The WHO recommends consuming no more than 50 grams of sugar per day, but most of us consume between 150 and 205% more than recommended.
How do we consume less sugar?
If you really want to consume less sugar the best option is to start educate your palate to try to stop consuming it, or at least reduce your intake as a first step.
Before you begin, write down on a piece of paper all the sugar you consume during a typical day: the sugar in your coffee with milk or tea, your cola, your pre-cooked meals, your sweet bread. This will help you see how much sugar you consume daily on a regular basis.
It's not about eliminating refined sugar from your diet (if you don't want to), but rather about becoming aware that much of the sugar we consume on a daily basis is unnecessary and that we also consume it unconsciously, without realizing it.
Some tips that can help you reduce sugar consumption in your diet.
1. Reduce consumption little by little to educate your palate
Start by reducing your consumption little by little. If you are used to having tea or coffee with milk in the morning with two spoonfuls of sugar, gradually reduce the amount. Don't do it all at once; you won't like it. Try a spoonful and a half the first week, a spoonful the second, and so on until you can drink it without sugar.
2. Avoid daily consumption of sugary drinks
This category includes everything from soft drinks to juices and sports drinks. It's no good fooling yourself into thinking you're drinking them light or sugar-free. It's best to avoid these types of drinks and try replacing juices with natural fruit drinks and soft drinks with water, at least 1/3 of the time at first.
3. Exercise
Any form of physical activity is useful for regulating the balance between what you consume and what you expend.
4. Do not consume sugar if it is not necessary
For example, if you eat cereal with milk, it usually already contains sugar. Some cereals contain up to 37% sugar.
Therefore, it's best not to add more to the mix or to replace the sugarier ones with simpler ones like oatmeal. This can reduce your sugar intake by 70g in a week.
5. If you fancy something sweet
Dark chocolate is a good option that also has antioxidants. If you usually eat milk chocolate, start with 50% dark chocolate and then increase the amount of pure chocolate once your palate gets used to it.
Remember that prevention is better than cure
