Sugar, it’s the little devil in our diet, and one that most Brits don’t even realise they have an addiction to. It simply sneaks its way into a whole variety of seemingly ‘healthy’ snacks and quietly plans its attack on our teeth, our waistline and our general health and wellbeing. Most of us, often unknowingly, consume up to 700g of the sweet stuff each week—that’s almost equivalent to 140 teaspoons, and far too sickly for even the sweetest tooth.
As the country’s war on sugar continues Ricola, the sugar-free Swiss confectioner, offers a range of herbal sweets in mouthwatering flavours, aiming to inspire small yet conscious decisions to help you reduce sugar intake. Here are our top five tips on how to quit sugar.
1. Hydration is key
More often than not, hunger pains and sweet cravings are just signals our bodies send reminding us to remain hydrated. The first step to quitting sugar intake can be to drink more water. Be sure to switch fizzy, carbonated, sugary drinks for instant hydration in its finest form, H20! If you find you can’t make the move without some subtle flavour, add a slice of lemon or lime for some natural citrus flavoured infusion. For those trying to wean off sugary drinks, you can go one step further and try dissolving one of Ricola’s tantalizing flavours into water for a hot or cold, refreshing change.
See also: The Low-down on Artificial Sweeteners
2. Breakfast like a King
An age-old theory—but one that most definitely works—is not to forgo breakfast. It really does act as the King of the mealtime menu and can set you up for the day. In order to cut sugar intake, swap high-sugar cereals for natural, wholesome, breakfast ingredients—you can almost guarantee any mid-morning craving for a sugary snack will be long gone.
3. Take small steps for better results
Quitting sugar cold-turkey when it comes to any diet isn’t best advised. To beat the sugar and stay on track with a healthy, more balanced diet, it’s better to take smaller steps to achieve greater results. If you have sugar in your cups of tea, cut down from a full teaspoon to half. Swap your lunchtime sandwich accompaniment from chocolate to fruit and always have a packet of Ricola sugar-free herbal sweets on hand for when the sugar cravings strike. Small simple steps will set you on the right path towards quitting sugar to achieve a sugar-free lifestyle .
See also: Brits Still Eat Too Much Sugar
4. Exercise to energise
The saying, eat less, move more, is often thrown around when it comes to re-evaluating your health and wellbeing and it’s often a good place to start. We’re certainly not recommending exerting too much energy and causing unnecessary injury, but just an extra 30 minutes of exercise a day can have maximum benefit, help to increase your energy levels and curb your cravings for a sugar-infused snack.
5. Always read the labels
An easy way to quit sugar? Reading labels. There are many misconceptions when it comes to a balanced diet and sometimes the foods you think are the healthiest are—in fact—the opposite. Low-calorie doesn’t always mean healthy, so remember to check food packaging labels and alert yourself to just how much sugar you could be consuming.
This article was written on behalf of Ricola sugar-free Swiss herbal sweets as part of their ‘Switch & Ditch’ sugar campaign, which aims to educate and inspire consumers to swap their sweet treats for Ricola’s range of sugar free options. Seven flavours including Fresh Mountain Mint, Refreshing LemonMint, Tasty Cranberry, Delicious Elderflower, Scrumptious OrangeMint, Luxurious Liquorice and The Original are available in prevalent high street health food stores, supermarkets and chemists, making it easier than ever for consumers to swap their sugar candy for healthier, sugar-free items. For more information on Ricola, visit ricola.com
If you enjoyed reading our five tips on how to quit sugar then click here to read about the alarmingly high sugar content in soft drinks on Celebrity Angels
See also: Dietary Requirements for Type 2 Diabetes
