5 tips to cut down your sugar intake

Our diet plays a very important role in keeping us healthy and fit. Even when we are trying to lose weight, we have to watch our diet. Our diet is the main source of nutrients for our body, many of which it cannot make on its own and requires for regular body functions.

Sugar is a part of many foods. While some foods contain natural sugar, others contain processed or artificial sugar. Sugar becomes one of the main causes of weight gain, especially on the belly. Ask an expert on how to lose weight, and one of the first things they will ask you is to cut down your sugar intake.

What happens when you cut down sugar from your diet?

Studies have shown that when you stop eating sugar, it can have a similar effect on your body as to when people get off drugs. You may see withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, exhaustion, brain fog, irritability, etc. Some people even experience digestive issues. However, with time, your body adapts to it. In the body processes, nothing really changes. Your body continues to burn calories for energy, but there are fewer or no extra calories to store as fat since the sugar is one of the main sources of calories that the body receives. 

How to cut down your sugar intake

According to a Dr., there can be many reasons for increased sugar intake. "It is important to understand the sources of sugar intake along with the lifestyle habits that resort to increasing blood sugar levels. While not only eating sweets add to an increase in sugar levels but poor exercise habits, a sedentary lifestyle also act as catalysts. Bingeing on alcohol, not exercising, poor eating habits, sugar in tea or coffee all contribute to high blood sugar levels gradually." She also shares some tips to reduce your sugar intake and keep your weight, blood sugar levels in check.

1. Mindful Eating - Keeping a check on the quantity helps in enjoying the delicacies with moderate piling of calories. Always use a smaller plate while dining. Be mindful of what to eat and how much to eat.
2. Follow your diet plan - Having a heavy breakfast helps to keep the stomach fuller for a longer time. Plan your breakfast to be heaviest with lots of fibre and nutrients, and lunch packed with proteins. Try to avoid high carb foods in a day's time like bread, potatoes, sauces, white rice, etc.  Keep your kitchen and fridge full of healthy snacking options, green leafy vegetables and fruits.
3. Consume plenty of water – Eliminate sugary drinks, such as soda, packed juices and replace them with water. It is advised to drink plenty of water every day (optimal level). Start the day with drinking 1 l water on an empty stomach to clean the digestive tract. This helps in staying hydrated and cleans toxins from the blood. Make sure to consume at least 3 L of water on average per day. 
4. Prefer dancing, if not exercising – We may find difficulty in exercising, but dancing out our heart can burn out the extra grams of calories. Even after consuming all the sweets and ghee, this can be the best workout to keep healthy.
5. Choose from the wisest– Choose to eat a healthier option as saying no to offerings may not be so difficult. Try not to overeat, and it is perfectly okay to choose nuts, fruits, flavoured yoghurts in the desserts. 
6. Try this Detoxification Technique - Try detox body by replacing tea and coffee with green teas, starting your day with a glass of lukewarm water with a lemon in it. Try avoiding binge drinking. Choose a small portion like red wine instead of high alcoholic drinks like scotch, vodka etc.

A little sugar here and there can always be managed by doing an extra ten minutes of workout, yoga, walking, etc. However, being mindful of what you eat and how much is the key to a healthy, happy body.  

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Does Increase Sugar Intake Increase Risk Of Diabetes

Because diabetes is characterized by too much sugar in the blood, many people wonder if too much sugar consumption is what leads to it. While it is true that high sugar consumption increases the risk of diabetes, it is only one piece of a whole puzzle, and there are actually many other factors, such as your diet in general, your lifestyle and genetic characteristics with which you were born. In addition, sugar comes in different forms, and therefore the question arises: does every form of it play a part in developing diabetes? This article will talk about that plus more findings available on this issue, which may help to relieve your fears and give you an idea of things you didn’t know were endangering you with diabetes.

What happens in the body when we consume sugar?

When we talk about sugar, we often think of sucrose, the kind of sugar that comes in the form of white powder that we add to tea or coffee. Sucrose contains one molecule of glucose and a molecule of fructose, and when we consume this sweet ingredient, those molecules break down before it is fully absorbed into the blood. This process increases blood sugar, and as a result, the pancreas begins to secrete insulin, the hormone which allows sugar to be used by cells. While small amounts of fructose do provide energy, most of this compound moves to the liver, where it becomes fat.

