Recently there has been a lot of press coverage on the amount of children in the UK suffering from tooth decay with a number of dentists backing plans to reduce sugar intake in our diets.
Here are some tips on how you can reduce your sugar intake which will not only help prevent tooth decay but will also help with obesity so you can have a healthy mouth and body.
Try starting your day with a bowl or porridge
Why not swap that bowl of sugar loaded cereal for porridge? Yes I know it doesn’t sound very exciting but you can always spice it up by adding your own fruit such as apples, bananas, pears, strawberries or raspberries. Many people may be surprised to hear this but even popular cereal brands such as Special K contains more sugar than a supermarket own label bowl of Cornflakes.
Watch out for “Low in fat” foods
These are often advertised on television as being good for you, however what they fail to mention is that low in fat doesn’t necessarily mean low in sugar. Sugar is added to replace the loss of flavour in the product.
Keep an eye on your yoghurt
Yoghurt might seem like a healthy choice, but it is often sweetened with fruit flavours and not natural fruits which means that they are loaded with artificial sugars. If you fancy a yogurt you should treated it like a pudding instead of a snack alternative to a chocolate bar or other sweets or biscuits
Eat more protein
Sugar cravings hit when your blood sugar levels spike, then plummet. You can tackle this by increasing the protein in your diet, it’ll leave you feeling satisfied for longer by keeping your blood sugar levels more stable.
Swap milk chocolate for dark chocolate
Just because you are cutting out sugars in your diet doesn’t mean that you have to go without treats. If you are a chocolate lover why not swap that milk chocolate bar for dark chocolate. It has less sugar than milk or white, giving you a cocoa hit without disrupting your blood sugar.
Beating those sugar cravings
You can beat those sugar cravings by trying other snacks such as cheese and oatcakes or crackers with pickled onion. Savoury snacks will take the edge off and you will feel a lot more energetic.
Don’t over indulge in fruit
Many of us make the mistake of replacing chocolate and crisps with fruit. However, fruit is also loaded with sugars and that includes fruit juice and dried fruit so make sure you stick to the five-a-day rule.
Purchase a bread making machine and make your own bread
Purchasing a bread machine and making your own bread is a much healthier option as bread is full of added sugars and preservatives. There is also nothing like the smell of fresh bread it also tastes a lot better.
Why not share some of your favourite low in sugar or sugar- free food and drinks on our facebook page?
