30-Day Sugar-Free Challenge
There’s no doubt that consuming too much added sugar harms your overall health. Cutting back on added sugar is important, as excessive consumption is linked to an increased risk of certain health conditions, including fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Let’s together embark on a sugar-free journey, the main goal being to cut out all sources of added sugar for 30 days. Instead, we’ll focus on consuming nutrient-dense, whole foods that don’t contain added sugars. Natural sugars, which are found in foods like vegetables, fruits, and dairy products, are okay to eat. We’ll be looking to eliminate foods high in added sugar – so practice saying no to sweetened breakfast cereals, ice-cream, confectionery (think biscuits, muffins, cakes, etc.), sweets, fizzy drinks, and any beverages you typically sweeten up like tea or coffee.
Not sure you have what it takes to be less of a sweetheart? Commit to at least lessening your intake of added sugar, as that’s a win too. Remember, consuming high amounts of added sugar is harmful to your overall health. Reducing added sugar intake can encourage weight loss and improve various aspects of your health, including your blood sugar levels and heart, liver, and dental health.
Foods to avoid
- Sweeteners: table sugar, honey, maple syrup, corn syrup, agave, and coconut sugar
- Sweetened beverages: fizzy drinks, sweetened smoothies and juices, sweetened hot beverages and energy drinks
- Condiments with added sugar: ketchup, BBQ sauce, honey mustard and coffee creamer
- Sweetened dairy products: flavoured yoghurt, ice cream, milkshakes
- Confectionery/sugary baked goods: cookies, cakes, doughnuts, fatcakes, bread with added sugar
- Sugary breakfast foods: sweetened cereals, bars, granola, flavoured oatmeal
- Sweets: boiled or chewy candy, chocolate, gummies
- Sugary alcoholic beverages: cocktails, sweet liquor, sweetened canned alcohol
Its commonly recommended that refined grains, including white bread, white pasta and white rice, are kept to a minimum and replaced with whole grain products without added sugars.
Foods to eat
- Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, carrots, asparagus, baby marrow, etc.
- Fruits: apples, oranges, berries, grapes, cherries, grapefruit, etc.
- Proteins: chicken, fish, beet, tofu, eggs, etc.
- Healthy fat sources: egg yolks, avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, unsweetened yoghurt, etc.
- Complex carb sources: beans, quinoa, sweet potatoes, butternut, brown rice, etc.
- Unsweetened beverages: water, sparkling water and unsweetened hot drinks
There are no adverse physical health effects associated with reducing your added sugar intake, as long as you do so responsibly and couple it with healthy eating choices for the duration of the 30-day challenge.
Good luck and give it your best throughout the month of June!