Purim is behind us and with it comes the need to start cutting back on Sugar- but where to start?

Lucky for you I’ve put together 3 main points to start focusing on small simple steps to help you cut the sugar consumption.

Starting with the facts: The average American consumes about 160 pounds of refined sugar every year. Think about that for a minute. That’s a lot of sugar. Just two hundred years ago we only used about 20 pounds of sugar per person per year. 

We know all this sugar isn’t good for us. It’s rotting our teeth, giving us Type II Diabetes, and contributing to the obesity epidemic in the western world. The bad thing is that added sugar has found its way into all sorts of foods we consume on a daily basis and it isn’t just the sugary breakfast cereal or the ice cream that is the culprit. There’s sugar in our salad dressings, our frozen dinners, and pasta sauce to give you just a few examples.

What can we do to cut back on the amount of sugar we consume on a daily basis?

Let’s start by cutting out some of the big offenders.

1- Cut The Soda and Other Sugary Drinks

Let’s start with something easy that will also have a huge impact. Stop drinking soda and other sugary drinks. That includes seemingly innocent things like the sweet tea you’re enjoying or the fancy coffee drink but, it could also be your favorite juice beverage. Look at the labels and figure out how many teaspoons of sugar you’re drinking each day. Then cut them out. Stick to water, black coffee and herbal tea for a few days. It’s not an easy transition, but it will be well worth it in the end.

Don’t like the taste of water? No problem !!

Try making it fun by infusing water with fruits, like oranges, blueberries and even with mint.

2- Stop Indulging In Sugar Laden Treats

Next it’s time to give up your favorite sugary treats. Enjoy a bowl of oatmeal or scramble up some eggs instead of pouring a bowl of sweet cereal. Skip the muffin, cake, cookies and candy. Instead reach for a piece of fruit or cut up some fresh veggies.

Try filling up on Fiber and protein like this overnight oats recipe. It’s so simple and quick, no you do not have to wait overnight to have it ready, just wait 10-15 minutes. That’s right prep your breakfast, go get ready and come back to eat a delicious and nutritious breakfast.

Find sugar free or low-sugar replacements for your favorite treats. (Try these Energy Bites)  

Fix a sandwich if you’re hungry in the afternoon instead of raiding the cookie jar.

Or grab some delicious Healthy Snacks in this eBook.

Do your best to train your brain and taste buds to not crave sweet treats all day long.

3- Stick To Real Food

Last but not least, work on reducing the added sugars that sneak into your diet via all sorts of convenience foods.

Little hint, anything that’s labeled low fat, fat free or gluten free is worth avoiding since the fat is usually replaced by lots of sugar and salt to make it palatable. Your best bet is to stick to real food. Stick with single ingredients and cook your meals from scratch aka protein, healthy fats, vegetables. This allows you to control what’s going into the food you eat – including the sugar.

Hope these 3 simple steps to help you cut back on sugar help.

I’ve also put together a FREE Booklet Top 5 Secrets to Cut Sugar- Get it HERE!

Also get excited and look out for – the Ditch the Sugar to Better Health in 7 days Challenge! We begin on Monday May 2nd, 2022

Do comment and let me know what your biggest struggle is when trying to cut Sugar out of your diet or meal plan.

With all my love

xoxo Ilanit BA, CNC