Is eating healthy and cutting refined sugar out of your life a goal of yours? Well after eating all the sugar I could get my hands on in the month of December, it is a goal of mine!
Cutting sugar out of your diet can be so hard because:
- It is super addicting.
- It tastes so darn good!
First of all, why should we eat less refined sugar? Is added sugar really all that bad? Well, unfortunately yes, it is not good for us.
Keep reading to find out: How to make the negative effects of sugar “less bad.”
Effects of sugar immune system and immune activity
A study out of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that about 75 grams of sugar lowers immune system activity by 40% for up to 5 hours after eating. This may sound like a lot of sugar, but a can of soda alone has 40 grams of sugar. There is hidden sugar in more than we think. Even in granola bars, ketchup, salad dressing, and seemingly healthy frozen meals.
This 75 grams of sugar is not all of nothing. If you eat 20 grams of sugar, your immune system will still take a hit. Let’s say you eat something sugary for breakfast and then have some more sugar in your lunch 3 hours later, your immune function will be reduced further from the already lower function.
It is very easy to go a whole day, or week for that matter, with your immune system functioning at just a fraction of what it should be.
Ok, so if that wasn’t enough to get you to rethink sugar…
Sugar and Inflammation
It is plain and simple, sugar causes inflammation. Inflammation is a large component of most, if not all chronic diseases.
It is very likely that you already have some inflammation going on in the body. If that is the case, or if you already have a chronic disease, sugar is fuel for the inflammation fire.
Giving up refined sugar, or modifying your intake, may not eliminate your chronic disease all together, but it should ease symptoms and make your inflammation or condition less severe.
Sugar, Blood Sugar, Insulin, Insulin Resistance, and Type 2 Diabetes
Eating too much sugar can lead to things like high blood sugar, insulin resistance, Type 2 Diabetes, and so many other conditions including heart disease, heart attack, and even death. Ok scared of sugar yet??? What can we do??
We want to keep our blood sugar levels in check. Thank god we have our friend insulin to help with that.
Insulin is a hormone that is released every time we eat. The name of the game is to get just the right amount of sugar out of the blood and into cells. We can think of insulin as a little key to those cells that helps escort the sugar out of the blood stream and into those cells.
Luckily, we have a lot of control over insulin and blood sugar levels based on our diet and our food choices.
A lot of herbs can also help regulate your insulin levels as well! Check out 8 Herbs & Spices to help regulate blood sugar levels and help stop sugar cravings.
How much refined sugar should I eat per day?
The WHO (World Health Organization) says adults should limit added sugars to 25 grams daily (6 teaspoons).
Remember, this is added sugar. Fruit does not count. Eat your fruit and enjoy all the wonderful benefits they have to offer! (However, I try to stay away from dried fruit because they are full of sugar and when you eat enough, they will cause the same havoc in the body as refined sugar.) Any sugar that is listed under “sugar” on a label is added sugar and should be counted towards your 25 daily grams.
And remember, the 25 grams is NOT a recommendation of how much you should be eating, it is the MAXIMUM.
In a perfect world we would be eating no refined sugar. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If you can stick to no added sugar or if that is your goal, great! But, cutting down on sugar even a little, is better than nothing!
Remember, to give yourself credit for what you are doing, instead of feeingl bad about what you are not doing!
Track Amount of Sugar You Normally Eat Per Day
Try and take a judgement free day or week to eat as you normally would and track the amount of added sugar you eat. Remember, fresh/frozen fruit do not count. Don’t worry about calories, fat, or any of the other macronutrients. This will let you know what your starting point is.
And remember, sugar is sneaky! You may be surprised by what you learn.
Spoiler alert: 1 tablespoon of most store-bought ketchup contain around 4 grams (1 teaspoon) of added sugar. If you are a ketchup lover like me, chances are you are eating more than 1 tablespoon.
8 Natural & Holistic Strategies to Naturally Eat Less or Give up Sugar
1. Make a list!
Make a list of your favorite foods that do not contain added sugar. Write it down and keep it easily accessible. I find it most helpful to focus on what I can have instead of what I cannot have.
When you start to crave a sugary treat, take out your list. Is there anything on there that sounds good and would satisfy your sugar craving? Make sure you have things on your list excite you! Get inspiration. Check the internet. Search things like: recipes without refined/added sugar.
