How To Eat Less Sugar

Have been struggling to lose unwanted weight regardless of how much you exercise and watching what you eat? Well, it just might be the sugar hidden in the foods you're eating.

As a society, we've been eating more and more sugar over the past 200 years, which has led to rising obesity numbers. In 1822, the average person ate only 6.3 lbs of sugar per year, compared to 130 lbs of sugar in 2012. That’s more than 20 times as much sugar in our modern diet! No wonder we are bigger than ever before…

Why Is Sugar So Bad?
Not only does it promote rapid fat storage, here are sugar’s other dirty little secrets:

• Sugar Weakens Your Immune System
• Sugar Causes Insulin Resistance
• Sugar is As Addictive As Hard Drugs
• Sugar Speeds Up the Aging Process
• Sugar Raises Your Risk of Disease
• Sugar Is Empty Calories

One of the reasons that your diet is filled with so much sugar is that some form of refined sugar is included in virtually every single processed food. This is yet another reason that it’s important to cut those processed and packaged convenience foods out of your diet.

Cutting sugar from your diet can be a challenge. This is because once it is a part of your daily diet, cravings strike, causing you to eat it even more frequently. But have no fear, there is hope!

Below are 7 methods to reduce your sugar intake and help you overcome the weight loss struggle: 

1. Eat More Protein. A diet rich in protein keeps you full, satisfied and less likely to crave sweets. A great way to make sure that you are getting enough is to plan each meal and snack around a protein-rich food. Plan breakfast around eggs or cottage cheese, lunch and dinner around baked chicken breast, and have a snack including a Greek yogurt or rolled up nitrite-free deli meat. 
2. Avoid Artificial Sweeteners. One of the biggest fitness myths out there is the idea that calorie-free, artificially sweetened beverages don’t impact your fat loss results. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the truth is that the diet soda you’re sipping is making it harder for you to reach your goal weight! While the diet soda itself doesn’t contain calories, research shows that it causes increased cravings for sugary foods. Put down the diet soda and instead, pick up a refreshing bottle of spring or seltzer water.  
3. Steer Clear Of Saboteurs. The sad truth is that people in your life will try to sabotage your low sugar diet. You’ll run into that pushy person at the office who insists that you eat a donut, the well-meaning family member who dishes you up a bowl of ice cream, and the friend who comes over with a plate of her home-baked cookies. The best avoidance strategy is to sincerely thank the sugar-pusher for their gift, tell them how much you appreciate their thoughtfulness and then briefly explain that sugar hasn't been making you feel well. The last thing anyone wants to do is cause you pain and discomfort. 
4. Try Dark Chocolate. For those moments when your sweet tooth is relentlessly badgering you for something sweet, ditch the super-sugary candies and stick with a small square of very dark chocolate. Chocolate that is 70% or higher in cocoa content should be the only candy that you keep on hand. The benefit of the cocoa, in addition to the lowered sugar content, is that it contains antioxidants, which makes dark chocolate an occasionally justifiable treat.
5. Stick With Fruit. What’s sweet, colorful and comes in hundreds of flavors? Seasonal, fresh fruit, of course! As you remove refined sugar from your life, feel free to add in some natural sugar by way of fresh, local fruit. It’s amazing how satisfyingly sweet fruit is – it’s truly nature’s candy. 
6. Change Your Palate. As you begin to limit your intake of refined sugars, you’ll find that your tolerance for sugar decreases. This means that something that didn’t taste sweet before – say a green apple – now has uncanny depths of sweetness. What’s happening is that your sweet receptors are becoming more finely tuned, now that you’re not overwhelming your palate with sickly-sweet refined sugar. 
7. Workout Like You Mean It. A regular, challenging exercise routine will not only get you into amazing shape, it also reduces your cravings for sugar. The endorphin rush brought on by vigorous exercise is an even more powerful feel-good-feeling than the pleasure gotten by indulging in sugary foods. Make challenging, consistent exercise a part of your life today!