by Jenney Cheever

Created on: October 06, 2008   Last Updated: October 14, 2008

You know that consuming too much sugar is bad for your waistline and your overall health. You know you need to cut back but how? It's easier than you think to establish healthier habits that will keep you feeling fit and healthy without feeling deprived.

Here are 7 simple ways to cut back, and feel great.

1. Cut out the sugar in your coffee or tea. If you drink 3 cups of coffee a day, with two teaspoons of sugar each, that's 6 teaspoons of sugar per day! You can easily cut back over a period of a few weeks by reducing the amount of sugar you use by a half-teaspoon or so per week. Soon you'll be enjoying the real taste of your coffee, without all the added sugar.

2. Eliminate soda from your diet. A 12-ounce can of soda contains about 40 grams of sugar that's the equivalent of about 10 teaspoons! Water with a wedge of lemon or lime for flavor is a much better alternative to quench your thirst.

3. Don't be fooled by juice. It's a common misconception that since juice is natural and comes from fruit, it's healthy choice, but it's actually full of sugar. 100% fruit juice contains as much as 40 grams of sugar per 8-ounce cup. That's more than soda!

4. Read food labels carefully. When reading labels it's not enough to look out for the word "sugar", High-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, glucose, dextrose, maltodextrin, syrup, even honey and molasses are all just different names for sugar.

5. Beware of common "healthy" foods that are loaded with sugar. Foods like sweetened yogurt, cereals, and flavored instant oatmeal are often loaded with sugar. Even "healthy" nutrition bars can contain as much as 30-40 grams of sugar! Instead, try unsweetened alternatives to these common foods, and add your own flavorings. For example, a packet of sweetened instant oatmeal can contain as much as 16-18 grams of sugar, but plain oatmeal sweetened with a teaspoon of maple syrup contains about 4 grams.

6. Satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit. When you must have something sweet, try to satisfy that craving with some grapes, an apple, or a juicy orange. Fruit is nature's own sweet treat. It has plenty of natural sugar, but it also has lots of fiber and nutrients to leave you feeling satisfied.

7. Allow yourself the occasional treat, but don't overindulge. Rather than buying a whole pint of ice cream, which you'll be tempted to polish off completely, go out for a single scoop cone. Instead eating a full-sized candy bar, try a mini-sized candy bar instead. This will keep you from feeling deprived, but will also keep you on track with your new reduced-sugar lifestyle.

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