Six easy ways to cut down your sugar intake

WE ALL know we need to eat less sugar, but in reality it’s hard to avoid. Here are six simple changes that will make a big difference.

Berries are a great choice if you’re trying to cut down on sugar. The cake, not so much.

“JUST a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” are the famous words of Mary Poppins. She was right, but she forgot to add that the more spoonfuls, the more medicine you will need to combat the harmful effects of excess sugar.

The more sugar you have the more sugar you crave, which is why sugar is often considered one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. Effecting the same opioid pathways within the brain as a drug addiction, sugar is very addictive and the food industry knows it.

Your local restaurant may be throwing it in your salad that you presume to be healthy but you can’t quite work out how a simple salad can taste so damn good. It’s often added to breads and sauces to get you hooked.

Sugar is hard to avoid, but it can be done. Here are six simple changes that will make a big difference.

1. DON’T JUICE YOUR FRUIT

Eat your fruit in its whole form. Fruit is full of fructose, which can only be metabolised by the liver and when we eat excess amounts of fructose the liver becomes overloaded and stores fructose as fat, leading to a fatty liver.

I want to emphasise that eating whole fruit in moderation is not a bad thing, but avoiding processed foods with added sugars is essential.

Berries and avocados are the best low sugar, high fibre fruits. One cup of raspberries has 8 grams of fibre and 5.4 gram of sugar. A cup of blackberries contains 7.6 grams of fibre and 7 grams of sugar, while 1 cup of avocado contains a whole 10 grams of fibre and only 1 gram of sugar.

2. STICK TO THE OUTSIDE AISLES OF YOUR SUPERMARKET

If you must venture into the maze and buy something that comes packaged, make sure to read the per 100 g column and aim for 5 grams or less of sugars on label.

And probably avoid this ice-cream (yes, it’s ice-cream for those of you with a dirty mind).

3. CUT THE LIQUID SUGARS

Most of us consume way too many sugar calories from liquids. Juice, Soft drinks, cocktails, mixed drinks, milky drinks and energy drinks are all examples of foods that are packed full of sugary sweet badness. Even though a gin and tonic may look harmless and not taste super sweet, you’re still looking at about 7 teaspoons of sugar per glass.

Also be careful when purchasing “green veggie” juices. Unless they taste bitter and a lot like grass, they are probably just apple juice with a touch of something green in them. Check the ingredients and again, check the label for 5 grams or less per 100.

4. REPLACE SUGAR WITH HEALTHY FATS

Eating sugar breeds more sugar addiction. The more you eat the more you crave. Sugar is not a building block in the body, apart from turning into fat. Healthy fats on the other hand are used to make hormones, cell walls and play a big part in the nervous system among other functions.

Try reducing the processed carbs and sugar on your plate with healthy alternative like oily fish, nuts, eggs, avocado, chia and flaxseeds.

5. DITCH THE SALAD DRESSING

This is especially important when dining out. Many restaurants skimp on the healthy fats and proteins, load up on salad leaves and cover them in sweet dressing to make your rabbit food seem more appealing.

Pick your salad wisely and make sure they fill you up with all the good stuff or you will find yourself snacking an hour later and undoing your great salad intentions. Try making your own fresh salad dressing with olive oil, citrus fruit such as orange or lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. Even easier is just to chop up a piece of whole fruit and add it to the mix.

6. ADDICTED TO CHOCOLATE? GO AS DARK AS POSSIBLE

Try this two week wean off. If you normally have a piece of chocolate every day, start with your standard type, then every three days change it up 10 per cent darker. The darker the choc, the more cacao and less sugar and milk solids generally.

Try and get up to 90 per cent dark chocolate and you’ll find one or two pieces is satisfying. Its also not a bad hit of antioxidants!

Dr Tim Robards is a chiropractor and exercise scientist (B. Med. Sc, M. Chiro). Tim recently launched his unique exercise and diet program The Robards Method.