Reduce your Sugar Consumption following these Tips!

Sugar consumption is associated with many negative health effects

Although sugar is naturally found in many foods, such as in most fruits, this type of sugar is considered healthy because sugar has several important functions in our body, such as energy activation.

On the other hand, it is necessary to know the adverse effects of high sugar consumption. Sugar consumption is related to many negative health effects such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cavities, heart disease, fatty liver, metabolic disorders, and chronic kidney failure.

It is possible that when thinking about sugar, the first thing that comes to your mind are those little white grains that you use to sweeten your tea or coffee in the morning; however, sugar can be found under many names such as glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltose, starch, grain syrup, molasses, etc. Sugar with a different name is still sugar.

Here are some tips to help you reduce your sugar intake:

Reduce it gradually:
If your goal is to reduce the number of sugars in your diet, it's essential to know that it must be done slowly. Cutting sugar radically is not the best option. Decrease the taste of sugary foods in our taste buds to gradually get used to it.
Reduce sugary drinks:
Many popular drinks because they are "natural," such as fruit juices, contain large amounts of sugar. So do soft drinks, energy drinks, and alcoholic beverages. Replace these drinks with one of these options:
- Natural water
- Sparkling water, you can add a touch of lemon
- Unsweetened tea or black coffee
- Water with mint and cucumber or lemon
Add fruit instead of sugar:
Instead of adding sugar to your cereal, oatmeal, or yogurt, try adding fresh fruit like bananas or strawberries or nuts.

Avoid sugary desserts:
Most of the desserts we're used to eating after a meal have no health benefits. If, after consuming a dessert, you feel tired, hungry, and want to consume more sugar, the desert may have raised your blood sugar levels because of the large amount of glucose.

If you feel the need to eat something sweet during the day, consider one of these options:
- Fresh fruit
- Dark chocolate
- Dry fruits
- Greek yogurt
Avoid having sugar in the house:
Because sugar is addictive, it takes great willpower to know that your favorite dessert is in your cupboard or refrigerator and not consumed. Avoid these temptations.
Try extracts:
Instead of using sugar, use vanilla, almond, orange, or lemon extracts.
Consider natural sweeteners:
If you're having a hard time reducing sugar in your diet, try alternatives such as:
- Stevia: It's practically calorie-free.
- Xylitol: Found naturally in fruits and vegetables. It does not cause blood sugar spikes.
- Erythritol: You find it naturally in fruits. It does not cause blood sugar spikes.
Proper rest is essential:
Lack of sleep causes people to crave sweet, high-calorie foods.
Pay attention to sauces and condiments:
Ketchup, BBQ, soy sauce, among others, tend to have high sugar levels. Moderate your intake.
Read the labels:
We often think that sugar is only found in sweets and desserts. It is important to pay attention to the nutritional information on the labels. Keep in mind that sugar has more than 60 different names, most of which end in "ose."

Now that you know that a large part of your daily sugar intake is hidden in different foods, you didn't know how to identify these added sugars. Raising awareness of the negative consequences that excess blood sugar can have on your health can prevent many conditions. If you don't know how to start, talk to your trusted Nutritionist.

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