Heres How Cutting Down On Sugar Can Help You Lose Weight & Improve Your Health

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It seems like every decade brings some new dietary building block that were supposed to cut out. Fat, salt, even fruit have all been on the chopping block.

But when it comes to cutting out sugar the suggestion is no fad. Studies now draw links between high sugar diets and everything from mood swings to weight gain to heart disease.

Even people who dont eat many sweets will be surprised by how many hidden sugars are in their diets. Processed foods, sugary drinks, and most condiments all carry more sugar than you might realize.

So when it comes to cutting down on sugar the reasons are sound. It just might be a little harder that it looks to be at first glance.

Here are just a few of the amazing health benefits you can access by cutting back on your sugar intake:

1) Improved Heart Health

The first thing people usually do when they want to improve their heart health is reduce their salt intake. After all, youve been told for decades that salt is the worst thing for your heart.

But it turns out that sugar is actually worse.

Sugar causes an increase in LDL which is the bad kind of cholesterol. And there absolutely is a difference between good and bad cholesterol.

One of the biggest differences is that LDL carries cholesterol into your arteries. This, in turn, causes the blockages that lead to heart attacks and strokes. 

So why do we focus on salt and not sugar? It mostly relates back to a study conducted on rats in the 70s.

The study proved that salt was the biggest culprit behind heart disease because of the effect it had on rats.

Except the study was deeply flawed. The researchers fed the rats so much salt that a human would have to eat 500 grams a day to hit the same level. On average, Americans actually eat 8.5 grams of salt a day.

The study was still used as the basis for medical guidelines that have since become so ingrained in our common knowledge… that people will cut back on salt with or without a medical professionals recommendation. 

This doesnt mean that you should go binge on salt, of course. Bring this information to your doctor and ask them what their guidelines are based on. Your doctor can then help you determine if you really do need to cut back on salt.

Until then, though, keep your salt intake where it is. Just keep an eye on your sugar levels as well.

2) Steadier Mood

Your moods are dependent on the chemical levels in your brain. Most of the time people focus on chemicals like dopamine and serotonin.

But two other important brain chemicals are insulin and glucose.

Glucose is another name for sugar along with sucrose, dextrose, and many other chemical names. The exact name depends on the source of the sugar and its exact chemical structure.

When it comes to brain chemistry though the one you want to keep an eye on is glucose. The rise and fall of your glucose levelas well as your insulin levelcan impact your mood. 

And when you eat a lot of sugar, you send those levels on a roller coaster ride.

Sugar-based mood swings are mostly seen in people with diabetes and other conditions connected to blood sugar and insulin. But smaller mood swings can be seen in just about anyone. If youve ever heard of the term hangry… then youve encountered this idea before.

Reducing your sugar intake is a good way to keep your blood sugar levels balanced. This is especially true if you reduce the sugar in your diet by cutting out processed foods.

For more information on that, read on to the end of the article.

3) Healthier Cravings

Researchers are still looking into why we have the cravings that we do. One theory, of course, is that you crave foods that provide nutrients youre running low on.

Another theory, however, states that you crave foods that you associate with positive situations. Food like cake and candy are often associated with parties so they cause a positive reaction in the brain.

So it makes sense that when you want a pick-me-up you reach for sweets instead of, say, a celery stick.

When you cut out sugary foods, however, this connection will slowly diminish. Thats not to say youll never crave sugar again. But focusing your diet around whole foods and more natural sources of sugar, like fruit will help curb your overall sugar cravings.

And while eating less sugar is a great goal all by itself this change in your diet and cravings will spiral into larger change. You will ultimately eat less junk food, which means you are less likely to overindulge. And this, over time, can lead to weight loss and better weight management.

Of course, it isnt just about eating fewer calories. Earlier, we covered how sugar can cause spikes and dips in your blood sugar. These do more than affect your mood, unfortunately.

Blood sugar spikes lead to an increase in cortisol. Cortisol, known as the stress hormone, is closely linked to weight gain.

When your cortisol levels rise, your body receives a signal to store fat as energy for any future stress you have to endure. This, of course, makes it harder to lose weight.

Cutting out sources of extra sugar can help you control these surges in both blood sugar and cortisol. Over time, this means you will have a better grasp on your ability to lose or maintain your weight.

How To Reduce Your Sugar Intake

The easiest way to cut out unwanted sugars is to avoid sweet foods. But even this advice isnt exactly accurate.

Fruit, for example, is often sweet. But theres a good reason you dont want to drop berries off your shopping list.

When people say to cut out sugar they largely mean you should cut out sources of artificial sugars or foods that have high added levels of natural sugar. These goods are usually highly processed, such as packaged dinners, premade condiments and dressings, and bottled drinks.

Even processed foods that dont taste sweet may have a high level of sugar mixed in. This is in part because of the way sugar helps preserve the flavors. But it is also part of other ingredients used to give processed food the shelf life it has.

Fruit, on the other hand, has a relatively low level of sugar. And even those fruits with a slightly higher sugar contentlike berriescontain a healthy dose of fiber to go along with their sweet taste.

Fiber helps balance your blood sugar. This means that you can have a bowl of berries with some cream or milk and still come in at a lower sugar count than you would if you ate half a candy bar. 

Cutting out sugar is most effective if you can skip the canned and pre-packaged dinners. Making sauces from scratch is also a good way to avoid unwanted extra sugar.

And, of course, limit sweet treats to special occasions rather than having them in your pantry on a regular basis.

The Takeaway

Many people rely on prepackaged food to make up for time they spend at work or on their commute. If you can, though, eliminating most (or all) of these foods can go a long way in reducing the amount of sugar you eat.

It will also reduce the amount of salt and unhealthy fat that you consume but thats a topic for another time.

Its not always easy to keep your sugar intake low. And there will be some days where you just dont care about the sugar in your food. Thats okay!

Take it one day at a time. Even small steps over time will improve your health in the long run.

How To Cut Back On Sugar & Lose Weight (Without Sacrificing Your Sweet Tooth)

If youre ready to cut back on sugar and claim these amazing benefits you might be thinking about some sugar substitutes you could use instead.

And I dont blame youwith sugar substitutes, you can enjoy the same sweetness without the potential health risks of consuming too much sugar, right?

Well theres a catch.

That only works out if you choose the RIGHT sugar substitutes.

As it turns out, some sugar substitutes can actually be worse for you than real sugar!

For example, one popular sugar substitute can lead to side effects like dizziness, headaches, and seizures and could even increase your risk for cancer and Alzheimers disease!

Umm thats terrifying.

So its very important that you choose your alternative sweeteners carefully.

To make sure I use the BEST sugar substitutes ones that are better for your health AND taste great I actually consulted with a well-known medical doctor.

His recommendations helped me create a simple guide to the best sugar substitutes for your health as well as the ones you should NEVER use.

Check out this exclusive guide right here (for free!)… and get ready to satisfy your sweet tooth:

Click Here To Access The Free, Exclusive Guide To The BEST Sugar Substitutes For Your Health, As Well as 2 You Should NEVER Use (Doctor-Approved)