by Pinkali Chatterjee

Created on: February 23, 2011

Giving up sugar is almost like giving up cigarettes and with almost equivalent benefits for those who are dangerously overweight or obese. If you have to give it up just do it this moment and completely. This will need a great deal of mental power and it is not at all easy.

Think about its effects.

• It increase the level of Insulin

• It depresses the immune system

• It results in Obesity

• It increases the risk of heart disease.

Thinking about these effects will help to gain the mental strength needed to give up sugar for the sugar addicts.

Don't eat sweets.

Although many other foods other than sweets contain sugar in a variety of forms, the best way to quit sugar is to stop eating sweets. There can be no argument that sweets like cake, candy, chocolates and deserts contain an excessive amount of sugar. And quitting sweets gradually does not usually work. If you have to quit it, stop eating sweets completely. After you have built up the habit of living without a single chocolate or a cake a day, you will have your well earned right to taste them once in a month.

Avoid sweet drinks.

Don't put that spoonful of sugar in your tea or coffee. Don't reduce the amount. Just deny it. After a week you will know how real coffee or tea tastes without sugar and you will start appreciating it. Even if it takes time to reach the stage of appreciating it, stick to the rule. Say no to sugar. Sugar substitute sweeteners can be used but they are usually not as good and may increase the craving to turn back to sugar. They also may involve other health hazards.

Don't drink fruit drinks and fizzy drinks that contain sugar. Check the levels before buying. Buy only zero calorie, zero sugar soft drinks. Avoid drinking juices and eat fruits instead. They are sweet but contain enough fibers and vitamins to compensate their sweetness.

Watch your snacks.

Most of the snacks we eat are full of sugar. Avoid all cookies and sweetened biscuits and eat crackers instead. Eat nuts, fruits and salads. Eat more and more of natural food and avoid the packaged foods.Eat sweet vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots.

Make your own food.

Avoid prepared and semi prepared foods as much as possible as these will contain sugar in many hidden forms and investigating that each time you buy or eat may seem impossible or at least very tiresome and annoying.

To avoid extra sugar in your food buy the raw ingredients and cook it yourself. That way you are sure not to use hidden sugars in any form in your food.

Make little changes in food habit.

Little changes in food habit go a long way. A shift from white to brown bread or brown pasta can reduce you sugar intake. Brown rice, pasta and brown bread are rich in fiber. And making this shift in habit is comparatively easier than quitting chocolates.

Keep sugars out of the house.

Many experts believe that sugar is more addictive than cigarettes and even heroine. So keep it out of sight and out of your mind. Try not to buy candies or cakes in a big amount even for the children. Buy as much as they can consume in one or two meals. Don't keep a lot of candies and chocolates at home. This will just help the quitting process by reducing temptations.

Eat less salty food.

The more salty a food, the more it increases sugar craving. There are also the added health hazards of taking too much salt. So have a balanced proportion of salt in food.

Avoid too much alcohol.

Avoid intake of a lot of alcohol as alcohol is also sugar. At least, while new on the diet and trying to quit sugar, do not indulge in alcoholic beverages.

Kick your sugar habit, go through the tough process and you will be a new healthier, prettier and happier person at the end.

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