If you think you eat too much sugar, you probably do, and you’re not alone in satisfying your sweet tooth. This infographic illustrates the extent to which Americans overindulge. On average, Americans consume 765 grams sugar, the equivalent of 17 12-ounce sodas every 5 days. Our typical intake is 22 teaspoons of sugar per day, compared to the American Heart Association recommendation of no more than 9.5 teaspoons.
Excessive sugar consumption is linked to obesity and a variety of related chronic illnesses, from diabetes and cardiovascular disease to cancer. The primary agent of the this sugar related health crisis is thought to be sweetened beverages, which include sodas, juices, sports drinks, sweetened teas, and any other sugar-containing beverages. Sugary drinks do not appropriately contribute to satiety, meaning: the calories from juice or soda do not make us as full as we would be from consuming the same number of calories from a solid food. Additionally, sweetened beverages have a high glycemic index and glycemic load, leading to spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels, which are often followed by fatigue. Even if you are not a soda drinker, the American diet contains abundant sources sugar in pastries and other foods that we tend to think of as desserts. Sugar is also hidden in “health foods” such as breakfast cereals and yogurts, to increase their flavor.
Though many of us seek to reduce our sugar intake for a healthy New Year, the addictive qualities of sugar keep us coming back. As the New York Times reported recently, sugar elicits strong habit-formation, stimulating reward pathways in the brain, similarly to illicit drugs and other addictive substances.
A “cold turkey” approach to eliminating added sugar from the diet appears to be popularly recommended in the media, and this may certainly work for some people. However, I tend to prefer avoiding extremes in promoting behavior change, opting for long-term solutions for true lifestyle adjustment. Here are some tips to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet:
- Identify sources of sugar in your typical diet. Do you drink juice? Eat fruit-sweetened yogurt, breakfast cereals, etc? Look through the ingredient list of all processed foods for words that mean “sugar”, such as corn syrup, cane juice, maltodextrin, turbinado, fruit juice concentrate, malt, dextran, brown rice syrup, honey, sorghum syrup, and anything ending in “-ose” (sucrose, fructose, etc.).
- If you’re hooked on sweet drinks, try putting slices of fruit in sparkling or still water. Orange and grapefruit with mint sprigs is delicious. Apple with cucumber is also very good. Putting a splash of fruit juice into water also works well.
- Use cinnamon in place of sweeteners in some foods. Put it in coffee drinks instead of sugar or syrups. Use it in oatmeal instead of honey or brown sugar. Cinnamon with a dash of salt on apple slices is an excellent dessert option.
- Buy unsweetened versions of your favorite foods and add your own toppings, controlling for sugar. Buy plain yogurt, and eat it with berries. Buy plain oats instead of flavored packets, and add spices and fruit.
- Don’t fear fat! The low fat diet concept is popular among those trying to improve their health. Unfortunately, many reduced-fat foods have added sugars and may be more detrimental to health than their full-fat counterparts. Plant-based fats such as olive oil, avocado, and coconut may help to stabilize blood sugar, increase feelings of fullness, and reduce cravings.
- Don’t substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar. Though non-caloric, these may lead to increased eating throughout the day. If you need a sweetener, I tend to prefer agave. It’s similar to sugar calorically, but it’s sweeter, so you can use less of it to achieve desired flavor. It also has less of an impact on blood glucose than table sugar.
- Going long periods of time without eating can exacerbate hunger and cravings for refined starches and sugars. Keep healthy snacks with you at all times to satisfy hunger at times that you can’t have a meal.
- One small piece of high-quality dark chocolate after meals or during intense sweet cravings is a healthy substitute for other sugary options.
- Nothing may be quite as tasty as a fresh pastry for breakfast, but try to remember how much better you’ll feel if you eat something more substantial instead. Additionally, starting the day with a balanced meal containing healthy fats, protein and fiber, may help curb the desire for sweets later on.
- Be aware of your sweet cravings and try to determine if they may be signaling another issue. Are you tired or fatigued? Stressed? Sad or angry? Try to give yourself what you really need, from a nap to a massage.
- Provide non-food rewards for each sugar sacrifice you make. With time, your cravings will reduce, and you may even find that foods you used to love are too sweet.
- Lastly, structure indulgences into your diet. Is a life without sweets really worth living? Plan to have dessert maybe once per week, and look forward to that piece of cake or ice-cream cone. This trick helps to reduce feelings of restriction, which often backfire.
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Alexandra Rothwell, RD, CSO, CDN, is a registered dietitian and specialist in oncology nutrition. She has worked within the Tisch Cancer Institute for the past 3 years, now focusing on breast cancer nutrition for the Dubin Breast Center. Alexandra provides individual counseling in the areas of wellness, weight management and symptom/side effect management, in addition to creating patient education programs in this realm.