Written by Nutritionist specialist in Diabetes and Overweight Margarita del Favero @nutricionista.mdelfavero in conjunction with Editorial Karmas @karmas.cl
When we eat things with sugar, our body asks us for more and more (because sugar causes addiction) and although we all know that sugar and processed foods are bad for us, our body continues to ask for them because they give us pleasure, so here we leave you the benefits of quitting sugar
- Increase your energy : sugar makes us slow and often listless. Your body will feel more energized if you include more protein, healthy fats, and unprocessed foods.
- Improve your creativity and mood : excessive sugar consumption can be detrimental to some of the brain's functions (as confirmed by a study from the University of New South Wales) that's why by leaving it, your brain is clearer and with better cognitive functions.
- Reduce your cravings and appetite – The more sugar you eat, the more your body will ask for. If you decide to reduce or eliminate sugar, you will see how you manage to break this vicious circle and over time you will feel less cravings.
- You could lose weight : If the energy in sugar is not burned right after you eat it, it will turn into fat for your body as well as empty calories.
- Reduce your anxiety – Sugar not only messes with energy levels, it also messes with hormones like insulin. Over time, these fluctuations leave hormone levels out of balance and won't do their job the way they should.
- It can improve your skin : The digestion of sugar could produce molecules that damage collagen and elastin, preventing the skin from repairing itself and aging it.
- You sleep and rest better
After understanding the benefits of giving up sugar, we want to share some tips to give it up. If you are used to eating a lot of sugar, you can start to give it up gradually.
8 Tips to reduce sugar consumption
- Make the decision and be convinced of it.
- Eliminate processed products from your pantry: cookies, juices, cereals, refined flours, white breads, cakes, cereal bars, etc.
- Include proteins, healthy fats, raw vegetables and fibers, especially at breakfast Example: whole wheat bread with avocado and egg and oatmeal with strawberries.
- Organize yourself and prepare the meals the day before.
- Have different snack options, for example fruits, nuts, energyballs or plain unsweetened (and ideally unsweetened) yogurt.
- Reduce the amount of sugar and/or sweeteners in coffees or tea, little by little the "palate" gets used to it, until you can drink them without any sweetener.
- Prefer fruit to replace the desire to eat sweets, but in moderation: they have natural sugar, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
- Drink a lot of water: it is easy to confuse a craving for sweets, when in fact the body is asking for water to hydrate itself.
Finally, I recommend you adopt a balanced diet that includes natural, fresh foods and as varied as possible. Try to minimize processed foods.