So, does sugar intake increase our risk of diabetes?

Many studies have been conducted on this issue, which found that people who regularly consume sweet drinks have a 25 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This happens both directly and indirectly; When sugar reaches the liver and turns into fat, it can cause fatty liver disease, which can increase your risk of diabetes; At the same time, the weight gain that sugar causes may also lead you to be at increased risk of developing the disease. Therefore, experts recommend not consuming more than 10% of your daily calories in the form of sugar; But this isn’t the end on the subject ...

Natural sugar has a different effect on the body

Natural sugar is found in fruits and vegetables and is different from that found in soft drinks. Because this sugar comes along with fiber, water, and antioxidants, it is digested and absorbed in the body more slowly, and therefore does not cause a sharp increase in blood sugar levels. In addition, the concentration of sugar found in fruits and vegetables is lower than that found in other food or drink in the same amount; For example, a peach has 8% sugar, compared to a chocolate snack that can contain no less than 50% sugar.
There are various studies - that suggest that consuming a daily portion of fruit reduces one’s risk of diabetes by 7-13%, as opposed to going through a whole day without eating any fruit at all. What about fruit juices you ask? Researchers have not yet reached a definitive agreement on the relationship between drinking natural fruit juices and the increased risk of developing diabetes; Some studies show that there is indeed a link between the two, probably because of beverages that contain a high amount of sugar relative to the amount of fiber in them.
Natural sweeteners, such as sugar or agave syrup, are made from vegetable sources, but the same products we buy in stores often add processed sugar. Because honey sold in the supermarket may contain a high amount of sucrose and fructose, you should consume it in moderation, just as you would regular sugar.

Do artificial sweeteners increase the risk of diabetes?

Artificial sweeteners aren’t used by the body to create energy like sugar, so they don’t add many calories. Although artificial sweeteners don’t increase blood sugar levels, they are still linked to the development of insulin resistance, which may increase your risk of diabetes. A study published in 2009 found that drinking a diet drink every day, for example, increased the risk of diabetes by 25-67%, compared to those who went a full day without drinking one.
The exact reason for this is not yet clear to researchers, but they speculate that artificial sweeteners increase craving for high-sugar foods and that the consumption of sweets increases which, therefore, increases the risk of diabetes, making the link between artificial sweeteners and the disease indirect. However, another study shows that the consumption of artificial sweeteners causes changes in the number of bacteria in the liver and intestines that help our bodies digest glucose, and as a result these sweeteners may have a direct effect on increasing the risk for diabetes.

Other factors that increase your risk of diabetes

While sugar consumption may affect your risk of diabetes, you should also know the other factors that play a role in the process:

• Body weight: A study found that obesity is one of the leading causes of type 2 diabetes. However, losing 5-10% of body weight reduces the risk significantly.
• Lack of exercise: People who do not exercise at all are twice as likely to have diabetes. 150 minutes of fitness a week can reduce this risk.
• Smoking: A person who smokes 20 or more cigarettes a day has twice the risk of diabetes than non-smokers. However, when you stop smoking, the risk drops immediately.
• Sleep apnea: If you suffer from this sleep disorder, your risk of getting diabetes is higher, therefore you should consult your doctor to find out how to deal with the problem.
• Genetics: If one of your parents has diabetes, there is a 40% chance that you will develop the disease at some point or another, and if both of them have it your chance of developing it rises to 70%.

