How to Go Sugar Free

Go sugar free by reading ingredient lists and knowing viable substitutes.

Removing sugar from your diet can have a number of health benefits including weight control and decreased risk of diabetes and tooth decay. Eating foods high in sugar may cause a quick boost in energy at the cost of a crash that can cause irritability and lethargy. Because sugar is addictive, going sugar free is a challenge. However, with gradual changes and acceptable dietary substitutions anybody can remove sugar from a diet.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh fruit
• Sugar-free condiments
• Agave nectar
• Artificial sweeteners

Instructions

1. Read ingredient lists before purchasing your food. Although you may not always see sugar listed as an ingredient, you may see fructose, dextrose or lactose, which are all forms of sugar. Sugar can show up on ingredient labels where you least expect it; lunch meats and spaghetti sauces often contain some type of sugar! Ingredients are listed on food labels in descending order of quantity. If you see sugar or any of its alternate names listed toward the beginning of the ingredient list, you will know that the food is high in sugar content.

2. Substitute fresh fruit for sugary snacks as often as possible. Fruits do contain natural sugars, but eating a portion of fruit instead of a sugary snack will satiate your sweet tooth and leave you full longer due to the fiber content. You will also gain the added benefit of absorbing the high vitamin content found in fresh fruit.

3. Find alternatives to common condiments. Ketchup has an extremely high sugar content but sugar-free ketchup is available and commonly used for diabetics. Sugar-free alternatives for mayonnaise and maple syrup are also available in your grocery store.

4. Don't go cold turkey when eliminating sugar from your diet. Your body will continue to crave sugar, and weaning yourself off will increase your chances of successfully eliminating it from your diet. Set a goal for the amount of sugar you will allow yourself in each day and slowly decrease the amount until sugar is removed. While allowing some sugars, do not waste your consumption early in the day on sodas or cereals in case you have cravings later on.

5. Sample sugar substitutes such as honey or agave nectar. Both contain natural sugars and a similar number of calories as pure sugar. However, both can function as a great substitute in recipes while you wean yourself off of sugar entirely.

Tips & Warnings

• Some sugar may be beneficial to your diet if it helps you eat other foods that improve your health. In a study for the American Heart Association, lead researcher Dr. Rachael Johnson said, "Try to use the added sugars with foods that will enhance the diet, for instance a sugared whole grain breakfast cereal or a sugar sweetened dairy product." The negative effect of a small amount of sugar may be outweighed sometimes by the larger benefits of the healthy food you can enjoy.

• Always check with your doctor before making any drastic changes to your diet. Also remember that some sugar substitutes such as agave nectar or honey are natural sugars. However, substitutes such as aspartame and other artificial sweeteners have health risks and side-effects such as headaches, nausea and diarrhea.

References

• Mayo Clinic: Artificial Sweeteners: Understanding These and Other Sugar Substitutes
• Shape Magazine: Cut Sugar Out of Your Diet
• University of Massachusetts: How to Cut Down on Sugar
• Readers Digest: Lower Your Daily Sugar Intake: Wean Yourself From Sugar

Resources

• All Recipes: Sugar-free Recipes