4 Ways You Can Reduce Sugar

Sugar is literally everywhere. It’s in foods you don’t even expect it to be in, from salad dressings to dairy to baked goods. Consuming too much sugar contributes to disease and illness, it zaps your energy and also interferes with the way your body works. If you can work to reduce your sugar intake, then you can improve your health. This can be difficult to do since sugar does indeed lurk everywhere, but there are some simple and practical things you can do to help lower the sugar you eat on a daily basis. Here are some tricks often employed by Los Angeles personal trainers to help reduce sugar.

Review Your Refreshments

If you love to stop at your neighborhood coffee shop for a morning cup of joe, recognize that those specialty coffees often have a ton of sugar in them. Either opt for plain coffee or lower sugar options. Most places have menus online that clue you into nutritional content, but you can always ask your friendly neighborhood barista about lower sugar options.

Forget the Sauce

Many sauces are full of sugar. Tomato-based sauces and Asian sauces seem to be the biggest offenders, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before adding it on. When you’re eating out with family and friends, simply ask for any sauces to be put on the side so you can control how much you get. You can also opt for making your own tomato sauce for spaghetti at home to cut out the sugar but keep all the health benefits tomatoes have to offer.

Choose Yogurt Wisely

“Choosing yogurt seems like a healthy option, but you must be careful,” says Lalo Fuentes, CSCS, “flavored yogurt often can have as much sugar as candy.” It’s important to look at just what is in the yogurt you’re choosing if you want to watch your sugar intake. Look at the nutritional information and opt for unsweetened versions of your favorite brands.

Exercise

If you’re looking for a pick-me-up to help you through your afternoon slump, don’t hit the vending machine – go for a walk. Los Angeles personal trainers will be the first to tell you that increasing your physical activity can help you have more energy as well as help you sleep at night, helping you to feel better all day long. You don’t need sugar to get through your day; you need a good sweat session!

Don’t Drink Fruit

Fruit juice is seen by most people as a healthy option, but personal trainers aren’t most people. They know that drinking your fruit deprives you of the fiber that makes fruit so healthy for you and helps you to feel fuller for longer. Drinking fruit juice simply provides your body with a big sugar rush that lacks any fiber to help your body balance it out. Eat the fruit, don’t drink it.

Cutting down on sugar is one way you can help to improve your health and wellbeing. Talk to your friendly Los Angeles personal trainer to help you navigate a world full of sugar and you’ll be healthier for it!