No Sweet? No Sweat! These 8 Ways Can Teach You How To Avoid Sugar And Stay Healthy

You would have certainly made a long list of new year resolutions you want to fulfil in 2023. With the primary focus on fitness and health, many prioritize keeping their lifestyle in order. While you focus on getting fit, it is essential to follow a balanced diet. But who doesn’t crave some sweets? Be it sweets, chocolates, or candies – do you find it difficult to resist them? Don’t worry; we can suggest ways how to avoid sugar.

Aditya Birla Health Insurance presents to you #LetTheMindGamesBegin. This is a 14-day health program on our Activ Living Community, where you will learn how to make up your mind to follow through on your new year health resolutions. Avoid giving up on this year’s resolution using expert advice in fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness. Tanvi Gulati, a nutrition expert, is here to help you mentally push yourself to avoid sweets.

What you need to know:

• Harmful impact of excess sweet intake
• Ways to avoid sweet cravings

The harmful impact of excess sweet intake

Whether you eat little or a lot of sweets, it comes down to the same thing – sugar intake, which can harm your health. Sugar offers no nutrients and plenty of calories, which can cause obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers and increase the risk of heart disease.

When you consume food containing carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks down the digestible ones into sugar, which enters the blood. As the blood sugar level increases, the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that prompts cells to absorb the blood sugar in energy or storage to be used later. However, consuming excess sugar can lead to a condition known as insulin resistance, which results in type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, or cardiovascular diseases. Insulin resistance can cause glucose build-up in the blood. Over time, diabetes can cause vision loss, clogged veins, or nerve damage.

Ways to avoid sweet cravings

No sweet? No sweat! Following are some ways how to avoid sugar and sweet cravings:

• Excessive sugar consumption is not only harmful to diabetics but also to individuals without any chronic lifestyle conditions. Very often, dehydration can cause sweet cravings. So, ensure you drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.
• Many people find it challenging to overcome cravings combined with hunger. In such cases, fix yourself a healthy meal. Eating foods with soluble fiber is beneficial, so make sure you include legumes, oats, and flax seeds in your diet. Consume fruits and vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants and can help satisfy sugar cravings. Bananas, apples, and oranges can be of great help. Stock up on seeds, nuts, and dried fruits, which you can turn to whenever you are hungry.
• Brushing your teeth within 15 minutes of having a meal helps you manage your sugar cravings. The flavor of the toothpaste stays in the mouth for a long time and can clash with other flavors. Also, your brain tends to think that mealtime is over.
• You can also take a multivitamin that can protect you against deficiencies.
• Many foods contain artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes to make them taste sweet. Avoid artificial sweeteners to satiate your sweet cravings, which can lead to weight gain.
• Stress causes cortisol levels to rise, which produces glucagon and keeps your blood sugar high. So, get adequate sleep and rest.
• Try working out regularly for a minimum of 30 minutes, as exercising moves sugar to the muscles and helps with insulin sensitivity. Take a walk around your neighborhood to take your mind off the sweet craving.
• Pay attention to patterns. If you notice your sugar cravings hitting at a particular time, be prepared with a protein-filled snack to power through the day. Don’t starve yourself. Ensure you have something in between meals to avoid munching on sweets. If you are unable to resist sugar temptations, try chewing sugar-free gum.
• Whenever you go grocery shopping, ensure you have a list prepared so that you stick to healthy food products and don’t get swayed by sweets. Come with a full stomach, so sweet food items on display do not lure you. Keep in mind the meals you plan to cook that week and shop accordingly.
• Whenever you find yourself craving something sweet, call a friend and talk to them to distract yourself. You can even ask them for a few words of encouragement which can motivate you to stay true to your new year health resolutions.

Take a look at the sugar-free recipe for Gajar Ka Halwa.

Ingredients:

• Grated carrots- 500 gram
• Milk of choice – 1 cup
• 3-4 soaked dates
• Soaked cashews- ½ cup
• A pinch of cardamom powder
• Chopped almonds

Method:

1) Steam carrots in a pan for 10 minutes. Keep stirring.
2) Make a paste of dates and cashews and keep it aside.
3) Add milk to cooked carrots and cook for 10-15 mins on low flame.
4) Add dates and cashew paste and cook for another 5 mins.
5) Finally, add cardamom powder and stir. Turn off the flame and garnish is finely chopped almonds. Enjoy hot

Now that you know how to avoid sugar, ensure you make healthy lifestyle changes this new year. Stay healthy with the Activ Living Community – your everyday health expert. Stay tuned for more lifestyle and fitness-related information. For more mind hacks, check out the #LetTheMindGamesBegin section here.