Few people can resist a delicious chocolate bar, a fragrant brioche or a refreshing frappuccino. But even if you're one of the lucky ones who resist sweets, what you probably don't know is that added sugars are hidden in foods you wouldn't even think of - a ready-made sauce, a drink, yoghurt, toast, your breakfast cereal, are some common examples. So whether you watch your diet or need to limit your sugar intake for health reasons, you may be sabotaging your efforts by added sugars in foods that are seemingly innocent.
How much sugar is too much
According to experts, the daily recommended sugar dose for women is 6 teaspoons, corresponding to no more than 25 grams of added sugar, and for men 9 teaspoons, corresponding to no more than 36 grams of added sugar. However, it is estimated that the average adult consumes an average of 77 grams of added sugar per day - at least three times the recommended amount. And most people don't even know it, since sugar is hidden in foods you wouldn't even suspect.
What does this mean? Sugar provides no nutritional value. It's just empty calories, with no vitamins, minerals, protein or fibre.
Further, numerous studies have shown that sugar has terrible effects on our health: it reduces life expectancy, deregulates insulin, increases the risk of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, increases hunger and weight, negatively affects the progression of Alzheimer's disease, causes fatty liver, destroys teeth, increases the risk of depression. Finally, it causes addiction and therefore a craving for more sugar in the future.
And while sugar substitutes may be beneficial and safe, they can also affect your metabolism and fuel hunger.
So if you're wondering how you can reduce your sugar cravings, we have good news.
Proven strategies to reduce your sugar cravings
In fact, reducing your sugar cravings is much easier than you think. These are six simple strategies to help you achieve your goal:
#1 Sleep more
People don't realise it, but not sleeping well can affect your sugar cravings. Studies have shown that poor sleep leads to more intense cravings for sweets. So to reduce your cravings, aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night.
#2 Know the difference between craving and hunger
Many times, when we think we want a sweet, we really just have a craving. What's the difference? The next time you want to eat some chocolate cake, ask yourself: if the only thing I had to eat right now was an apple, would I eat it? If the answer is «no,» then you're probably not really hungry. When you're hungry what you're willing to eat is flexible, whereas when you're just craving, it's not.
The next time you answer «no» to this question, take 20 minutes before you act. You will find that most of the time the craving goes away after a while. You can also try replacing the sugar craving with a healthy substitute - some sparkling water with fruit flavours, for example, or a treat with natural sugar-free sweeteners.
#3 Add some protein to a breakfast rich in healthy carbohydrates
A study that looked at MRI scans of people who ate a high-protein breakfast found reduced activity in the areas of the brain associated with desire. Try adding some protein to your breakfast and see if it helps you cut down on sugar later in the day.
You can serve your hot or cold cereal with some strained yoghurt or eat eggs with avocado to increase your protein intake. If you eat bagels or toast, include some smoked salmon to get the protein benefits.
#4 Trick your brain
Don't think too much about reducing sugar. Instead redefine it as adding more good foods to your diet. Seek to continually fill your plate with protein, healthy fats and high-fiber carbohydrates such as non-starchy vegetables. This way, you'll stay full and won't leave your body feeling too hungry, which when it happens often makes us seek out fast-acting carbohydrates like sugar.
#5 Limit or even better «cut out» foods that have added sugars
If you can't give up ice cream and chocolate, try eliminating ketchup and sauce. Sugar is found in many condiments and sauces and it would be a mistake to assume that «since it's not a dessert or sweet food it logically won't have sugar. Sugar is found in many types of ketchup, mustards, prepared sauces, marinades and sauces. It can also be hidden in certain meals such as sushi rice and polenta.
In fact, sugar is the most popular ingredient added to packaged foods: a breakfast bar made with «real fruit and whole grains» can contain 15 grams or more of added sugar. Making a habit of checking ingredient labels will help you stay away from food choices that feed you hidden sugar.
#6 Drink more water
People often confuse thirst with hunger. So a simple way to manage sugar addiction is to drink more water: It's a great substitute for other drinks and helps with feeling full, which can prevent unintentional snacking on sugary foods. In one study, people who increased their daily water intake reduced their daily sugar intake.
It is also worth noting that sugary drinks, such as soda, lemonade and energy drinks, are the number one source of added sugar in our diet. So one of the best things you can do is to replace your sugary drink with a sugar-free one. If you find it difficult to do this, you can start by reducing the amount you drink, drinking soda every other day instead of every day, for example. Then continue to reduce the amount you drink each week until you «kick» the habit.
