4 steps to reduce added sugars in your diet to ward off obesity and diabetes

Added sugars in our diets are often hidden and pose grave health risks. It reduces the space available to include nutrient-dense food that will help in body building and to increase our immunity. 

 

These are any sugars or sweeteners that are put into foods and drinks during processing, cooking, or at the table.

 

According to the USDA’s 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines, when daily calories from added sugars exceed 10%, it becomes difficult to meet the recommendations for a healthy diet.

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It is advisable to reduce added sugars to the maximum limit, to ward off lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes and more. However, it may not be possible for everyone to keep it at nil. The American Heart Association recommends that added sugars should not be more than 6% of daily calories. 

 

Harvard University suggests 4 steps to reduce or keep in check the consumption of added sugars in our foods. 

 

- Be reasonable and take practical steps to reduce sugar consumption, which needs to be done with diligence. 

 

-Be patient. It is not an easy task to cut off sugar after being exposed to it for years. 

 

-Banning sugar entirely is unnecessary and not even healthy. Some of the sugars that one consumes come from naturally occurring sources in whole foods. The key is to be consistent. 

 

-Target the categories of food where reductions will have the most impact. For example, beverages, desserts, snacks, sugar-sweetened coffee, tea, candy, breakfast bars and cereals.

 

Consult an expert for more information. 

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