So many of us are wanting to cut back on sugar in order to improve our overall health. Sugar is hands-down one of the most addictive foods on the planet, and many experts have even compared it to cocaine and heroin in this respect. And while it’s not nearly as harmful as the former, of course, having too much of it can certainly lead to a number of health difficulties like heart disease, diabetes and so on.

The problem is that sugar is everywhere; it’s added to all types of foods because of its addictive nature and the fact that it triggers dopamine receptors so easily, making us feel good the moment that we have some. Because of this, you should try to reduce if not eliminate sugar intake altogether, as your body really doesn’t need it in the amounts that we generally tend to consume it.

Another issue that is worth mentioning when it comes to quitting sugars is the cravings that not eating it daily can cause, if you’re addicted to it. This can make you feel drowsy, groggy and generally put you in a really foul mood, so it’s important to be able to fight those cravings and not give into them. To help you out with this, I’ve put together five simple tips that can help you cut back on sugar today, so I highly recommend that you give them a read. 

5 Tips to Help You Cut Back On Sugar

1. Eliminate Stress

Your body craves sugar when it’s low on dopamine, and it’s low on dopamine when it is under stress. Whether it’s work or family related, sugar is your body’s way to escape from your hectic lifestyle and indulge in some pleasure, so it’s no wonder that it constantly craves it. So logically, if you succeed in reducing the amount of stress you feel daily, you’ll get fewer cravings throughout the day and it’ll be much easier for you to quit.

2. Recognize Sugar on Labels

There’s more than one type of sugar out there, and it goes by various names that you might not be able to recognize right away. Names like high-fructose corn syrup, dried cane syrup, molasses, sucrose and so on. The moment you don’t recognize a word on a label, you need to make sure that it isn’t sugar.

This is a really clever marketing trick that fools people into buying foods that are full of sugar without even realizing it, so make sure you don’t fall for it under any circumstances. And generally, you should always spend as much time as you need reading a label because you need to be aware what you’re putting into your body.

3. Moderation

No one says that you have to quit sugar altogether in order to improve your health. Just make sure that you aren’t eating too much of it during the day and in time you’ll be able to significantly reduce your total sugar intake.

The problem with sugar is that too much can be achieved far too easily. A single can of coke contains all the sugar that you need throughout the day, and coke isn’t even the sweetest beverage out there. Soft drinks in general contain a lot of sugar, so they should be avoided at all costs if possible. 

4. More Protein/Fat

One of the most common causes of cravings is actually hunger, and if your body is hungry it will attempt to regain energy in the simplest way possible, and that is eating and digesting simple sugars. By keeping your hunger at bay, therefore, you can help control your cravings a bit more, and instead of sugars and carbohydrates you should try to eat more protein and fat, as they will keep you full for longer periods of time.  This will make it easier for you to cut back on sugar.

5. Beware of Low Fat Products

Finally, the one thing you should absolutely avoid at the store are definitely low-fat products. Fat has been getting a really bad rep during the last few decades and has been blamed for heart disease, obesity, diabetes and a number of other diseases; while the real culprit, sugar, has until recently been successfully hiding in the shadows and wreaking havoc on our health.

Low-fat products are packed with sugar to compensate for the lower fat content, and so eating them is a really bad idea if you’re looking to cut back on sugar. If you have to buy a low-fat product, then at least spend enough time studying the label to make sure it’s not high in sugar.