Nutritionists share hassle-free ways to cut back on sugar
Finding a way to reduce sugar in your diet can seem like a daunting task since sugar is everywhere—and, let’s face it, it tastes good. But it’s possible to cut back on food without giving up your favorite foods, experts say.
‘At the end of the day, the goal is to create a balanced relationship with food,’ says Jessica Jones, RD, co-founder of Diabetes Digital, a nutrition counseling platform for people with diabetes and prediabetes. ‘I see a lot of success when people take small steps to reduce sugar, focus on what they feel, and prioritize healthy foods, without feeling like something is off limits.’
He says that every day, eating too much sugar can lead to spikes and crashes, which can make people feel tired and fatigued. Too much sugar can lead to things like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol, or triglyceride levels, inflammation, and even cognitive problems like Alzheimer’s or dementia. That’s why women shouldn’t have more than 30g of free sugar a day (roughly the equivalent of 7 sugar cubes), according to the NHS.
If your doctor advises you or if you suspect that you may be above this recommendation and want to reduce, there are easy ways to do it without feeling like you need to stop to eat sugar completely. Remember: all foods are equal, says Jones. Here’s what the experts recommend.
Meet the experts: Jessica JonesRD, CDCES, is the co-founder of Diabetes Digital, a nutrition counseling platform for people with diabetes and prediabetes. Maya Feller, RD, is the chief nutritionist at Maya Feller Nutrition and author of Eating From Our Roots: 80+ Home-Cooked Favorites From Around the World. Hannah Rosenblum, MD, is a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
6 easy steps to reduce sugar in your diet
Check your nutrition labels for added sugars.
If you’re trying to decide between two products at the grocery store, look at their nutrition labels—especially the ‘added sugar’ section. This is something you want to minimize if possible, so go for options with little or no added sugar, says Hannah Rosenblum, MD, a cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Ideally, you want to keep your total daily intake of added sugars under 25 grams, so think about how much that one product will bring you closer to your daily range. You can also check the label for things like high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, agave, honey and coconut sugar—these are all commonly added sugars.
And, BTW, ‘no added sugar’ is not the same as ‘zero sugar,’ so it doesn’t mean your food is completely tasteless. However, this is not the case addition sugar was added during the manufacturing process, there may still be naturally occurring sugar in your food. (Meanwhile, zero sugar means no sugar in the food.)
Identify sugary foods in your diet that can be easily replaced.
Jones says it’s possible to take food without fasting or feeling like you’re making a big change. For example, maybe you eat sugary cereal for breakfast and swap it for oatmeal with cinnamon and fruit. He says: ‘You still get the great taste, but it’s more nutritious.
Consider everyday foods and beverages that can easily be swapped out for something low in sugar, such as soda, juice, coffee, or condiments such as salad dressing, tomato sauce, and ketchup (which often pack sugar). more than you might think).
For coffee, grab packets of extra sugar and syrup, and for condiments, look for ‘no sugar added’ options or make them at home.
Reduce sugar in your diet.
If a recipe calls for sugar, you have a few options: add less than needed (either half or a quarter—whatever works for you) or replace it with something naturally sweet like applesauce, says Dr. Rosenblum.
It may seem risky to change a recipe you know and love, but in reality you may not be giving up much flavor. In baking, cutting sugar by a quarter can help, says Jones, who recommends this to her clients. She says: ‘I’ve had patients tell me they don’t see a difference after changing their makeup.
If you can’t change the recipe, you can pay attention to the portion you have, says Feller.
Combine carbohydrates with other macronutrients.
Eating carbohydrates along with protein, plant-based fats, or fiber can help slow their absorption, which can help keep blood sugar more stable, says Maya Feller, RD, a nutritionist. nutritionist Maya Feller Nutrition and Slate’s agency. Well, Now podcast. This doesn’t necessarily reduce the amount of sugar in your diet, but it can help you avoid high blood sugar.
An example of a food combination that can help lower the risk of obesity: cut a day in half and eat it with peanut butter. That way, you have your protein and fat mixed with natural sugars from that day, he says.
Try not to ‘drink your sugar.’
It may be a good idea to limit the intake of sugary drinks, which have a fast metabolism in the body and lead to a rapid increase in blood sugar, says Feller. It’s best to drink one of these soft drinks with a meal, which can slow down the absorption process, and limit your portion size if possible to four to six ounces, he says. .
Beverages are also a common source of sugar that can be exchanged for something else, says Dr. Rosenblum. Things like soda (which can sometimes contain up to twice the recommended daily amount of sugar for women), juice and alcohol are big culprits. If you want a sweet drink during the day, try seltzer with 100 percent fruit juice instead, Dr. Rosenblum recommends.
Put whole foods first.
Eating more whole foods—even sweet ones like fruit and potatoes—can help you cut down on sugar, says Jones. The main reason is that whole foods are not processed, which means there is no added sugar to worry about. What’s more, these options often also contain fiber and other nutrients that have the added benefit of slowing the release of sugar into your bloodstream, says Jones. By eating whole foods instead of processed or processed foods, you won’t increase your recommended daily sugar intake.
More nutrition facts…
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