One of the most common and obvious sources of added sugars are in foods like candy, cookies, cakes, pastries, and other dessert-type foods.  Most know that there is a large quantity of added sugars in these foods when they're made.  Giving up on these can help cut out a large portion of added sugar in your diet.  As mentioned before, you can choose to cut out these foods cold turkey or taper them slowly out of your diet. If you're going cold turkey, you may not be interested in healthy swaps.  If you're tapering them out of your diet, you may find it helpful to plan some naturally sweetened, healthy alternatives into your day. Sweet treats provide a lot of enjoyment in our diets.  When you're trying to give up sugar, it'll be helpful to find low-sugar or naturally sweetened alternatives when you're in the mood to indulge.  Use fruit instead.  You can try a small bowl of fruit plain or sprinkled with a little cinnamon after dinner.  If you're allowing yourself a small amount of sugar, you can try serving your fruit with a small amount of low-fat whipped cream or dipping fruit into dark chocolate (which contains small amounts of sugar). If you like baked goods like muffins, pancakes or sweet breads, you can try using sugar-free baking techniques.  Many recipes can be made with unsweetened applesauce, sweet potato puree or pumpkin puree for a naturally sweetened sugar source. If you don't like cooking or preparing foods, you may want to consider buying low sugar treats.  Many foods that are made for diabetics or are diet foods may be helpful.  Do note that these may contain higher amounts of artificial sweeteners. Alcohol also contains sugar.  In addition, it doesn't come with any nutritional benefits.  Eliminate alcohol altogether or stick to "light" or low-carb options.  All alcoholic beverages have some sugar.  It's not just the sweetened mixed drinks like margaritas. If you're in the mood for a beer, choose light or low-carb for the least amount of calories and sugar. If you're in the mood for a glass of wine, make it a "spritzer."  This is a mix of wine and seltzer which cuts the sugar and calories in half. If you typically want a mixed drink, ask for unsweetened mixers like seltzer or diet sodas to help cut down on sugar and calories. If you are going to include some sugars, it might be wise to choose more naturally occurring, less processed forms of sugar.  Try honey, agave syrup, molasses, or maple syrup for a touch of added sweetness. All of these sweeteners are natural and may even contain some vitamins and antioxidants.  Make sure that if you choose to use these types of sweeteners that they are not mixtures.  For example, some companies sell honey that's a mixture of honey and corn syrup.  Make sure you purchase 100% honey or 100% maple syrup. It's easy to consume hidden sugar in restaurants, since the meals don't come with nutrition labels for you to examine. You can always ask the server to tell you what's in a dish, but it's often better to have a good strategy for ordering food with the least amount of sugar. Try doing the following to keep your restaurant meals sugar-free:  Get your salads dressed with plain oil and vinegar, rather than choosing a pre-made salad dressing.  Also, always ask for dressings to be served on the side. Ask for main dishes to be made without sauces and gravies that might have added sugar.  Again, ask for these to be served on the side. When in doubt, order steamed vegetables or plain grilled meats instead of casseroles and other mixed dishes that contain a lot of ingredients. Look for the most simple items on the menu.  These will most likely have the least amount of added ingredients. For dessert, opt for a plain bowl of fruit or skip it altogether. Since many people are giving up sugars and have become more health conscious, scientists have developed different artificial sweeteners as low-calorie replacements. Aspartame, saccharin, sugar alcohols, and other sweeteners have a variety of different side effects and could potentially be harmful to your health.  Studies have shown that when you're trying to give up sugar, the sweet taste of artificial sweeteners may make you crave sugar even more.  Avoid processed food that's been sweetened with artificial sweeteners e.g. diet drinks and any typically sweet item that's labeled sugar-free, like candy, ice cream, cake, etc. Artificial sugar might be listed as aspartame, acesulfame potassium, saccharin, neotame, sucralose, maltitol, sorbitol, or xylitol.  Avoid these if you'd like.
تخلى عن الحلويات ومشتقاتها. ضع بدائل لذيذة في نظامك. امتنع عن الكحوليات. اختر المحليات الطبيعية. اختر طعامك في المطاعم بحكمة. احذر المحليات الصناعية.