If there was one thing you could do to loose weight quicker, get clear skin, have more energy and finally say goodbye to belly fat, it would be to cut out sugar.
When sugar is consumed it causes a rapid rise in your blood sugar levels. This sends a signal to your pancreas to produce a large amount of insulin to get the sugar out of your blood and into your cells to be stored. This sudden spike followed by a fall in blood sugar levels is what makes us feel exhausted even though you would think it would give you a boost in energy.
Having too much insulin in the blood comes with it own problems, with raised blood sugar levels the insulin can become resistant meaning it doesn’t do its job in removing the sugar out of the blood but stores it especially around the belly.
Here are some easy things you can do to be more aware of sugar and reduce the amount we consume.
1. Avoid Sugary Drinks
A can of coca-cola has about 10 spoons of sugar and zero nutritional value. It will satisfy a sugar craving in the short run but will leave you in a viscous cycle of feel drained and needing another pick me up for a little bit of energy. Next time you start to crave a fizzy sugary drink, drink water first and then see how you feel, you most probably will have suppresed the need to have anything after you have filled up on water.
Sugar free drinks are not any better, they may not have any calories but they can trick the body into thinking it has received something sweet triggering off the whole metabolic process that stores fat.
Try one of the water bottles £9.99 to keep track of how much water you drink. It will compensate the need for sugary drinks, boost your energy levels and clear your skin fast!
2. Keep A Food Diary
Everytime you eat something bad make a note of it on your phone, at the end of the week it will give you a clearer picture of what “oh it’s just one cookie” really looks like. Remember its the small consistent actions that we make everyday that make a difference in the long run and success is not something that is achieved overnight. Keeping a diary can also help you to identify habits, for example are you eating a chocolate filled croissant on the way to work because you are short of time to make something more filling and healthy? or do you tend to crave a chocolate bar late at night because you are not eating enough at dinner time?
3. Read Labels
You will be shocked to find out how many foods sugar is hidden is; low fat yoghurt, granola bars, bbq sauce and even salad dressings! Make sure you read the sugar content for everything you buy to avoid consuming sugar in forms you didn’t intend too.
4. Avoid Food Shopping When You Are Hungry
We have all been here, started our new diet and excited to begin until we walk down the chocolate isle and it all goes downhill because we are starving and need a little pick me up. Once it is in the house you are almost certain to eat it whereas if you have to go out of your way to get a bar of snickers the chances are you will talk yourself out of it.
5. Eat More Protein and Good Fats
Protein and good fats help to keep blood sugar under control. They also keep you feeling full for longer meaning you won’t need to snack.
Eating protein and fats will slow down the release of blood sugar, which will keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Try a protein shake if you craving something sweet.
6. Plan your meals and snack
Planning is key. Meal prep the night before for everything you will eat throughout the day with healthy snacking options like fruits and nuts, this will stop you impulse buying a bar of chocolate when you can feel yourself crashing.
7. Make Small Consistent Changes
Making small changes and sticking with them is the key to achieving your goals. If you can’t imagine a life without coke and chocolates give one up first and if that is too much pick one day in the week where you will allow yourself to have it and then reduce it to once every two weeks. There will come a day when it will feel wrong to be making bad food choices and it just gets easier from there.
8. Add Some Spice
Spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg can be a good alternative to keep your sweet tooth satisfied.
Cinnamon tastes amazing but also has the benefit of stabilising blood sugar levels.
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