3 Simple Ways to Cut Down Sugar Now!
So many people are talking about sugar these days and for a good reason! This stubborn addiction can be surprisingly hard to stop. I am not saying it’s impossible, but I am saying sometimes sugar shows up in places you least expect so when you think you are on track, you may actually not be. So, here are some ways to cut down sugar intake.
This sneaky food is hidden in some of our favourite “healthy” foods like pasta sauce, orange juice, and coconut water. Therefore you do not have to be stuffing your face with cookies and muffins to be consuming a significant amount of sugar. As a result, our bodies are burning sugar instead of fat. So fat keeps accumulating around the midsection and never getting used as energy.
Why you need to cut sugar now!
Sugar has more control over your body than you think. Are you feeling run down, grumpy, bloated, or absent-minded? Well, sugar is most likely the problem.
When I started cutting down my sugar intake it was right after having my son. My journey wasn’t for weight loss at first. I was feeling awful, tired, grumpy, less patient, and out of breath quicker than normal. My teeth were sensitive and I just felt depleted.
I had never really been a sugar consumer before but something changed after pregnancy. I started drinking Shakeoloy protein shakes to help with my nutrition while breastfeeding. But, I was adding
I thought was being ‘healthy’ but ultimately I was sabotaging my efforts. After following the advice from JJ Virgin, Dr Axe, and Dr Hyman I made a plan. Cut the sugar. And let me tell you it’s been life-changing.
The fat melts off you. It’s Amazing!
A full sugar-free diet will take time if you want it to be sustainable. It is recommended to eliminate slowly because like a drug if its done cold turkey you will inevitably crave it! Here are a few simple swaps to get you started.
Cutting sugar is not easy! Here are 3 simple tips to get you started!
1) Use Liquid Stevia as your sweetener
I love coffee, so I used this until I could taper down to no added sugar. Not all Stevia is the same just like everything out there. You want to find “real stevia leaf.” According to Dr Axe Truvia goes through 42 steps to make it 400 times more sweet than sugar. Therefore, the big guys have made a somewhat healthy alternative to GMO yet again.
If you are really into changing things up, try to substitute coconut oil and organic butter for creamer like (Kerrygold), it significantly cuts down the bitterness of black coffee and eliminates creamer which has sugar in it. This coffee blend is called “bulletproof ” and it has a ton of other benefits as well such as improved focus. If you are interested in Bulletproof check out www.bulletproof.com
2) Eliminate all Coke/ Pepsi Products!
Okay, this next one is not as easy if you are addicted to Coke. My husband and I started switching Mountain Dew (Yes the worst one for you), to soda water and added lemon, grapefruit, or lime. At the time, it wasn’t as popular so we had to do way more work. But now we own a soda stream. We make our own at home saving a TON of money. Not to mention carbs. If you wanted to take the plunge to purchase a one, I highly recommend it.
Another option before investing any money is to just purchase sparkling water at the store. They often go on sale. But it can get expensive.
3) Eat Sour Food
Did you know, that if you add sour foods to your diet it changes your ph and you actually start craving less sugar naturally? I add fresh lemon or apple cider vinegar to my morning cup of water. If this sounds awful to you add a grapefruit to your breakfast or snack. Helpful tip, when I first started drinking apple cider vinegar I added a drop of stevia to help with the taste, now it’s not necessary I am loving it.
I recommend Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar. Make sure its organic. Dr Axe does a great youtube video on the importance of organic that you can check it out here.
Just to recap, The 3 strategies to cut down sugar now is to, replace refined sugar with stevia until you can cut it completely. Ditch the soft drinks and make your own soda water. Lastly, start eating sour food to offset the sugar cravings.
Baby steps, sugar is hard to kick so good luck and take it one day at a time. If you are ready to take your life back and commit to a life without sugar, I recommend “The 10 Day Detox” or “The Sugar Impact Diet” Both of these resources are amazing and you are guaranteed to detox and lose weight if you follow it.
You can do it!
Stephanie
