05.08.2024.
Are you consuming too much sugar? Here are some tips for cutting it down in your diet. The World Health Organisation recommends that people consume less than 25 grams or 6 teaspoons of free sugars daily.
Too much sugar can result in the buildup of harmful fat on the inside of your body, mainly around the liver, resulting in non-alcoholic fatty liver. It can also accumulate around other vital organs, eventually leading to serious diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
So, where do you think you might begin?
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- Reduce the amount of sugar added to food or drink regularly.
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- Limit consumption of sweets and sugar-rich desserts.
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- Ditch Sugary Drinks by drinking plain water, low fat milk or herbal tea.
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- Swap white bread, rice, or pasta for wholegrain versions like oats, whole-meal breads, brown rice, or pasta. Eat small portions!
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- Choose whole fresh fruit over canned or dried fruit.
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- Compare food labels and choose products with the lowest amounts of free sugars.
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- Avoid readymade foods, dressing sauces and condiments as they contain hidden sugars.
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- Add fresh fruit – Instead of adding sugar to cereal or oatmeal, try fresh fruit like apples or strawberries.
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- Make recipes healthier—When baking cookies, brownies, or cakes, reduce the sugar by one-third to one-half. Consume them only occasionally.
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- Avoid low-fat ‘diet’ foods – Low-fat and ‘diet’ foods often contain extra sugar to help improve their taste.
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- Replace sugar completely – Enhance foods with spices instead of sugar. Try ginger, allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg.
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- Eat a healthy snack – Snack on fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, hummus/bean dip or popcorn with no added salt or sugar.
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- Cereal Bars – Despite their healthy image, many cereal bars can be high in sugar and fat.
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- Dried fruit, such as raisins, dates, and apricots, is high in sugar and can cause tooth decay. Consume only in small amounts, preferably at mealtime.
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- Limit the consumption of cocktail drinks as they are packed with sugar.
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- The fibre in fresh, whole fruits and vegetables helps to slow down the absorption of their sugar. Peeling edible skin or juicing fruit and vegetables elevates blood sugar more quickly because they have been deprived of fibre.
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