You might have heard of trying no-sugar diets to lose weight before and thought “While I would love to lose some weight, I cannot possibly go completely sugar free!”. However, losing weight is not the only benefit of reducing your sugar intake and going sugar free is not the only solution. The important thing is to cut down on eating added sugars, not necessarily all sugar even if you are not aiming to lose weight, but to strive to live a healthier life.
Yes, in today’s world most adults eat way over the recommended amount of sugar, which is to tell the truth, extremely unhealthy and could potentially be dangerous. In its natural form, sugar itself is relatively harmless, found in fruits, vegetables and dairy. The problem comes when sugar is added to food during processing for flavour, texture or colour. Eating too much added sugar has many negative health effects, the most obvious being weight gain. Added sugar drives up your insulin levels, messes with your metabolism and causes those calories to turn right into belly fat. Nevertheless, weight loss is only one of the health benefits of cutting down on the sweet stuff. Let’s take a look at the not-so-obvious, but more important health benefits.
It can lower your blood pressure and your high cholesterol
It might lower your risk of diabetes
It may help reduce your risk of developing different types of cancers and diseases
It could reduce your bloating
You will feel more energized
It will keep your brain sharp and focused
It could clear your skin and make you look younger
You’ll have less dental problems
Once you slowly start taking all the sweet, sugary foods out of your diet, you will feel much better and healthier, however it is hard to get started. There are many things to take into consideration when changing your diet, for example, you have to take it slow and do so gradually. It may help to start by eliminating the most obvious sources of sugar, such as confectionery: cakes, muffins, brownies. Removing foods like candy and sweets first, will help you ease into the process.
For more advice, don’t hesitate to contact me to receive healthy meal plans and a free consultation on how to eat a better, balanced diet.
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