Over the decades, sugar (mostly sucrose and fructose) has been added to highly processed foods and drinks. Both sucrose and fructose are found in processed foods like pasta, bread, and condiments.
While it is delicious, the amounts of sugar we eat today can cause inflammation in the body, a burden on our liver, and increased insulin in our blood (which triggers hunger).
Eating too much sugar is linked to inflammation, which can lead to chronic illness, high cholesterol, and metabolic syndrome.
What you can do to limit your sugar in take
Limit your fructose intake
Fructose doesn’t stimulate the leptin hormone that tells your brain you are full. This leads to excessive food consumption. Excess fructose is converted into fat.
● Fruit does contain fructose. However, the amount of fructose in fruits is low in comparison to high fructose corn syrup.
● Because of the way the body metabolizes fructose, it does not help us feel full or satiated.
● One study noted that foods containing fructose may only contribute to weight gain and cardiometabolic disease if the food itself had excess calories.
● Other studies have shown participants who drank beverages with HFCS gained weight – as opposed to those who didn’t drink HFCS and did not gain weight.
Plan healthy and nutritious meals.
When you plan and make your own meals, you are more aware of the ingredients that go into each dish.
● Prepare your own meals from scratch to limit the sugar in them.
● Avoid salad dressing with high fructose corn syrup. Choose salad dressings with no added sweeteners.
● Check food labels and choose those that do not have artificial sweeteners or hidden sugar.
Always check the labels of grocery items.
While you do not have to cut sugar out from your diet completely, checking the labels of grocery items and knowing how much sugar is in your food is a great start.
● Sugar on the label has different names: fructose, glucose, sucrose, honey, molasses, and more.
● You might also be surprised to find sugar in foods we assume to be healthy, like yogurt or juice.
● “Low fat” versions of food might have a lot of sugar instead.
● Labels with “no added sugars” just means that a food does not have added sugar, but it can still have a high sugar content.
Exercise.
Your body processes sugar better after a workout. If you’re going to eat sugar, that’s the best time to do it!
Exercise can help you process sugar better. This means that you might be able to eat sugar after a workout without experiencing the negative effects of it.
Limit your sugar intake.
Especially if you find you have too much sugar in your diet, limit your sugar intake. Limit cakes, candies, and other sweet foods.
Drink more water.
The human body is made up of around 60% water. Water plays a vital role in a number of bodily functions including the transportation of nutrients.
Try to avoid drinking sugary drinks.
Increase your fiber
Eating fiber can slow down sugar absorption in your body. It can also help you feel fuller for longer, which may reduce the urge to eat too much.
Consider sugar alternatives.
Consider replacing sugar with an alternative such as honey, agave, or spirulina.
The sugar industry has been condemning diabetes and other health problems for years, but the truth is that there are many healthier alternatives. If you’re looking for a substitute to sugar, you can replace it with a natural alternative such as honey, agave or spirulina. Honey is a great option because it’s natural and has a taste similar to sugar while agave is a sweeter option that also contains
Sugar can be a bad thing and you should always know the amount of sugar you take in. However, it isn’t really an issue as long as you eat healthy and drink enough water daily.
There is more sugar in modern-day processed foods, so it’s a good idea to consider how that might impact your health, weight, and quality of life.
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