Watch out when you see processed food that advertises “sugar free.” Oftentimes, it is full of artificial sugar, which has their own set of problems.
2. Sugar Budget
Make a sugar budget. So, if you are not looking to go cold turkey on all added sugar, make a sugar budget. The WHO 25 grams could be a good place to start. Whatever your starting point is, it can always be adjusted.
Imagine, you are there and a sugar craving comes on. You look at your “No added refined sugar list.” Nothing sounds good. Or maybe you eat something on your list and it just is not doing it for you. Ok, that’s fine. Take a look at your daily sugar budget. How much do you have for the day? Choose a sugary treat. You didn’t “cheat.” You have your budget there and you can enjoy what you have from your sugar budget.
3. Remind yourself why!
Remind yourself of all the reasons sugar is bad for your health. Print out our downloadable infographic or write your own list! If there is one particular reason you want to ditch sugar write it down. Keep it with you in your purse or your kitchen depending on if you are more likely to give into your cravings at home or on the go.
4. Magnesium
Magnesium is a very common nutrient deficiency. When you are deficient in magnesium you are more likely to have dysregulated blood sugar and have sugar cravings.
Eat a diet in magnesium rich food like dark chocolate, avocados, nuts. Check the internet for a more comprehensive list.
You could also make a long infusion of Stinging Nettle or Dandelion.
Supplementing magnesium is also a valid option! I usually like to eat my nutrients, but Vitamin D & magnesium are two supplements I usually have in the house. I’ll supplement with magnesium if I notice I’m not getting enough in my diet or if I forget to make a long infusion of my mineral rich tea.
5. Chromium
Chromium is a trace mineral that is essential for human health. Chromium has a specific affinity for blood sugar regulation. It enhances insulin activity. Remember, insulin is the little key that opens up the cell doors to get the sugar out of your blood and where it needs to go.
Check out foods with chromium or supplements can also be taken to help reduce sugar cravings.
6. Try new recipes!
Get excited about new fun food and recipes to try. This shifts your focus to what you are eating rather than what you are not eating. Check out your cookbooks that have been sitting on your shelf, turn to Instagram, Pinterest, or whatever recipe site you prefer. There is 100% no lack of recipes on the internet. Try looking into recipes from different countries and explore new flavors!
7. Crunch it out
Ok so honestly this is a tip that I have not successfully done, but my mom had amazing abs when she did this. Whenever she wanted to eat something with added sugar, she would do X amount of push-ups or crunches. Not only did she not eat the sugary treat, but she was getting cut while doing it! Doing this distracts you from your sugar craving!
Oftentimes, when we want something sugary there is something stressful going on. Doing some push-ups or crunches can get your mind off of your craving while releasing some energy and stress. Double whammy!
8. Give yourself a finish line
I find I am more successful in diet changes when I give myself a date that is the end of whatever I am trying out. This makes the change more manageable for me because it is not forever. When the end date arrives I will possibly push it back again or reevaluate how I am feeling.
How to make effects of sugar “less bad” on the body
Food Combining
When you eat something sugary, eat it with along with something else! This something else should contain other macronutrients like fiber, fat, or protein. If you are craving a chocolate bar and need to have one, eat some almonds with it.
Eating sugar along with these other macronutrients reduces the food’s glycemic index. What does this mean? The spike in your blood sugar is reduced when you eat sugar with other things high in fiber, protein, and fat. Basically, don’t only eat a cookie. Have something with that cookie, and a chocolate bar does not count.
How does it work?
When eating sugar with other macronutrients, it takes longer to digest and get all the sugar into the blood stream. Which turns our sugar high of peaks and low valleys into smaller manageable hills. This keeps our blood sugar levels more in check and eases the spikes, reducing the glycemic index.
Can’t live without dessert?
Eat your dessert right after dinner rather than waiting a few hours. Doing this will ensure you are eating your sugar with other macronutrients.
Getting Started
Reducing or cutting out refined sugar can be a daunting task. It may seem impossible now, but incorporating some of these tricks may make it more manageable, and even fun!
Let me know if you try any of these strategies and how they work for you! Do you have any strategies or tricks that have worked for you in the past? Let me know in the comments below!
