10 ways to quit sugar for good

Portia Arthur

January 12, 2016 11:03 AM

Refined sugar is bad for more than our teeth and waistlines. It's now widely accepted as a public health concern.

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Drink more water

This will make you feel fuller and help your liver do its job metabolising any sugar you have eaten and crave it less. And because, well water is really good for you.

Reduce the sugar in your tea/coffee

If you reduce this little by little over time, you can cut it out altogether and enjoy the real taste of tea and coffee. Once you do you won't know how you ever thought those sweetened beverages tasted good!

Ditch the sodas

There is so much sugar in sodas it's best to cut them out altogether. And diet sodas are not a replacement. They still feed your sugar craving, disrupt your metabolism and contain chemical sweeteners associated with a host of other health problems.

Eat more protein

Every meal should include a high-quality source of protein, this will keep you fuller for longer and help to avert those crashes/dips in blood sugar that have you reaching for sugary snacks.

Eat good quality dark chocolate instead of milk or white chocolate (in moderation!)

You need less to satisfy your chocolate craving and it will release even more of those feel-good endorphins without spiking your blood sugar. Plus small amounts of dark chocolate (minimum 70%) are actually good for you! (don't you love that?!).

Do some exercise

Moderate exercise releases the same feel good hormones as chocolate, can help to balance your blood sugar and help to work off any extra pounds gained from all the sugar you used to eat! Plus, when you're moving, you're not eating - often we eat because we're bored or need stimulation.

Get more sleep

Not getting enough sleep is a sure fire way to set yourself up for sugar cravings during the day as you seek to increase your energy levels. Also, not sleeping weakens our willpower to say no to those cravings when they do occur.

Manage your emotions

You know the drill, you've had a bad day, or are feeling particularly stressed, and you reach for the chocolate or ice cream. But you won't find the answers to your problems there.

Instead take the time out to work through what's bothering you. Not always easy but sooner or later you know it has to be done.

Avoid 'low fat'

Basically, anything that claims to be low in fat is usually high in sugar, otherwise it would taste like cardboard! So just avoid anything with low fat on the label (and good fat is good for us anyway).

Avoid 'sugar free'

Equally, sugar free products might sound ideal, but unless they're naturally sweetened (and even that's not as straight-forward as it should be) they probably contain a mixture of artificial sweeteners that maintain your 'sweet tooth' and have a whole host of other detrimental effects on the brain and nervous system. Avoid them wherever you find them.

Source: huffingtonpost.co.uk

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Portia Arthur