Habits that will help you quit sugar
- Written by News Company
There is a whole world of temptation with sweet foods. It is enough that we stop to think about chocolate, cakes and candies for a few seconds so that our body feels the need to consume something sugary. Is that sugar can be an addiction as potent as nicotine or caffeine, there are even some who call it the "white poison", and say that its consumption is directly related to cancer.
Let’s admit – we are all addicted to sugar in some way. However, we all are also trying to figure out how to quit sugar in one way or another, but it is important to act too. The problem is, white sugar has now become an indispensable part of our daily life, and it has surrounded us from all directions. We cannot seem to figure out how we can ever get out of this sweet mess. The good thing is, despite its widespread use and share in our lives, it is not hard to find alternatives to sugar or to eliminate it from our lives. Sugar is essentially carbs, but the problem with white sugar is that it is extensively processed. That is what turns it into something that scientists today are calling “white poison”. Let’s find out how to quit it and throw it out of your life.
First: free the kitchen from sugar
Let’s talk about how to cut sugar from your life. You cannot eat what you do not have at home; this is the first and very simple rule that can control sugar consumption. A particular challenge is that the whole family either has to go along or at least offer their support. So, if spouse or children, parents or siblings do not want to go without sugar, then think of a separate food system that fits into your household. Or you can take the opportunity to convince your family that sugar is also harmful to them and that they can combat their sugar addiction.
Observe eating behavior and keep a record
Food tracking - this is a new word for an old trick: If you observe your eating behavior and write down what you have eaten, you can analyze it and better decide what should be changed. The snacks in between, which often end up in the mouth unconsciously, are particularly noticeable and only become apparent through the food diary. Refraining from sugar and changing your diet is easier if you consider how much of it you are consuming.
Find alternatives
There are many more or less good sugar alternatives on the market today. It is best, of course, to do without it altogether. Artificial sweeteners are considered carcinogenic and promote cravings, so you should avoid them. If you do not mind giving up chocolate, you can fall back on sugar-free chocolate. There is now, for example, sugar-free protein chocolate or you can make it yourself from coconut oil, cocoa powder, bananas and cinnamon.
Distraction is everything
If your thoughts are only on sweets, you are addicted to chocolate; then usually only one thing helps distraction. Exercise and exercise are particularly good for inhibiting cravings. It takes the head about 15 minutes of the distraction to be successful and forget about the desire for chocolate, ice cream and the like to be.
Create a weekly schedule
Well planned is half the battle. Those who are already worried at the weekend and write their meal plan for a week tend to stick to it and thus avoid sugar. The weekly schedule also includes a shopping list that is according to new eating habits. By the way: Never go shopping with hunger and stick to your list!
Meal-Prep - prepare and pack food
A quick butter croissant at the bakery, a hearty meal with dessert in the canteen or the temptation at the cake counter: these temptations are much more dangerous if you are hungry and leave the house without food. Prepare your meals every night, put it in your work bag, and only eat what you have prepared.
Be critical!
"Without added sugar" or "sugar-free" are labels that make us believe that there are no types of sugar in the food. Be critical! Products that do not contain added single or double sugar, but which naturally contain sugar, also fall into the “no added sugar” category. Apple compote is one of many examples. "Sugar-free" also does not mean "sugar-free". According to the law, products that contain less than 5 percent of sugar are allowed to carry this label.
Saturate proteins
Those who are full have fewer cravings for sweets. Saturate proteins and are particularly found in foods that do not contain sugar. Include dairy products, vegetable proteins and lots of vegetables in your weekly schedule. Always eat your fill and also eat healthy fats.
Spices against cravings
Cinnamon, vanilla, ginger and turmeric are special spices that either pretend a pleasant sweetness or slow down the cravings. Baked or raw cocoa is also a healthy, sugar-free substitute to satisfy the desire for chocolate. Schedule these additions in your meal plan. You will notice that your sense of taste has become more sensitive after some (sugar-free) time and that you now perceive foods that you did not previously find to be sweet.
Drink a lot
Depending on how much sugar you have consumed regularly, the sugar-free time is an enormous change for your body; this will affect digestion as well as skin and hair. There are several other benefits of quitting sugar. Therefore, drink a lot and preferably still water. If this seems too boring, you can also have tea or add lemon wedges and mint to the water. A glass of water can also help with food cravings.
Five meals
Breakfast, lunch, supper and two small snacks in between: This is the perfect daily schedule of your diet to avoid appetite for sweets or sugar. If too much time passes between meals, you are more likely to become weak and eat the next best (mostly sugary) snack.
Search for colleagues
It is like the bastard who knows how to prevent the sports units: if you do not have a competitor, you often fail to achieve your goals. Very few are true lone warriors and manage to motivate themselves and change their diet. Therefore, look for a good friend, your partner or your parents to master the challenge together and to encourage each other again and again.
Brush your teeth
The minty taste of the toothpaste suppresses the need for sugary foods because it is not compatible with sweets.
No thanks!
Is a piece of cake forced on you at the company party? Would a friend like to invite you to the ice cream parlor? Often friends, colleagues, or even family members have no understanding of sugar withdrawal and may try less argumentatively to persuade them to consume sugar. A friendly “No thanks, I have already eaten” is usually easier, is more understandable and requires less justification.
Exceptions confirm the rule
Your great-grandmother turns 90, your best friend marries, or your sister invites you to a pee party: Sometimes there are occasions when you cannot avoid sin, and you eat a piece of cake or dessert. Then enjoy it and above all, do not blame yourself! The next day it continues – do not be discouraged!
Forget sweet junk food
Eliminate cakes, cookies and sweets from your diet, also say goodbye to granola bars or anything like it: 80% of processed foods contain added sugar. First, stop eating your favorite food and continue with the one that follows. In two weeks you must have left them all. If anxiety attacks you, consume some fresh fruit or food to combat it.
Reduce simple carbohydrates
It is likely that at this point, your dependence on sugar is half of what it was once.
Did you know that simple carbohydrate have the same effect as sugar in your body? That is why I invite you to make a list of the refined foods that you usually consume (for example, white plan and white pastes), and again reduce them one by one in two weeks. Try to start with the pasta: instead of making two cups of spaghetti, cook one and accompany it with lean meat; Next time, instead of pasta, opt for some zucchini spaghetti.
Be a detective of hidden sugars
This step might be the most difficult, and it could take you two full weeks to master it. You should check and have a critical eye regarding food labels. Many condiments, sauces and dressings contain sugar. Also, be very careful with the "sugar-free" offers as they add simple carbohydrates instead.
Conclusion
It is fine to enjoy from time to time, but pay close attention to your cravings. A piece of cake can take you back to addiction: it takes a bite to want more and more sugar. But do not worry, once you have acquired this habit, your taste buds will feel that fruit is pleasantly sweet, while a cake will become disgustingly sweet.