The facts about sugar , and what ditching it can do for your body, your mind and your health.
- joannaboyes1
- Jan 6, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 8
Sugar is a huge addiction for most people. I struggled with it for most of my life since childhood and struggled not to cave and buy sweets and crisps from the shop most days. Until 2019 I decided to take one day at a time and try to give it up. I realised my sugar addiction was not much different to that of an alcoholic or someone addicted to taking drugs. It was that realisation that stopped me from buying sweets and crisps and chocolate.
SUGAR IS ADICTIVE.
The bottom line is that sugar is addictive but the problem is that its not thought of as a problem until someone has type 2 diabetes. The other problem with sugar is that it is added to so called healthy foods, like granola, oat bars, fruit bars, energy bars, bread, crisps, cereal..
A bit of sugar cant do any harm can it?
Did you know, that the U.K has the worst obesity level in Europe, as many as 6 out of 10 adults are classed as obese. Over eating on sugar can cause weight gain and tooth decay and type 2 diabetes. The type of sugars most adults and children eat are what the world health organisation call (FREE SUGARS) .
Over eating on sugar can lead to fat gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, stroke and coronary heart disease. Just making some small changes can make a huge difference to your health, your energy levels and your weight.
WHAT IT FREE SUGAR?
FREE SUGARS are sugar added to foods either by the manufacturer or by a person at home in foods like..
Biscuits, cereal, yoghurt, bread, fizzy drinks, chocolate, chocolate drinks, fruit juice.
Most people are aware of these sugars but what about these?
Jam, marmalade, syrup, so called healthy cereal bars..
Whether sugar comes naturally from fruit or a soft drink or sweets, they will give us the same amount of calories, The problem is as a nation we eat too many free sugars.
SUGAR FROM FRUIT
It can be confusing because on one hand we are told to eat less sugar but also told to eat more fruit. Fruit contains natural sugars, a mixture of sucrose, fructose and glucose. Fructose isn't bad for you unless you consume large amounts which is extremely difficult to do when eating whole fruits.
FREE SUGARS
the sugar added to the list of free sugar food listed above do include fructose, glucose and sucrose but they have been taken away from their natural source, rather than being eaten as a piece of fruit or veg.
FRUIT JUICE
There are many fruit juices in the shops all claiming to be super healthy and good for you.
The problem is that when fruit is turned into juice, the sugars coming of their natural form turn into free sugars. The fibre that is naturally occurring in the fruit is lost and its much easier to ear more more sugar without realising it! Because the juice goes down easy right?
If you have ever squeezed a fresh orange you will know to get a whole glass you would need to squeeze quite a few oranges, you wouldn't think of eating all of these oranges now would you? Orange juice or apple juice or whatever, is extra sweet and tasty and if you drank a glass of this you may think you are doing the right thing and its a good way of getting some fruit into you.
HOW CAN I EAT LESS SUGAR? WHERE TO START?
Sugar is everywhere you go, the temptation and the pull to eat it is incredibly strong when you are trying to cut down or give it up. we don't realise how addicted we are to it until we are giving it up. I speak from personal experience. sweets and chocolate and so called healthy treats are in the garage when we buy fuel, they're in garden centres, and lets not get started on supermarket's.
TIPS TO HELP YOU QUIT OR/AND CUTDOWN
We have to try and take small steps, to change the way our brains think about food. It takes approximately 2 months to change a habit but i promise you its so worth it.
1/ don't wait until you're hungry to eat, when you are hungry the body craves sugar as a fast pick me up and it will do that but then leave you feeling sleepy and craving more.
2/ try sparkling mineral water instead of sugary drinks, add a slice of lemon or lime, add some fresh mint, or a small amount of no added sugar cordial to sparkling water. Avoid adding sugar to your tea and coffee or if its just to0 hard to drink it without, start by reducing by one tea spoon every other week.
3/ When you crave sugar chose a piece of fruit instead. However, avoid fruit that is very high in sugar like pineapple, mango, banana (banana is a great snack if your exercising, weight training or running, cycling or taking with you on a long walk or ok to have a max of half chopped in your muesli or with some yoghurt as a healthy snack that can curb those sugar cravings. Chose bananas that are just ripe mostly yellow
Apples are great, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, oranges, or satsumas or clementine all good choices, and if you add it to plain yoghurt it will take a bit of the sweetness out and be more filling.
4/ instead of adding sugar or honey or syrup to your cereal mix in some delicious fruit instead, frozen berries from the supermarket are cheap and will keep in the freezer, or mix in a chopped apple or kiwi or some banana.
5/ if its too much to cut out sugary sweets straight away chose a smaller packer or a single
sweet or try sweets with no added sugar or try choosing some chocolate that is 50% coco then work your way up to 70% coco . Cut down, instead of having it every day save it for the weekend, But avoid overdoing it, eat it when you can really savour it, not just gobnlingit down quickly somewhere like I used to.
6/ chose wholegrain cereals instead of sugary cereals ( manufactures are crafty and make many cereals seem healthy, labelling them as low fat or high in fibre, double check the label for sugar information) add fresh fruit to sweeten it up instead of sugar.
7/ Change the juice or squash for no added sugar kind or try herbal tea or water.
8/ Avoid low fat fruit yoghurts these contain high levels of sugar, instead eat plain yoghurt and add your own fruit, much tastier and much better for you. Full fat Greek Yoghurt is ideal, its high in protein and will help fill you up.
RDA Sugar
ADULTS and children over 11 years of age should eat no more than 30g a day. A standard sized chocolate bar contains 25g of free sugar, that's nearly all of your allowance for the day. See the link below for more information on foods and the amount of sugar they contain.
It is hard at first, you will need to have a clear goal in your mind as to why you are doing it, a good plan is to write a mini journal to note your energy levels and how you feel.
For me, when I was tempted I thought if what i was going to have instead, Yoghurt with berries, which I love, Or now Believe it or not Whole puffed rice cereal with a small satsuma! I Never thought id say that! After a while you won't want sugary treats, chocolate bars and sweets won't taste so good. Your body will be less used to handling the sugar and you will notice the crash shortly after you have had it and you will hate that.
I went cold turkey and ditched it straight away, But do it your way. Then after you've been off the sugar for a while you can relax a little and have a slice of cake once a month or a bar of chocolate every now and then but make sure it doesn't get a grip.
Now, I have a much healthier relationship with sugar, it doesn't control me like it used to. I have a flat stomach, I have more energy. I do eat a cake occasionally if I'm in a coffee shop but not ever time. I indulge in Pizza sometimes, I haven't touched a packet of sweets or sweet chocolate since 2019. I drink one or two low alcohol beers at the weekend.
I have included some useful links about alcohol and the effects of it on your blood sugar levels that are well worth a read in your quest to reduce your sugar intake.
Also check out my other blog on Low G.I eating as that is important to help you lower your sugar intake as too many foods that have a high Glycemic Index will also raie your blood sugar levels and not help you lower those sugar cravings.
Good luck. You can do this.
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