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How Do I Reduce My Sugar Intake?

September 3, 2019   15 Comments

How do you reduce your sugar intake? It is all about new habits that take time to create.

How Do I Reduce My Sugar Intake?

If you need any convincing that most of us eat too much sugar please read The Smoking Gun is Sugar.

Sugar is in all sorts of foods and in unnecessarily high amounts. The sugar we care about is added sugar see: What are Added Sugars?.

Added sugar is in your bread, cereal, and granola bars as well as things like yogurt and drinks (some that say no added sugar).

The first step is to analyze for a week or so how much added sugar you eat and that takes some work.

For example, an item can say “no added sugar” but then it has “grape juice concentrate”. It is true that the item didn’t add sugar but grape juice concentrate is basically the same thing.

It is painful when you start looking at your favorite foods. I was eating Dave’s Bread when I found out that there was 5 grams of added sugar a slice (1 teaspoon). NOOOOO!!!

The easiest way to avoid added sugar is not to eat packaged food but that isn’t realistic for most of us. I simply do not have time to mill my own flour and bake bread. I was able to find a sprouted wheat bread with less than 1 gram of added sugar and it is my Dave’s replacement.

The sugar in fruit is not the problem you are trying to fix. Fruit is filled with fiber and nutrients so you don’t want to avoid it because it has sugar. The same thing goes with naturally occurring sugar in cow’s milk and yogurt. Yes, there is sugar but there is also protein and calcium.

The problem sugars are the ones that you want to reduce which includes everything dessert like (cake, cookies, ice cream) and alcoholic (wine, beer, cocktails).

Then you can look at your hidden sugars such as sugar that is added to peanut butter or other savory items (like bread) where you don’t need sugar. These hidden sugars add up but they are not the bulk of the problem for most of us.

Most of us have a donut, pie, red wine, cookie issue with sugar.

What to do?

Here are a few suggestions:

1.Go cold turkey! Cut out all the added sugar for 2 weeks and see how you feel. It can be bad but you will make it. When the craving hits, eat a date (natural sugar) so that it isn’t so bad.

2. If cold turkey isn’t your style, try keeping an added sugar diary (even a photo diary) of all the food you eat with added sugar. This will help you become more aware of the number of times you are transgressing.

Finally, don’t beat yourself up. Your relationship with sugar is a long one (breast milk has a ton of sugar) and it does taste good. Cut back and enjoy the times that you do indulge.

Have you cut your sugar intake? How did it go? Please share your experiences.

Other posts you might like:

What are Added Sugars?

What are Added Sugars?

What are added sugars? They are the sugars that are really hard to avoid in packaged, processed foods but things are about to get easier.....

Reduce My Sugar

The Smoking Gun is Sugar

I know that we all want to identify the ONE factor that is making us unhealthy....

Get Free Email Updates! Yes please!

15 Comments:

What’s the bread you found to replace Dave’s?

I got serious a month ago to kick sugar to a minimum (again) and do more stretching and walking. I felt so good and the bloat was gone. Then just last Friday I got an overwhelming craving for my homemade chocolate chip banana bread. I decided to indulge and on Saturday I made two small loaves. I gave over half away, but I ate the rest throughout the day on Saturday. I felt sooooo awful on Sunday, like I had a virus that I had to sleep off. Time to recommit. Thanks for the timely pep talk!

Where do you find fluffysquirrel bread?

Hi Lisa, I buy Dave's bread Powerseed and it has 1 gram of sugar. Also Ezekiel bread.

Another great alternative to Dave's Bread is Trader Joe's Sprouted breads. In terms of WW, they are only 1 point per slice and very hearty.

P.S. - Yes, sugar is the devil!

Gee, I am not sure if I am right on this. I am not a "Sugar Lover" however, I control my intake w/a rule from WW many years ago. 5mg or under per servings.? This has always been my guide? Does anyone else remembered this? It really does take down your craving for sweets. At least after you have a taste you really can stop.! You just don't desire sugar products as you once did. Please try. Have a Great Day & be Safe. Blessings to All. anneippi

I will never completely give up sugar and I own it. I do try to control my intake & cravings but I am also realistic. Moderation and a healthy balance is key for me. I don't need any guilt added to my life.

You not only need to check the sugar contact on the ingredient label, but look at the total Carbs per serving as this convert to sugar. Most people don't look at labels when buying food. They go what they like Granola type bars are loaded with sugar.

Ghirardelli’s Dark Chocolate Minis. I make them extra mini by breaking them in half. 18 calories, 1.7 g added sugar. And then I nibble and savor — a tip I got from a weight loss program was “when you eat sugar, eat it mindfully and slooooowly; if it’s that good, why wouldn’t you want it to last forever?” Also, I’m trying to be long-term realistic about reducing sugar, so I try to limit added sugar to the government recommendation of 25 g or less per day, which is totally do-able for someone with a sweet tooth. After awhile, regular things like whole wheat bread and peanut butter or Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey satisfy the sweet carby craving.

I use Dave's Powerseed bread, full size. It has only 1 gram of sugar per slice. It is sweetened with fruit juice.

I gave up sugar - cold turkey - on July 24. I feel better than I have in years! 😊

I have type 2 diabetes and look at carbs not sugar. How many carbs per day would the gov't recommend? I really loved this article. Thank you for the inspiration.

Some interesting facts..I am a dessert freak but have maintained a great schedule like once a week..Here's some info that I found helpful: https://www.precisionnutrition.com/truth-about-sugar

Sugar is in just abut everything. Try sticking with food that is naturally sweet. Carbs turn to sugar. This is the biggest problem. However, with many carbs, there is fiber. This are the whole grains. Your whole grains are best because of the fiber. Sugar and carbs = a fatty liver. This is very very bad. This is a diabetic problem and it keeps the liver from functioning with the pancreas to produce insulin.

I reduced my sugar immensely. I was at a Dr. appt and they were talking about insulin. I was not going on insulin, so I got serious. In 6 months of following a points diet plan, I have lost 51 lbs. I eat a lot of fruits and low sugar options. I stay away from candy,cookies and pizza. It is hard but my blood sugar is phenomenal. It's hard but I'm worth it.

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