Sugar is extremely addictive, and detrimental to your health. Here are some tips and tricks to kicking that sugar craving and taming your sweet tooth.
1. Say so long to soda! A 12-ounce can has 39g of sugar!! (The American Heart Association recommends 25g or 6 teaspoons be the daily limit) Juice may be natural, but it's no better. A 8-ounce glass can have 22g. Its best to stick with water or herbal teas. Mix up your normal H2O with some fruit or cucumber and mint.
2. We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, ditch the sugar packed pastries and granola and swap them with cereal with less than 5g of sugar per serving or oatmeal cooked with egg whites and topped with nuts and berries. Protein helps control your appetite all day, so this mix of fiber and protein keeps you satisfied. Can't stand the thought of oatmeal? Try scrambled eggs with spinach and avocado!
3. Happy hour needs a Healthy swap. A margarita can pack 35g of sugar! Opt for wine on girls night instead (no not dessert wine) try dry wines like pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc (which have fewer than 1g per ounce). Or sip vodka, club soda and lemon juice.
4. Go semisweet. If you like a sweet snack after dinner, bite into a square of 65% or higher dark chocolate instead. The higher the percentage, the lower the sugar.
5. Beat the mid day binge. New research suggests that your inner sugar monster wakes up in the afternoon. Distract yourself with a phone call to a friend, a good book or a 15 minute walk (which is scientifically proven to bust a snack urge any time of day).
6. Fuel for success. Removing sugar calories from your diet? Replace them with energy from proteins, healthy fats, fruits and veggies . Eating too little leads to more intense cravings!
7. Fire the fake-outs. Your brain doesn't recognize artificial sweeteners as sugar, you'll just end up wanting even more sugar to compensate, leading to excess calorie consumption and a a gnarly lasting sweet tooth.
8. Investigate those ingredients. Check bread labels for honey, molasses, or fruit juice-and buy only whole-grain (not multi-grain) loaves with at least 3g of fiber and fewer than 5g or sugar per slice.
9. Decode your deli meat. Is that really meat, or meat flavored sugar? Some lunch fixings are full of a corn-derived sugar called dextrose. Before you shop, research brands online to make sure your meats have 0g of sugar!
10. Do the math. Check the nutrition label for grams of sugar, then divide that number by 4 to get its approximate total teaspoons of sugar.
11. Know thy enemy. Sugar is the only SOB with more than 50 different names, often ending in -ose (e.g., fructose, sucrose, maltose). BTW: Honey, agave, and maple syrup all count too! But you can definitely cut back on the amount you use with these alternatives since you get a richer flavor for less.
12. Brew at home. A medium flavored latte can have 18g of added sugar, and some creamers have 5g of sugar per tablespoon. Switch to unsweetened versions of dairy alternatives like almond or coconut milk (you could save 16g of sugar per cup!).
13. Snack smart. A nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt can have as much added sugar as a scoop of vanilla ice cream (13g). Energy bars, meanwhile, can deliver more than you should eat in a day. Stick to plain yogurt with berries or low-sugar bars made with real foods like fruits and nuts.
14. Order the damn dessert! There's no need to totally deprive yourself! Eating a few omg-this-is-amazing sweets per month is rewarding, and as your tastes change, you may be satisfied with just a couple bites.
