Foods which contain high amount of sugars, such as sodas, candy, cakes etc taste good and can make you feel good. We prefer sugary foods than fruits and vegetables. The problem is when we consume high amount of sugars, we increase the calorie intake. This can result in obesity. Hence, it is important to cut down sugar in your diet.
Types of Sugar:
There are many types of sugar available and all of them can add calories to your diet. Here are a few forms of sugar:
- Glucose
- Sucrose
- Fructose
- High Fructose Corn Syrup (HCFS)
- Maltose
- Dextrose
According to USDA, an adult consuming 2000 calories should only have less than 40 gm or 6 tablespoons of sugar per day. Cutting back on sugar is not only healthy way to eat but it will also help you to overcome obesity.
How to Cut Down Sugar In Your Diet?
Here are a few ways to cut down on sugar:
- Read the labels: While shopping, check the ingredients label for sources of sugar such as glucose, sucrose, fructose, mannitol etc. You can also look for words ending with “ose” or “ol.” Make sure you limit those products which have high sugar content, i.e. greater than 15 g of sugar per 100g
- Cut down on sweetened drinks: Soft drinks contain high amount of sugars. They contain a type of sugar known as High Fructose Corn Syrup (HCFS), which according to many studies, may result in fat storage in obesity. Hence, cut down on soft drinks
- Choose fruit juice: Choose fresh fruit juice or 100% fruit juice without added sugar instead of soft drinks. Most fruit drinks contain added sugars, hence, prefer fresh fruit juice or fruit juice without added sugar.
- Eat more fruits: Fruits contain sugars along with vitamins, minerals and fibers which are good for your health. Hence, eat more fruits instead of eating candies, cakes etc.
- Choose unsweetened whole grain cereals: Sweetened whole grain cereals can contain high amount of added sugar. Hence, avoid them and prefer unsweetened whole grain cereals. You can add sweeter to unsweetened whole grain cereals at home
Apart from the above, cut down on candies, cakes, biscuits, cookies to cut down on sugar. This will help you to overcome obesity and stay healthy
