Good Riddance to Added Sugar

Saying Good Riddance to Added Sugar

By Julia Romano

Did you know that removing foods with “added sugar” from your diet will enable not only a significant amount of weight loss, but will also help to prevent a great number of health problems? I can tell you, firsthand, that this has nothing to do with another fad diet. It’s also not something that will prevent you from eating what you love, and take it from me, if I was able to accomplish this, ANYONE can.

I am in my early 50s, and for several years, I had a sugar addiction. Day after day, week after week, and month after month, led to years of eating foods with an exorbitant amount of “added sugar,” causing many unwanted pounds to creep up on me, while also causing me to feel unhealthy, both physically and emotionally. I constantly felt sluggish and unmotivated, with no end in sight. Did I attribute my declining health to the sugar? Of course not! Doing so, would mean that I would have to put a stop to my sugar addiction, and to be honest, I had no idea how to do this, or even if it was a possibility. I was in “deep sugar!”

At the time, I blamed my weight gain and other health issues on everything, but my over consumption of sugar. My excuses included the normal ageing process and my body’s changes due to menopause, but if I was to be honest, I would have admitted that my diet, and specifically, the extreme amount of sugar I was consuming, was the primary culprit.

Just about a year ago, a telephone call from my very intelligent and astute primary care doctor made a huge impact on me and started me on the track to turn things around. After some routine blood work, my doctor determined that the sugar I was consuming was not metabolizing as it should, which she explained, could potentially lead to medical issues not so far down the road. I took this as my “wake up call” and the push I needed to finally address my sugar addiction. At that very moment, I made a decision that one year later, drastically improved my health and enabled me to shed all of the weight I had gained in the past several years. with far too much added sugar and it was time to change that if I wanted to take control of my health. Reasons to Avoid Added Sugar

One common sense fact is that an excess of sweetened foods and beverages can lead to weight gain, blood sugar problems, and an increased risk of heart disease, among other potentially dangerous conditions.

For these reasons, added sugar should be kept to a minimum, whenever possible, which is actually not as difficult as you may think. I found it to be very surprising that most foods have added sugar, but, I also was able to find the same type of foods with no added sugar that are just as satisfying. Important FACTS about ADDED SUGAR

Many people rely on quick, processed foods for meals and snacks. Since these products often contain added sugar, it makes up a large proportion of their daily calorie intake.

Experts note that sugar consumption is a major cause of obesity and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression, liver problems, kidney disorders, cancer, and many others.

Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be a primary cause.

Sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas, juices, and sweet teas are loaded with fructose, a type of simple sugar. Consuming fructose increases your hunger and desire for food more than glucose, the main type of sugar found in starchy foods.

In addition, drinking a lot of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked to an increased amount of visceral fat, a kind of deep belly fat associated with conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Below are even more risks linked to a diet with too much sugar intake:

Increases the risk for kidney disease: Having consistent levels of high blood sugar may damage the blood vessels in your kidneys that can lead to an increased risk of kidney disease.

Negatively impacts dental health: Eating too much sugar can cause cavities, potentially leading to decay and other problems.

Increases the risk of developing gout, an inflammatory condition characterized by pain in the joints. Added sugars raise uric acid levels in the blood, increasing the risk of developing or worsening gout.

Accelerates cognitive decline: High-sugar diets can lead to impaired memory and have been linked to an increased risk of dementia.

As I am not a health care provider, nor a medical expert, I can only report on what I’ve been told by my trusted doctor, as well as the positive results I’ve achieved from removing added sugar from my diet.

Replacing Added Sugar Foods

After achieving results I never thought possible, I wouldn’t dream of going back to my sugar laced diet. The food replacements I have found are now what I crave instead of chocolate bars, which I replaced with one of the many no sugar added and Keto protein bars (Quest and ONE are two of my favorites) and sugary desserts. Being that my specific problem was too much sugar, I found that what worked for me was replacing my usual sweet cravings with many of the “Keto” diet desserts. Ice cream is one weakness I have that I thought I could never replace. Boy, was I wrong about that! There is a treasure trove of yummy Keto ice creams that are now very popular, such as Halo Top, Nick’s, Enlightened, Rebel, and so many others. Breyer’s also has “no sugar added” ice cream, as well as one with no sugar added and low carbs that are a little more affordable than the other brands.

I now prefer no sugar added protein shakes, as well as no sugar flavored water, instead of sodas and sweetened fruit drinks. I also fell in love with acai’ bowls, a fruit dessert I had never heard of until recently. It can be made at home (check out the many recipes online) or purchased from many different places that serve protein shakes and other healthy, delicious treats, such as Brewology in Smithfield, Coffee Connection, at all of its RI locations, Brewed Awakenings’ locations, as well as many other RI cafes. If you find the cafe’ acai’ bowl a little too pricey, Trader Joe’s sells it at a phenomenal price. I buy several and put them in the freezer so as to always have them on hand.

I now totally bypass my typical sugary sweets and instead eat lots of fresh fruit, especially apples, oranges, bananas, and all things berries. I would have never imagined that I could make these changes, but it’s really amazing how you and your body will adapt and accept new preferences.

I have also replaced regular peanut butter with one that has “no sugar added, (Skippy has one, but there is another called “Hank’s” that has many added flavors, without the added sugar, that was created and is locally sourced here in Little Rhody). I also use it as a spread for apples and bananas and add it to acai’ bowls for a delicious twist.

I could go on and on and on about what I eat in place of the unhealthy stuff, but we all have our own tastes and foods that satisfy us. It just takes a little effort to find what you might prefer. What’s important to remember is that it can most definitely be done.

Now that I have succeeded in reducing my sugar intake and reaped its many health benefits, I have also adopted a new habit. I can often be found in any given store, reading food labels to scout out the hidden sugars that are in so, so many products. Keep in mind that every one of those sugar ridden products has a more healthy replacement.

One thing I know for sure from experience is that saying good riddance to added sugar will enable you to look and feel so much better, but I would strongly suggest that you check with your medical provider to see what diet changes may be the healthiest for your body.