November is known for Thanksgiving, but did you also know it’s National Diabetes Awareness Month? According to the National Diabetes Association nearly 30 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, another 86 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes and the association estimates the total national cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $245 billion.
Looking to cut down your sugar intake to help lessen your risk of diabetes? Here are some tips:
- Remember sugar is addictive and progress is often the result of many little steps. Most people’s best bet is to use a gentle, step-by-step process of removing sugary and processed foods, which gives their body and taste buds time to adapt. Quitting sugar cold turkey doesn’t work for the majority of people and often results in binging later.
- Mindset is everything. No one is perfect 100 percent of the time, so realize that you will have off days as well as good days. Try to adhere to the 80/20 rule, which refers to eating clean and healthy foods 80 percent of the time and allowing yourself to indulge in less healthy options 20 percent of the time. Remember that motivation will come and go and creating good habits is what will help keep you on track daily.
- Read nutrition labels! What is the serving size for that box of cookies you’re eating? The calories, sugars and fat listed may be for only one cookie. Research how to read nutrition labels if you already don’t know how, and keep an eye out for the amount of grams of sugar you are eating in a day and identify what you can cut out.
Do you have any additional tips for how to cut down sugar intake? Feel free to leave a comment with your advice or experience.
