Challenge Tip: Cut Down On Sugar
"Do something today that your future self will thank you for."
Cut down on the sugar. Added sugar is just empty calories. Your body gets all the sugar it needs from food—fructose in fruit or lactose in milk, for example. All the sugar added to processed food offers no nutritional value—but just means a lot of empty calories that can sabotage any healthy diet, contribute to weight gain, and increase your risk for serious health problems.
Did you know?
The average American currently consumes 19.5 teaspoons (82 grams) of added sugar each day, often without realizing it. The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams of sugar) for women and 150 calories per day (9 teaspoons or 36 grams) for men.
It’s unrealistic to try to eliminate all sugar and empty calories from your diet, but becoming more aware of the sugar in your diet, you can cut down to the recommended levels and make a huge difference to the way you look, think, and feel.
What are added sugars?
Added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. Naturally occurring sugars such as those in fruit or milk are not added sugars.
Added sugars are called by many different names. Examples of added sugars seen on ingredient labels, like include brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose.
How to Cut Down on Sugar
Slowly reduce the sugar in your diet a little at a time.
Cook more at home. By preparing more of your own food, you can ensure that you and your family eat fresh, wholesome meals without added sugar.
Give recipes a makeover. Many dessert recipes taste just as good with less sugar.
Avoid sugary drinks—even “diet” versions. Artificial sweetener can still trigger sugar cravings that contribute to weight gain. Swap sodas, energy drinks, juices and other sweet beverages with water, infused water or unsweetened seltzer. Drink your coffee black or use a zero-calorie, natural sweetener like Stevia.
Avoid processed or packaged foods. About 75% of packaged food in the U.S. contains added sugar—including canned soups, frozen dinners, and low-fat meals—that can quickly add up to unhealthy amounts.
Eat Whole Foods. A person following a low sugar diet should aim to eat whole foods: veggies, fruit, lean meats, poultry, tofu, fish, unprocessed whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Be careful when eating out. Most gravy, dressings, and sauces are packed with sugar, so ask for it to be served on the side.
Eat healthier snacks. Cut down on sweet snacks such as candy, chocolate, and cakes. Instead, satisfy your sweet tooth with naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or natural peanut butter. Replace candy with a homemade trail mix of fruit, nuts and a few dark chocolate chips.
Create your own frozen treats. Freeze pure fruit juice in an ice-cube tray with plastic spoons as popsicle handles. Or make frozen fruit kabobs using pineapple chunks, bananas, grapes, and berries.
Check labels of all the packaged food you buy. Choose low-sugar products—but be aware that manufacturers often try to hide sugar on labels. There are at least 61 different names for sugar on food labels. The most common ones include:
cane sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice
invert sugar, beet sugar, barley malt, coconut sugar, maple syrup, agave syrup, rice syrup
apple or grape juice concentrate, honey, demerara, sucanat, panela o piloncillo, turbinado, muscovado
sucrose, glucose, dextrose, fructose, lactose
Find non-sugar replacements.
Sweeten plain yogurt with fresh or frozen berries instead of buying flavored, sugar-loaded yogurt.
Consume whole fruits instead of sugar-sweetened fruit smoothies.
Use olive oil and vinegar in place of sweet salad dressings like honey mustard.
Choose marinades, nut butters, ketchup and marinara sauce with zero added sugars.
Look for cereals, granolas and granola bars with under 4 grams of sugar per serving.Swap your morning cereal for a bowl of rolled oats topped with nut butter and fresh berries, or an omelet made with fresh greens.
Instead of jelly, slice fresh bananas onto your peanut butter sandwich.
Use natural nut butters in place of sweet spreads like Nutella.
Avoid alcoholic beverages that are sweetened with soda, juice, honey, sugar or agave. Instead try a glass of a dry red wine.
Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, focusing on fresh, whole ingredients.
Negative effects of sugar
1. Can Cause Weight Gain
2. May Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease
3. Has Been Linked to Acne
4. Increases Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
5. May Increase Your Risk of Cancer
6. May Increase Your Risk of Depression
7. May Accelerate the Skin Aging Process
8. Can Increase Cellular Aging
9. Drains Your Energy
10. Negatively impact dental health
Tips for Meal Plan Members:
Do not add any extra sugar this week. Instead sweeten your yogurt or oatmeal with fruit.
If you do use sugar moving forward, make sure it isn’t refined sugar. Use a healthy alternative like a banana, apple sauce, 100% pure organic honey or maple syrup, coco sugar or the organic ground stevia leaf to name a few.
Tips for Workout Guide Members:
Take a look at your body. See how it has changed. As you move forward see how you can take it up a notch. Do you need to lift heavier or add more reps to build your lower body?
Are you back in the gym? Make sure you are focusing on gradually increasing the weight to build more muscle mass.
