Sugar makes many foods taste good. However, consuming too much of it can lead to health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and fatty liver disease. People who consume more foods with added sugar are at a higher risk for contracting cardiovascular disease. Hence, for maintaining longevity, try to limit sugar consumption as much as possible by making healthier diet changes.
The American Heart Association recommends that children ages 2 and over should not consume any more than 6 teaspoons of sugar in a single day, which equates to about 25 grams. Crazy enough, women should technically not consume over 6 teaspoons (100 calories) like the recommendations for kids. It is recommended that men intake 9 teaspoons or less of sugar per day (36 grams that equates to 150 calories).
However, with the convenience of prepackaged foods and snacks, there is so much sugar in food nowadays that it’s easy to go over the daily recommended amount of sugar.
1. Choose Fruits Over Other Sweet Snacks
When you are in the mood for something sweet, rather than reach for that chocolate bar or cupcake, opt for an apple, grapes, or strawberries. A standard chocolate bar is about 35 g of sugar, which is the limit for a male adult consuming sugar and 10 g over the recommended amount for women and children. Compare that to a cup of strawberries that clocks in only at 7 g of sugar with the added benefit of giving you 100% of your needed daily dose of Vitamin C.
2. Portion Control
Especially when you are watching a movie or playing a game on casino777 or another gaming platform, it can be easy to eat a lot of cookies or chips in one sitting while enjoying electronic entertainment. Take a look at the package to note the serving size. While self-control may be challenging, eat only one serving. Not only will you feel proud of yourself for limiting your sugar consumption, you will also have more snacks for another day so that it can go further for you in your pantry.
3. Put the Soda Down
Soda and other carbonated beverages contain so much added sugar. A 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola is 240 calories with 65 g of sugar. That is almost double the daily recommended intake of sugar for male adults and 40 g more of recommended sugar intake for women and children.
Cut the sugar down when drinking beverages by reaching for water with lemon juice, plain water, or even 4 ounces of apple juice cut with water to reduce sugar intake. If you drink 4 ounces of Juicy Juice apple juice, it will be about 13.5 g of sugar versus the full 27 grams by drinking an 8-ounce serving.
4. Pack Your Lunch
Extra sugar can be added to the food that you order out at quick-serve restaurants or other eateries. It’s best to know the amount of sugar you are consuming by packing your lunch. For a low-calorie, low-sugar lunch, pack a salad that features lettuce, tomato, onion, and cucumbers maybe with some grilled chicken. Follow the exact serving size limit for salad dressing if you’d like to have that. To supplement your salad, you can also pack an apple, carrot sticks, and a low-fat yogurt.
5. Start Your Morning Off Right With Low-Sugar Cereals
A bowl of Froot Loops or Cocoa Pebbles is okay once in a while and can even take you back to your childhood for a few moments. However, low-sugar cereal options like original oatmeal, Chex, and Cheerios are more nutritionally dense and contain less sugar than those other higher-sugar cereals.
Conclusion
Take your diet changes step by step so as to not overwhelm yourself. As long as you remain mindful of what you are putting into your body, you will feel much better physically going forward.
