Resisting sweet temptations is hard, especially during the festive season, but once you take the first step towards a sugar free diet, you are opening the doors for a healthier life. There is a direct link between excessive sugar intake and some diseases – diabetes being the foremost – such as obesity, heart ailments, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Refined sugars are particularly known to have high calories with zero nutritional value, while natural sugar substitutes, like honey, are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals.
Health Benefits of No-sugar Diet
Following a no sugar diet not just reduces these health risks but gives you abundant health benefits, as mentioned below:
- When the body gets excess sugar, there is an insulin spike to maintain the sugar level, resulting in a sudden lowering of energy levels, known as sugar crash or Hypoglycemia. Skip the sugar to notice an increase in your energy level that will keep you going all day.
- Eating refined sugar can lead to insulin resistance and cause the storage of fat. So, going for natural sugar found in fruits and vegetables will ensure you also get adequate fibre, an ideal way to curb belly fat.
- Cutting down excess sugar lowers inflammation linked to headaches, chronic pain, food allergy, and even Alzheimer’s disease.
- Besides diminishing energy, sugar in excess amounts can impact mental health, causing stress, mood swings, and anxiety. Staying away from sugar will be beneficial for mental health.
Is it difficult to cut down on sugar intake? How to make a start? All you need to know is there is more than one way to manage your sugar cravings yet stay healthy. Here are useful tips to make things easy for you.
Take Gradual Steps: Drastically reducing the intake of sugar may not be easy. Making slow changes to your eating habits will work better. So, start by simply reducing sugar consumption for the initial few weeks.
Avoid Processed Foods: Stay away from flavoured carbonated drinks and artificial sweeteners as they can cause more harm than giving any health benefit. Go for real fruit juices, for they are high in nutrients.
Pick Natural Substitutes: Enrich your diet with healthy sugar substitutes. Honey, dates, raisins, and maple syrup are some natural sweeteners that have many health benefits.
Watch out for Hidden Sugars: Certain foods, like bread, pasta, white rice, contain sugar and refined carbohydrates. It is necessary to be well-informed about the nutritional information when buying these products from the market. Pick healthy alternatives, such as whole grains.
Plan your Meals: Schedule your meals, and replace sugary snacks with healthier options to manage the hunger pangs.
Takeaway
Processed foods are harmful to health as they have considerable amounts of added sugars and refined ingredients. While you are focusing on lowering sugar in your diet, it is also necessary to include healthy options to meet your nutritional requirements. Some healthy sugar substitutes are useful for diabetics, particularly, as they need to be careful about their blood glucose levels. So, adopt a balanced diet that includes nuts, seeds, plain yogurt, and fruits as suitable alternatives to give you energy and ample amounts of nutrients.
>> Also Read: If You Have Diabetes and Sugar Cravings, Here's What You Can Do
Excess sugar levels in the body can lead to diabetes, a growing health problem in India. Managing diabetes is crucial to avoid complications. Moreover, increasing healthcare costs can create a hindrance when accessing quality medical care. Thus, invest in a health insurance plan to save on medical expenditures. Now, choosing health insurance for diabetes is possible. Visit the official website of Care Health Insurance to know more.
Disclaimer: Underwriting of claims for Diabetes is subject to policy terms and conditions.
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