What Diet

Sugar Free Diet Plan

Following a sugar free diet plan can seem difficult at first and a drastic change. However, if you start slowly you will soon see benefits, feel more energetic and in better health. Not to mention the weight loss.

Sign up for a free one week sugar detox diet plan menu with Amanda Hamilton and your waistline will thank you. It is the perfect kick start to weight loss.

Why follow a Sugar Free Diet?

Many people follow a Sugar Free Diet Sugar in order to manage blood sugar levels or prevent or delay diabetes. Dieters may go sugar free to lose weight, help prevent mood swings and yet others to achieve healthier teeth and oral hygiene.

You also help avoid the toxic dangers of sugar by going sugar free. Most of the body’s cells can use glucose but fructose is processed first by the liver. This isn’t an issue if you only consume eat small amounts but overloading the liver means some fructose will be converted to triglycerides. This raises the level of ‘bad’ fats in the blood and over time may damage the liver.

Sugar may be addictive

All humans are born with a ‘sweet tooth’. Breast milk is sweet, so babies are born with preference for sweeter tastes.

While there is no evidence sugar is physically addictive in the way drugs are, seeing sweet foods can stimulate reward circuits in the brain. However, you can re-educate your taste preferences for healthier foods.

Sugar may accelerate the ageing process

Excessive sugar can result in an ageing effect on skin. It links with collagen and elastin forming advanced glycation end products. These reduce skin elasticity making skin slack and making you look older than you are.

Why is sugar ‘empty calories’?

You can easily eat large amounts of sugary foods and not feel full. Such foods tend to be low in fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals. They do not satisfy the body and so you end up  increasing your calorie intake without getting much to show for it nutritionally.

When is it OK to have sugar?

Really you only require high sugar foods if you are very active. Intense exercise allows the body to assimilate sugar better, so if you are running a marathon you can get away with eating some sugar. However in most cases, people would benefit from reducing sugar intake.

Starting a Sugar Free Diet

The best tip is to gradually evolve. If your diet is high sugar it will be hard to drastically reduce in one go. You will crave a sugar fix and are more likely to end up ditching the sugar free diet plan.

Identify what foods you regularly consume contain the most sugar. For example,  soft drinks, hot drinks, snacks or evening and weekend treats. Cut down on one of these things at a time or substitute with alternatives until your diet is sugar free.

Women apparently eat an average of over 2 teaspoons (10g) of added sugar a day. However when the sugars found in foods already (not including natural sugars in milk and whole fruit) are taken into account, the average is 52.4g a day: over 12 teaspoons of hidden sugar!

How to tell if a food is high sugar

Sugar is described many ways. Sugar also goes by the names of fructose, maltose, sucrose, glucose, hydrolysed starch, invert sugar or corn syrup. Check also the amount of sugar per 100g. If more than 15g per 100g, it’s a high sugar food.

Major sources of sugar are soft drinks, cereals, biscuits, chocolates, cakes, baked goods, jam and sweets. The main thing to watch for is the addition of sugars to processed foods rather than sugar you yourself add to your foods and drinks.

Sugar substitutes

Stevia – The herbal compound, Stevia is 300 times sweeter than sugar. It contains no calories and has a negligible impact on blood sugar. It is a great sweetener for drinks and cooking. It can have a bitter aftertaste if used in high concentration.

Are artificial sweeteners healthier than sugar?

There is some evidence artificial sweeteners may affect the ability to recognise the relationship between sweet tastes and calorie content meaning eating artificially sweetened foods in large amounts could trigger subconscious over eating.

Artificial sweeteners are often dismissed as being carcinogenic but the evidence is undecided.  The controversy and mixed reports remain about whether artificial sweeteners pose health risks. If consumed these are probably best used in moderation.

Agave syrup and nectar

From agave plants, this nectar is sweeter than honey, though thicker and darker. Agave nectars can be found in light, amber, dark and raw varieties. The darker the colour the richer and strnger the taste.

Is fruit is bad for you?

Fructose is the natural sugar  in fruit and honey. It is similar to glucose. When glucose and fructose are combined they make sugar (sucrose).

Fruit, honey and dried fruits all have health benefits. Rather than cutting down fruit, limit the amount of soft drinks, sweets and biscuits instead.

Top tips for a sugar-free diet

• Read packaging. Sugar is listed under different names.
• Adding cinnamon helps curb sugar cravings and is thought to help level blood sugar as well.
• Sugar-free licorice or licorice teas are popular as giving a sweet taste without sugar.
• Following a low GI diet is the best way to keep blood sugar stable.
• Alcohol is a no-no if you want to improve blood sugar. If you must still indulge in a drink or two go for the best option: vodka and soda.

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What Diet: Sugar Free Diet Plan

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