How To Reduce Added Sugar Consumption?

It is normal to crave something sweet from time to time, but when it becomes a daily occurrence, it can cause health problems such as obesity, tooth decay, or even diabetes. Cravings for sugary products can be caused by stress or anxiety.

In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the recommendation that sugar consumption should represent less than 10% of total daily caloric intake.

Why do we crave sweet things?

According to nutritionist Miryam Ramírez, we have an innate taste for products with high sugar content. In addition, the brain functions mainly with glucose, which is why when we are stressed or anxious we look for these types of products because sweet things give us a certain pleasure.

Tips to avoid falling into temptation

According to the professional, there are actions we can take to avoid eating sweet things all the time.

The first thing, he recommends, is to analyze whether we are eating enough from all food groups since otherwise a feeling of hunger is generated and we begin to consume sugary products such as sweets, soft drinks, or juices, “all of this may be because we are lacking food.”

How to reduce added sugar consumption? — It is important to check if we are eating enough from all food groups to avoid the feeling of hunger. (Photo Prensa Libre: Pexels / Vanessa Loring)

The nutritionist’s second piece of advice is to detect the source of origin in case you are anxious, nervous, or stressed, “it is important to understand what is happening to me to be able to deal with the situation and then create strategies that allow me to avoid eating sweets.” To do this, she recommends going to therapy or to a mental health professional who will provide us with tools to resolve these states that generate anxiety.

The third recommendation is to avoid having sweets available, whether at work or home, and replace them with a salad that has fruit since this dish contains fiber, which will help us feel full, while the fruit will give it that sweet touch that we are looking for.

The fourth piece of advice that the specialist gives us is that if we suffer from anxiety we should do some physical activity, “it will help you not to feel nervous and therefore that could be a strategy to reduce the desire to eat sweet things.”

Finally, Ramírez indicates that it is important to pause and ask ourselves if we have that craving for sweet products. This will help us to be more aware of what we eat and why we do it.

Following these recommendations will help your body stay healthy and improve your diet.