Get rid of your sugar habit this year

We all know that too much sugar is bad for your waistline, teeth and can be addictive (most people with a love for the sweeter things in life often report cravings for certain sugary treats).

Conquering your sweet tooth can be a challenge. Here are a few tips on how to do it.

Remove sugary beverages from your diet

In Kenya, the most readily available processed drink is soda. It is also one of the most sugar-laden beverages in the market (the average can of soda gives you the equivalent of nine tea spoons of sugar).

Energy drinks are also packed with sugar as it helps give the consumer the desired boost. If you love fizzy drinks but want to eliminate the sugar from your diet, opt for sparkling water. To add flavour to the drink, experiment with natural food flavours like apple, strawberry, pineapple or even ginger. Adding in slices of fruits like oranges, tangerines or lemons can also result in a tasty healthy treat.

Managing your hot beverages

Most Kenyans love hot beverages. Almost all of us start our day with either a hot cup of tea or coffee (or porridge). As children, the majority of us had sugar put into these beverages to entice us to drink them.

With time, we developed an acquired taste for these sweet drinks and adding sugar to our beverages became mandatory. To get rid of this ‘hot beverage sweet tooth’ cut the amount of sugar you use by half each week, until you have completely eliminated it from your drinks. If you are completely unable to eliminate it, aim for less than a tea spoon of sugar per beverage.

Sweetened ‘natural juices’

Our market is full of juices packaged and marketed as being ‘natural’. A lot of these juices are unnaturally sweet. Often, they have been sweetened with syrups and other sugar rich options. If you love your juices but want to be free of the unnecessary sugar, opt for freshly squeezed juice options (preferably juice it yourself). You can even experiment with fruit and vegetable combinations.

Sugar substitutes

Most of us switch to artificial sweeteners to substitute our intake of cane sugar. The up side of this approach is that artificial sweeteners reduce your intake of calories. The down side is that they do not eliminate sugar dependence and your sugar cravings will still be intact. (In other words, they do not sort out your sweet tooth problem).

Sugar in food

Most manufacturers (especially when dealing with imported food products) will simply not list sugar as an ingredient in their item.

They will instead refer to it by different scientific names like include sucrose, fructose, dextrose, sorbitol and maltodextrin. All these refer to sugar and you need to be aware of this if you are trying to beat your sweet tooth.

‘Fat free’ products

Fat has been demonised for a long time and most people go to great lengths to reduce their intake of this food group. This has led to the development of food items which have been marketed as being ‘fat free’ and by extension being the ‘healthier option’.
Natural fat adds flavour to food and to make up for the loss of flavour, most manufacturers increase the amount of sugar in the product. This applies to fat free yoghurt, salad dressing (look out for high fructose corn syrup or honey) and baked products like cookies.

Is honey/syrup a substitute?

I have often heard people substituting cane sugar with honey or corn/fruit syrup. Most believe that these are ‘healthier’ options. It is important to understand that honey also contains natural sugar and it is not a good substitute if you are trying to eliminate sugar completely .

Eat ‘natural’ snacks to curb your cravings

Instead of opting for sweets, cookies and cake to deal with your sweet tooth, chose fruit instead (both fresh and dried). You can also opt for vegetables like carrots or cherry tomatoes. Fruit and vegetables have the added advantage of being rich in fibre and high in vitamins and minerals.

They are good for your digestion and keep you fuller for longer. They are also help boost your immunity, vision, skin and bone health. Nuts are also a good snack option as they are rich in healthy fats and protein. (The equivalent of a handful or two of nuts is a good portion per day).

Be mindful of ‘why’ you eat

Most people reach out for sweet snacks when they are feeling stressed, bored or when they are feeling blue. Before you walk to the bakery to buy that slice of cake, ask yourself, ‘Why do I want to eat it?’, ‘Am I really hungry?’, ‘Is there a healthier option?’ Do not eat if you are not hungry. Never use food to comfort you when you are feeling low.

Be mindful of ‘what you are doing as you eat’

It is not unusual to find yourself eating an entire packet of cookies as you watch television or finishing a packet of sweets as you work on your computer.
This ‘mindless eating’ often leads to over-indulgence and eventual weight gain. When you do eat, do so without distraction.

Focus on your food and savour every bite. When you pay attention to your meal, not only will you enjoy it more, you will be in tune to your body’s subtle signals indicating that you have had enough.

Withdrawal symptoms

Most of us associate withdrawal symptoms with discontinuation of the use of drugs or alcohol. However, you can experience some form of withdrawal once you cut out sugary foods/drinks from your diet.

Symptoms of withdrawal can be irritability, fatigue and even headaches. Avoid reaching for a sweet snack when you experience these symptoms—with time, your body will adjust and you will feel like your normal self again.