Sugar is not your waistline’s friend. It adds a lot of empty calories but no nutrition to your meals. If you add desserts to your day that are high in sugar and fat on a regular basis, you are putting your health at risk and can gain unncessary weight. Here are some tips to reduce your cravings for sugar and your sugar intake:
1. Eliminate Soft Drinks – this contributes more sugar to a person’s diet than anything else. Find other substitutions to soft drinks like iced water with slices of lemon, limes and oranges.
2. Choose high fiber foods for energy – foods with a lot of sugar will give you a quick burst of energy, however, you can experience quite a let down within a short time. Choose whole grains, whole fruits and vegetables for sustained energy.
3. Eat mini-meals every 3-4 hours – this will keep your blood sugar levels stable and reduce cravings for sugar.
4. Watch out for FAT-FREE foods – these tend to have quite a bit of sugar when all the fat is taken out of the product.
5. Know your cholesterol and triglyceride levels – this will inform you if you are insulin resistant which means eating sugar can be dangerous to your health.
6. Stay away from processed foods – choose whole foods at every meal and find ways to add them to every meal throughout your day.
7. Learn to share – if you must eat dessert, then share it with someone to help reduce your intake of sugar and you will not feel deprived.
8. Get good quality protein at every meal – this will help you NOT crave sugar throughout your day.
9. Have a CHEAT day – if you completely deny yourself, then you can set yourself up for a binge of the wrong foods.
Restaurant portions have grown tremendously so make a point of eating half of your meal and save the other half for another meal. Slow down and take the time to enjoy your meals. You may notice how energized you feel when you stop eating before your stomach is completely full.
Make a point of choosing nutrient-dense meals which will keep you full longer and reduce your cravings for sugar. You may be surprised just how easy it is to lose some weight and reduce your sugar intake without really trying.
Finally, are you getting enough calcium? According to a recent study done at the University of Tennessee, scientists divided 34 people into 2 groups. One group received a diet that included 1,100 mg. of calcium. The other group merely followed a low-calorie diet.
The group that followed the diet with more calcium lost 22% more weight, 61% more body fat and 81% more belly fat than the group who just followed the reduced -calorie diet. Calcium rich foods include broccoli, yogurt, spinach, rhubarb, raw oysters and sardines.
It is my hope that these tips will help reduce your sugar intake and make it easier to lose weight without feeling deprived. Take it one step at a time. If you are someone who drinks quite a few soft drinks, then start there. One trick to get off so many soft drinks is to get a nice big tall glass of ice water and drink a couple sips of water, then a couple sips of soft drink and eventually your body will tell you the water feels better to you. It is a great way to eliminate soft drinks without getting a headache.
Sherry L. Granader, ACE, AFAA, NETA, ACSM, BBU
[http://www.sgtotalhealth.com]
517-899-1451
Sherry Granader is a Nutrition Consultant, National Speaker and Spokesperson, , Author, Writer, Yoga, Pilates and Group Exercise Instructor, Personal Trainer, TV and Radio Host. Download Sherry’s “Eat Right, Feel Good Lose Weight” cookbook at [http://www.sgtotalhealth.com]
Author: Sherry L. Granader
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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