Hi guys!
I’m here to share my top 5 Tips on going Sugar Free. I am by no means a doctor or nutritionist of any kind but these tips are things that I learned through trial and error during my sugar detox.
I decided to stop eating (or at least dramatically decrease my intake) of processed sugar when I was having a hard time getting through the day without a little something. And once I had that little something, it generally became a lot of something. I have no self control when it comes to chocolate, what can I say?
If you want to know the 5 main things that got me off sugar, keep on reading!
1) WATER, WATER, WATER
Start your day off with water and keep drinking it throughout the day. I know we hear this one all the time but it really is important and makes a HUGE difference. It will help nip cravings in the bud, keep you full for longer, and flush your system of any sugar that you have been eating. On days when I don’t drink enough water, I notice that I will eat more (one part boredom, one part dehydration) and when I ate more, especially at the beginning, would lean towards processed sweets. If you aren’t used to drinking plain water, try adding a fruit flavored tea bag or a squeeze of lemon juice or some chopped up fruit into your drink to add some extra taste.
2) Snack on Fruit
This one is crucial for me! If I don’t have something sweet tasting, I will want to reach for the chocolate. I have replaced all the times I want dessert with a piece of fruit. It gives me the sweetness that I want while still being natural. I also will bring fruit, even sweeter veggies sometimes, as snacks so that I don’t create a situation for myself where it is easy to fall off the wagon. Dried fruit that specifies as “no sugar added” works well in a pinch too.
3) Make Your Own Treats
This takes a little research but you can adapt your favorite treats turning them into sugar free treats. I love banana and blueberry baked goods so I started making my own with apple sauce (sugar free, of course) instead of granulated sugar. I have also looked into making my own stir fry sauces. Anything packaged in a bottle are the biggest culprits of having added sugar without us ever knowing. Ask and the internet can provide us all with some great alternative for sugar in recipes!
4) Take it One Step at a Time
Don’t try to cut out all sugar in one sweep. I have tried this before and have never been able to keep it up for that long. This time I worked in stages. When I started, I would only eat sweets on the weekends. After I had been doing that for about a month, I cut back to only one day a week. My next step will be one treat a week, instead of a day of free reign.
5) Get Rid of Temptation
This was another biggie for me. I need to have no sweet treats around me or else I will want to eat them and not just one, all of them! (Like I said above, no self control). When I started, I would slip up because I had some Easter chocolate or candy laying around the house. I either gave it away or saved it to reward myself on the weekend, my only allocated time for sweets.
I hope you guys enjoyed/liked/got some use out of my tips on going sugar free.
And always remember that if you fall off the wagon, just get right back up and keep on going. Never let food get the better of you (which, trust me, I know is hard sometimes) but use it to be the healthiest you you can be!
What are your favorite sugar free snacks?
Let me know in the comments
Until next time,
Ana Luiza
