5 Tips On How To Cut Back On Sugar

In an effort to pursue a healthier lifestyle many families are looking for ways to cut sugar.

There are many reasons why we should reduce our kids’ intake of sugar. One reason is to avoid tooth decay. Take it from me, visiting the dentist to get crowns because of huge fillings that led to broken teeth is not how they want to spend their adult hours or money.

Another reason to cut back on sugar is because it affects children’s behavior. This may or may not be proven depending on who’s study you read, but I believe sugar intake is linked to behavior and moods.

Even for adults, consuming large amounts of sugar causes a rush of energy in our body as the sugar hits the blood stream all at once. Unfortunately, the sugar rush doesn’t last and then we “crash”. This leaves us feeling drained and irritated. That’s when we reach for the afternoon cup of coffee, or more sugar.

There are medical reasons to cut your sugar intake too. Increasing insulin levels is how the body responds to sugar. Over time high insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance and that can lead to Type 2 Diabetes.

Here are five ways to start cutting back on your family's sugar intake:

1. Avoid sweetened breakfast cereals.
A serving of plain Cheerios has one gram of sugar. The last time I looked, Frosted Cheerios had 14 grams of sugar.

2. Kick the soda habit.
Pop is loaded with sugar. You may have to slowly wean yourself away from soda, but there are lots of healthier alternatives. Of course, water is the #1 choice. Read labels carefully as some of the bottled drinks have almost as much sugar as soda pop.

3. Choose foods that do not have added sugars.
Some foods give you a choice between added sugar and no added sugar. Jelly, canned fruit, applesauce, and oatmeal come to mind.

4. Choose whole grains.
Simple carbs turn into sugar in your body while complex carbs take more effort for the body to use up. The more whole grains that you choose — the better for your body. Pick brown or "sticky" rice instead of white rice and whole wheat bread instead of white bread. You may not like whole wheat pasta, but it might be okay if you use half whole wheat and half regular pasta together. Also, some brands may taste better than others. You'll just have to experiment.

5. Sweeten naturally when possible.
It will help you break the sugar habit if you start turning to naturally sweetened choices. Bananas, grapes, apples, and oranges are healthy choices when you want something sweet. If you like to bake, you can cut the sugar in half in many of your recipes and it will still taste good. You can sweeten your oatmeal or muffins with raisins and cinnamon. Many things can be sweetened with applesauce like muffins, cakes, oatmeal, and scones.

Start with the little things and move on everytime you hit upon something that works for you. As you use less table sugar, you'll find that food actually tastes better with it's natural sweetness.

Remember, even the smallest things you do to improve your health helps!