Addicted to sugar? If yes, here's how to overcome it
If you opt for having a delicious sweet after every meal and feel you can't live without your favorite chocolates or sweets, you are not the only one. Addiction to sugar is indeed a common problem faced by many across the world. However, one's sugar intake needs to be kept in check for various health-related reasons, and preventing diabetes is one of those.
Why does it matter?
Did you know the World Health Organization recommends having ONLY 5-10 teaspoons of free sugars every day? Free sugars include table sugar, sugars added to different foods/drinks, or those naturally present in certain products. Though it might not be feasible to eliminate sugar completely, you can try to control the intake. Having the right knowledge on this will help you combat this addiction.
Do you love all sorts of carbohydrates?
It's a red flag if you love to have carbohydrates, especially refined ones like those in pizza, white rice, waffles, and breakfast cereals. Sugar, the key source of energy for the body, comes in various forms and mainly in the form of carb-rich foods. To overcome this, make healthy choices and replace carb-rich foods with healthier options like brown rice, green veggies, and potatoes.
Do you feel bloated after meals?
Although there are ample reasons why you may feel bloated after your meals, sugar fermentation could be a key reason. Consuming high amounts of sugars may disturb the digestive system's balance as they are hard to digest and result in bad bacteria formation in your gut that leads to bloating. Have drinks like ginger and cinnamon water and fennel seed water to combat bloating.
Do you feel hungry quite often?
Many of us believe that eating frequently can boost our metabolism. But if your hunger pangs to eat snacks hit you every 2-3 hours, you are probably addicted to sugar. In such cases, instead of having junk food, you can have green tea and nuts like almonds as they are healthier. Also, during the nighttime, avoid eating anything right before you hit the sack.
Here are some other signs
This might be the most evident sign but if you find yourself often binge-eating all the chocolates you can find in your house, you need to control the addiction at the earliest. Initially, you might feel annoyed to cut back on sugar but keep trying. Instead, make healthier choices and consume other nutritious, unprocessed versions of sugar like berries, chia seeds, fruits, and yogurt.
