The habit of eating highly sugary foods is one of the main health problems in Western countries. It is not only associated with obesity; Furthermore, the intake of large amounts of sugar can lead to both health problems and behavioral dynamics that are totally harmful to the person.
In this article we will see some tips on how to stop eating sugar and several recommendations about how to get started.
In the following lines you will find key ideas to make the habit of eating sugar not get out of hand and establish a lifestyle in which you barely consume that ingredient. However, you should know that in some cases this habit is so ingrained that it is essential to go to a psychology professional who offers personalized attention.
1. Start with a kitchen cleaning
This is not a literal cleanse, but rather going to the kitchen and throwing away all foods high in sugar: Processed cereals, pastries, fruit or chocolate flavored dairy products, sweets and candies.
It is important to do this as a task that justifies itself, not as something complementary that we are going to do when it is time to go to the kitchen and think about what to eat. In this way we will avoid, as far as possible, giving in to the excuses we may make for not doing this, such as “I don’t have time to throw everything away now” or “if I throw this away now I won’t have anything to eat.”
This advice to stop eating so much sugar is simple and complicated at the same time: do not go to establishments based on offering highly processed and sugary food. It may be hard at first, but In the medium and long term it will save you many problems and worries
3. If you are not used to cooking, buy healthier foods
In the long run, to have a healthy life in which sugar has less presence, you will have to cook a good part of what you eat, if not most of the time. However, if you don’t have any experience in this, Try to buy food that is as homemade as possible like the one in some catering services.
4. Learn to cook
This step is very important, for two reasons.
On the one hand, this habit It will force you to eat much more natural foods, to make these the basis of your diet. On the other hand, in this way you will link the fact of eating with a moment of the day that deserves your time and to which we must pay attention, which is the opposite of the concept of a snack that so often makes us fall for products full of refined sugar.
This is one of the most difficult tips on how to stop eating sugar because it requires effort, and for this it is almost mandatory that you plan daily schedules in which you reserve approximately an hour a day to learn to cook simple recipes that In the long run they will hardly require your attention.
When you’re starting to take steps to stop eating so much sugar, don’t worry about eating very healthy; the priority is in any case stop eating junk food
Therefore, do not obsess yourself trying to memorize all the technicalities used in the food industry. Just remember the following words, as they are all the names of sugar that are used to camouflage the presence of this ingredient on food composition labels:
6. Work away from snacks
If you work in a place where there are several people and you can choose where to be located, try to stay most of the time away from places where sugary products are placed that you are allowed to access: soda or chocolate machines, fountains with candy, etc.
7. Think about the rebound effect
Don’t be content with spending many hours a day without eating sugary products. Consider that in situations like this we are prone to overcompensate, bingeing on sweet foods whose glucose levels exceed what we would have ingested if we had followed our usual habits.
Therefore, although very occasionally (once a week) it is possible to eat some sugary product as a “rest”, In those moments you must pay close attention to what you do and not give in to the temptation to continue savoring those kinds of bites. If it is very complicated for you, it may be more worthwhile to abstain 100% from eating sugary foods for several weeks in a row.
This is another of the most complex tips on how to stop eating sugar to follow, since it requires commitment to what we are doing.
If you manage to make fruit your usual source of sugar, you will have a lot of gains. This is because These foods are much more satisfying than an average chocolate bar or snack but in most cases they have much less sugar, and it is also unprocessed (less harmful).
One or two pieces of fruit a day are enough, and if you get used to eating them as a reward, continuing that healthy habit will be very easy.
I’m Emily Williams Jones, a psychologist specializing in mental health with a focus on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. With a Ph.D. in psychology, my career has spanned research, clinical practice and private counseling. I’m dedicated to helping individuals overcome anxiety, depression and trauma by offering a personalized, evidence-based approach that combines the latest research with compassionate care.
