We all know that eating processed sugar is not part of a healthy diet. Eating processed sugar can lead to overweight, Type 2 diabetes, depression, low energy, tooth decay, acne, aging skin, and is linked to certain cancers, a higher risk of heart disease, cognitive decline, and fatty liver disease. Not good!
But many people struggle with knowing how to remove it from their diet. I hear it all the time - "Mary Ellen, how do I quit eating sugar?"
Here are a few tips to remove sugar from your diet.
1. Read ingredient labels. There are 60 different names for sugar, such as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), sucrose, maltose, sorbitol, brown rice syrup, lactose, malt syrup, corn syrup, agave nectar, etc., and "organic cane sugar" (sounds healthy right?) is still sugar. If an ingredient label contains added sugar, put it back on the shelf, and don't bring it into your house.
2. Avoid foods containing white processed flour such as bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, biscuits, etc. These high carbohydrate foods will keep you craving sugar. Once they are removed from your diet, and you add in whole, unprocessed food, your body will no longer crave sugar. Removing these foods for just three days can stop the cravings.
3. Add whole foods to your diet to crowd out processed foods containing sugar, or white flour. Instead of pancakes or a bagel for breakfast, try whole oats with fruit, or eggs with veggies, or a nutritious balanced green smoothie.
4. Make sure you have "sweetness" in your life. I mean it. If your relationships, career, or other areas of your life are not sweet and satisfying, sugar may be your crutch. Explore your emotional relationship with sugar.
If you need more help removing sugar from your diet, please reach out to me at coachmaryellen@outlook.com. I always offer a no-cost discovery session. I look forward to hearing from you.