Realistic hacks to decrease your sugar intake and lay off the sweet stuff.

The time has come, I’m finally kicking my sugar habit and I’m taking you on the ride with me. As far back as I can remember, sugar has been part of my life so I knew this break up wasn't going to be easy. Before I made the commitment, naturally I did my research on how to best reduce cravings so I didn’t become a raging, deprived lunatic.

I’m going as far as to say that I was ‘addicted’ to sugar. This is hard to admit because I feel so passionate about health and wellness. I do my research, I buy whole foods, I work out consistently, but I couldn’t shed those last few pounds and I had intense sugar cravings. Weekly, I would un-do a great meal planned week and high intensity workouts over nightly cookie splurges, mid-day crashes, “I deserve it” ice-cream or “I’m stressed” cocktail.

Now that I’m more consciously invested in my health and I know how sugar affects our bodies and minds, it’s time to fight back against cravings and rid them once and for all. Now, I certainly believe in moderation and rewards, so please don’t think I will never indulge again - but I wanted to share 10 tips to help reduce sugar intake in case you want to take the ride with me.

For the purpose of this article, and because we’re talking baby steps here, I will only write about reducing added sugars because I do believe that naturally occurring sugars - like those found in fruits and even some veggies - have fiber, vitamins and minerals that are important. Keeping natural sugars in your diet is important in the transition to kicking the habit, I think, because if you are having a significant sugar craving, it’s better to give in to natural sugar than to sabotage your attempt completely by deciding to eat the whole cake.

10 TIPS TO DECREASE YOUR SUGAR INTAKE

1. Read Labels on Processed Foods

The first ingredient on the label is the one that is used the most. So the higher up added sugars are on the list, the more sweetener there is in the product. If several forms of added sugar are on the label, think twice about making it a food that you have frequently. Lurking in foods that aren't considered sweets, look for hidden sugar in salad dressings, crackers, yogurt, barbecue sauce and ketchup.

2. Make Healthy Swaps

Don’t knock it until you try it, but applesauce is a great swap for sugar when you are baking. Making the switch from one cup of sugar (about 770 calories) to one cup of applesauce (about 100 calories) means that you can give into your baked good kryptonite and not feel completely deprived. Here are some other natural sweetener swaps below.

3. Try Not to Drink Your Calories

One of the easiest ways to have too much sugar is to drink your calories. Your body does not recognize calories from drinks the same way it does calories from food therefore you won’t feel full after. Instead, go for unsweetened teas, seltzer water, fruit infused water or tea/coffee. Also, don’t replace your drinks with artificial sweeteners like Splenda and Sweet n’ Low. These fake sugars can be just as bad for your health.

4. Don’t Get Carried Away with ‘Natural’ Sweeteners

Natural sweeteners like honey, brown rice syrup and maple syrup are concentrated and not as good for you as the sugar that comes in naturally occurring fruits. The problem with natural sweeteners is that they are still feeding your sweet tooth and can contribute to weight gain and health problems. In doing a little digging, I found the 4 best natural sweeteners to be Stevia, Monk Fruit, Erythritol and Allulose.

5. Eat Enough Protein

Eating sugar or carbs and not enough protein will give you sugar crashes and leave you hungry. Aim for at least 15-20 grams of protein at every meal to stabilize your blood sugar levels and your cravings won't be as intense. How much is 15 grams of protein you ask? About 2 hard boiled eggs, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, a slice or 2 of nut butter toast... also think almonds, yogurt, peanut butter and lean meat as healthy additions.

This is my favorite protein powder when I hit a wall or I'm on a shake kick for breakfast.

6. Eat More Healthy Fat

When you eat healthy fat with each meal, similar to eating protein with each meal, you are stabilizing your blood sugar and avoiding cravings. I recommend eating your fats from whole food sources like oils, avocados, nuts, seeds and coconut.

7. Remove Temptations

Remember when I talked about undoing the meal prep and workouts? This would happen almost every single day. I would get to around 3:00 and then the wheels would fall off - because this was an area that I had virtually no will power around and we constantly had sweets in the house. I didn’t think it was fair to my children to never buy cookies or ice cream, but that meant we always had them in the house. Remove temptations, or at least put them in a hard to get spot.

What worked instead of being a Nazi parent, was to remove them from my view and my regualry visited areas. Making a simple switch will take you out of the habit loop and make it that much harder to access.

8. Have Healthier Options Available

Think about planning out your snacks for the day instead of waiting for the Sugar Fairy to strike. Not skipping meals or waiting too long in between should help with keeping cravings at bay. When you do ‘need’ a sweet treat, have healthy options available like a frozen banana chocolate treat, these delicious apple nachos or a square of your favorite dark chocolate bar. Dark chocolate has half the sugar content as milk chocolate, and four times as much iron and fiber.

Here are some additional healthy, low-sugar dessert ideas.

9. Recognize Bad Habits

When the craving sets in, notice it and have a diversion plan. Drink a glass of water, go for a walk or reach for a stick of gum. Research indicates that the average craving lasts about 15 minutes. Knowing this, try to wait it out. Is there a pattern with your cravings? Are you tired of staring at your computer screen and you need a mental break, not a chocolate chip cookie? Triggers are different for everybody, but see if you can notice a pattern with yourself and keep note of your thoughts and feelings when the cravings strike.

It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it! Find the balance that works for you.

Make clearly stated goals about what you want to achieve and why you are giving up sugar.

Additionally, be gentle with yourself if you have a slip up. If you give into a craving, don’t get down on yourself and give up your goal completely. Instead, commit to having a better day tomorrow, knowing that everyone has weaknesses. Think of it this way - if you dropped your phone and it cracked, would you then say “I screwed up and it’s all over” and then proceed to smash it on the ground? Of course not! You would lovingly pick it up and continue using it. The same goes for your life. If you ‘drop the phone’ and have a couple cookies, don’t say screw it and eat the whole box. Have a better tomorrow!

Bonus: Decoding your Food Cravings. Continue reading for what they mean and how to deal.

With Love and Gratitude,

Lisa ;)

Are you Addicted to Sugar? 10 Tips to Kick The Habit for Good.