.

• In most cases, people are not able to stick to their plan of action when they want to reduce intake of sugar is because they become very ambitious and stop sugar consumption totally. This is not recommended. Sugar consumption has to be reduced gradually. For example, if you have four sodas everyday, then you will want to reduce its consumption to 2 everyday and then taper it out completely.

• If possible, you will want to stop drinking tea, coffee and sodas. They are the biggest 'suppliers' of sugar. If going without tea, coffee completely is not possible, then you may want to opt in for artificial sweetener to sweeten them.

• So that you do not go back to your sugar eating habit with a vengeance, it is best to substitute foods. For example, combine sweetened yogurt with plain yogurt, similarly combine regular soda with diet soda in the same ratio, etc. This will help in cutting down on considerable quantity of sugar.

• If you are fond of fruit juices, then it is important not to add sugar to them. As far as possible, rely only on homemade fruit juices, as most market bought juices contain high quantity of sugar in them. Make it a point to opt for tinned fruit with natural juice, rather than the one with syrup, as syrup contains a large quantity of sugar in it.

• There are some foods which you will want to stay away from in order to keep the consumption of sugar down. Foods like jam, honey, marmalade, syrups, pastries, cakes, candies, biscuits, chocolates, sugarcoated cereals, desserts, puddings, etc. They are often the main culprit behind the high quantity of sugar in the diet.

• As far as possible, it is best to opt for hot cereal breakfast, as the cold cereals contain higher quantity of sugar in them as opposed to the hot cereals. If you rather like sweetened cereals, then you can add a fruit to the cereals for some sugar.

• Are you the kind of person who simply loves desserts? Then it is best to set a quota for yourself. It can be consuming dessert only on a particular day of the week or only in a particular restaurant or only with someone you dearly love, etc. This will help in keeping the consumption of sugar to its minimum.

• When you are out in the store, it is important you pay attention to the ingredients used. The foods should not contain added sugars to them.

• Along with all these measures, there is an important measure which should be followed at all times. It is not to skip meals. Skipping meals causes the blood sugar levels to dip, which leads to craving for sugar rich foods. Therefore, it is important to have the meals spaced out at regular intervals.

I hope with this write up, you have found an answer to how to reduce sugar intake. Last but not the least, it is important to note that the aim is not to eliminate sugar totally from the diet, but to reduce the intake. Sugar is necessary for the body.

If sugar is completely eliminated, it can cause hypoglycemia. You will have to be the best judge of what you eat everyday and reduce the intake, but never too much.