Sugar Awareness - 7 Simple Tips for Reducing your Intake

If there’s one thing many of us love a little too much, it’s sugar. Whether it’s adding an extra teaspoon in your morning brew, or having an extra slice of cake, sugar is a major part of a daily diet. Unfortunately, that lovely, sweet taste comes at the cost of a few things, namely a higher risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease along with accelerated tooth decay and even aging. That’s all very scary, but it doesn’t mean you have to give up sugar completely, which is why, as part of Sugar Awareness Week, we’ve compiled this list of simple ways to reduce your daily intake.

Swap fizzy drinks for water

One of the easiest ways to reduce your sugar intake is by swapping high-sugar content drinks for water. Alternatively, If you miss the taste of something fruity, maybe consider choosing a nice fruit flavoured tea with low sugar content.

Did you know? The average can of coke contains around 37.5 grams of sugar, which is a whopping 9 teaspoons, and also the average daily recommended allowance. Yikes!

Limit or change up snacking

We’ve all been in that awkward spot between breakfast and lunch. Your tummy is grumbling, and you know you’re going to need a snack to see you through. It’s far too easy to reach for a chocolate bar or other sweet treat, but why not swap that out for something a little healthier? Plenty of fruits provide a similar sweet sensation, but also include natural sugars and plenty of other nutrients.

Try alternative drink sweeteners

People are very passionate about the way they have their tea or coffee and changing it on a dime can be difficult. Fortunately, there are some fantastic alternatives to sugar out there. If you’re looking to keep the sweet taste in your tea after dropping refined sugar, then why not try a plant based sweetener like stevia or even agave nectar (extracted from the agave cactus which is also used to make tequila); with a higher fructose to glucose ratio, agave nectar is a fantastic choice for those looking to limit refined table sugars.

Limit or avoid simple carbohydrates

Popular simple carbohydrates like pasta and flour can be a major source of sugar, as the body breaks these carbohydrates down and causes blood sugar levels to increase. It’s easy to think that sugar is primarily found in sweet tasting products, but pretty much every part of our daily diets involve sugar - even milk has naturally occurring sugars. Fortunately, the wholewheat versions of pasta and flour contain far less sugar.

Cut out condiments

Whether it’s red, brown, BBQ or mayonnaise, condiments contain far more sugar than many of us realise. An average serving of tomato sauce, which is roughly three teaspoons, contains one teaspoon of sugar. Should you use condiments across a number of meals through a day, you are ingesting additional sugar you potentially don’t know about! Fortunately there are plenty of healthier condiments you can make yourself, such as pesto, salsa, guacamole and hummus, but there are many more.

Read labels 

We all fall into eating habits. With each weekly shop, we typically pick up the items we normally eat, without paying mind to the contents of each product. Reading the labels for products will give you an insight into how much sugar each product contains, therefore making it far easier to cut down. Do a little bit of research beforehand on your recommended daily intakes for sugar, so that way you can plan your meals appropriately.

Sleep

Many of us crave sugar when we are tired from the perceived energy boost it can provide. Making sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep a night will ensure you feel less tired, and therefore less likely to crave a sugary snack or drink.

Cutting out or down your sugar intake is difficult, but it can lead to a healthier life and better eating habits. Hopefully, these simple tips will help you get on the right track and living healthier while in lockdown. Do you have any tips for reducing sugar intake? Let us know in the comments below