Diet rules for diabetes prevention

Besides reducing the amount of sugar you consume, there are a few other changes in your diet you can make if you want to reduce your chances of developing diabetes:

• Eat healthily: Eat more nuts, fruits, vegetables, and grains every day
• Drink coffee: A study shows that every cup of sugar-free coffee you drink per day reduces your risk of diabetes by 7%. However, consumption of more than 5 cups of coffee per day is dangerous to health, so avoid exceeding this amount.
• Eat more leafy green vegetables: According to a study, intake of leafy green vegetables was associated with a 14% reduction in the risk of diabetes.
• Drink alcohol in moderation: In a study published recently, drinking up to 4 cups of alcohol per day could reduce the risk of diabetes by 30 percent compared to not drinking or drinking too much. However, for general health, it is recommended not to consume more than one glass of wine per day.                                                                                  
  

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If you still have difficulty reducing the amount of sugar you consume, for example, in hot beverages, try to avoid at least sweet beverages, which are the main source of high and dangerous sugar consumption. This little change can make a huge difference.

How to cut your child's sugar intake

A new campaign  is urging parents to limit snacks for children to two a day, and 100 calories a piece.

The aim is to reduce kids' sugar consumption – according to a data, children eat on average 10kg of sugar every year, with about half of this coming from sugary drinks and snacks.

This is definitely an important initiative, but any parent will tell you that getting little ones to swap cereal bars for celery is no easy task,according to a report.

You could explain again and again how eating too much sugar can lead to health problems like obesity and tooth decay, but that doesn't mean children will fully understand why snacking on sweet treats can be a problem.

 

Though encouraging children to eat healthy snacks isn't as easy as clearing out the cupboards, that doesn't mean it's an impossible feat. Here's how to make it less of a labour.

1. Be creative

There are only so much vegetable sticks and hummus that anyone can eat before it gets boring, so you will need to get a bit creative with the snacks on offer.

But this is not about going over the top with creations either. Bright colours and interesting textures will do the trick, as well as pairing already preferred flavours with new tastes. 

2. Stock up with different choices

Variety can help as well. Rather than just having single snacks to hand, get a couple of alternatives ready. Again, these don't need to be presented on a platter, the idea is to give them the freedom to choose.

Have pots of plain yogurt  in the fridge, nuts and raisins ready to be scooped out in handfuls, or some oven roasted vegetable crisps with a small amount of dip waiting in the cupboard.

3. Avoid sugary drinks

Parents hear over and over that even seemingly healthy drinks can often hide numerous teaspoons of sugar in them. While fizzy drinks are generally regarded as the most unhealthy options, fruit juice and smoothies aren't as healthy as they look.

 

Flavoured water and squash also contains loads of sugar, so that leaves plain water as the best option for children to drink.

Though many kids will say they don't like the taste, adding a squeeze lemon or orange, or infusing a large jug with mint and strawberries will help change their minds.

Another healthy option is having salted buttermilk, which can be made by beating curd with water, salt, lime juice and little pepper powder. Buttermilk is also a by-product when you churn cream to take out butter at home.

4. Don't forbid but do control

As research has repeatedly shown, forbidding foods makes them even more attractive for children. In fact, the power of forbidden foods is so strong, it has even been suggested that it works on healthy foods, like fruit.

The occasional biscuit or chocolate bar will not jeopardise a child's eating health habits, so long as it is just one or two every once in a while.

As a rule of thumb, try not to keep sugary snacks in the home, avoid offering them if the kids don't ask for them, and limit the quantity offered if they do.

Explain to them why it is important to limit those foods, too, as teaching them about their own health will work better in the long run than just saying no without explanation.

Keep in mind that the 100 calorie recommendation is a rough guide to help parents quantify sugar. Nuts, for example, are a healthy snack choice but a portion size is often more than 100 calories.

5. Start planning about meals

While snacks are easier to target through public health campaigns, remember that reducing sugar consumption should be done holistically.

If half of children's total sugar consumption comes from sugary drinks and snacks then it is obvious that meals account for the other half. Start thinking about moderating desserts after meals and sugary breakfasts as well.

6. Eat healthy as a family

Children learn from what they see adults doing, so it is important that parents also make healthy choices.

Research shows that children who participate in frequent family meals are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables, and they have more healthy eating habits overall that can continue in adult life.

Apply the same rules to everyone in the family, and the children won't be the only ones learning a valuable lesson.

Kicking the sugar habit may be tricky to begin with, but following this simple advice will help make food a positive experience for you and your little ones.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.    

 
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FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                       

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