Tips on How to Quit Sugar For Good!
When it comes to refined sugars, like high-fructose corn syrup, wanting to steer clear of them all together can be more difficult than you think. Refined sugar like high-fructose corn syrup can be tricky to pin point; companies tend to hide it by replacing it with hard-to-pronounce ingredients and they seem to put it in everything, from oatmeal to creamers. But here are 5 ways to help you quit sugar for good!
Gut Bacteria
Gut bacteria, or gut microbiota, is a term that describes the microbes that live in your gut, or intestines. Gut bacteria is important for the healthy formation of stool, maintaining immunity and for breaking down essential vitamins, among many other things. But it can also play a major role in controlling food and sugar cravings. Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, CCN, CHN says, “Keep your gut bacteria happy with the right foods. Honey is a good probiotic food. Other foods with probiotics include asparagus, bananas, eggplant, garlic, kefir, sugar maple and yogurt.” Substitute some of those unhealthy cravings with these healthy, naturally sweet foods to help quit sugar.
How Healthy Intestinal Bacteria Helps to Keep the Fat Off
Know your health foods!
Two of the sneakiest “health foods” that contain tons of sugar are oatmeal and yogurt. Tasneem Bhatia, MD, and former FDA commissioner says, “Flavored instant oatmeal is often a vehicle for sugar, with about three teaspoons of added sugar in each little packet. Yogurt is sugar-filled candy in disguise.” Yogurt is already sweet because of the natural sugars in dairy but add that with other refined sugars and fruit on top, and every spoonful is basically just sugar.
Your liver is vital to help curve sugar cravings
Frances Murchison, HHC, AADP, explains, “A healthy liver plays a key role in regulating blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels can leave you hungry, unable to concentrate, confused, emotionally volatile – and absolutely craving sugar.”
Eat chocolate!
Training your brain to enjoy healthier options (in this case, stay away from white and milk chocolate) can be a perfect way to help you steer clear of sugar your body does not need. Indulging in dark chocolate, MSN and Will Clower, PhD explains, could be compared to switching from whole milk to skim milk – it may taste different or even bad at first, but continuously choosing the healthier option, may curve your craving and help you quit sugar in the long run.
That doughnut matters in the long run!
Sometimes, indulging in your cravings can set you up for failure. JJ Virgin, CNS, CHFS explains that high-sugar foods actually cause blood-sugar spikes that lead to an imbalance in your insulin levels. This will have you craving the unhealthiest, sugary foods possible. Instead, try eating healthy fats. “Fat doesn’t raise your insulin levels. Insulin doesn’t acknowledge fat, and that’s just the way you want it. I recommend having two to three services of healthy fats like avocado, ghee or olive oil at every meal.”
Source: http://www.msn.com/
