Benefits of Reducing Sugar Intake

Reader’s Digest-“The average American consumes almost quadruple the recommended daily intake of sugar.”

“Sugar has infiltrated so much of our modern food supply that you’ll find it in healthy cereal, savory salad dressing, and yogurt.”

There are many benefits to reducing or removing sugar from your diet.

Reducing sugar intake- The American Heart Association

• Remove sugar (white and brown), syrup, honey and molasses from the table — out of sight, out of mind!
• Cut back on the amount of sugar added to things you eat or drink regularly like cereal, pancakes, coffee or tea.
• Buy sugar-free or low-calorie beverages.
• Buy fresh fruits or fruits canned in water or natural juice.
•  Instead of adding sugar to cereal or oatmeal, add fresh fruit (try bananas, cherries or strawberries).
• When baking cookies, brownies or cakes, cut the sugar called for in your recipe by one-third to one-half.
• Instead of adding sugar in recipes, use extracts such as almond, vanilla, orange or lemon.
• Enhance foods with spices instead of sugar; try ginger, allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg.

Substitute unsweetened applesauce for sugar in recipes.

Advantages to a diet with little or no sugar:

• Reducing sugar intake normalizes the amount of insulin in the body.
• Restricting your intake helps to detoxify your system.
• Your energy levels will increase.
• Sugar cravings decrease and so do hunger pains.
• Another benefit, weight loss
• Decrease risk of diseases
• Clearer skin
• Positive mood
• Fewer headaches have also been reported

One of my favorite effects is a renewed sense of taste and appreciation for wholesome foods.

To make a permanent change, you need to understand what’s really in your food—and what to eat instead.