Addicted to Sugar and Tips to Overcome It

Most people are not aware that they are addicted to sugar. However, they will quickly come to that realization if they ever try to go a few days without it. And if you have herpes, then you know too much sugar will only make your symptoms worse.

Consuming too much sugar is not good for your body at all. It will lower your immune system, mess with your blood sugar levels and also lead to excess weight gain. Although you most likely won’t be able to eliminate sugar from your diet completely, here are a few tips to reduce your intake dramatically.

Plenty of people eat sugary foods throughout the day because their body tells them that they are hungry or tired. One of the best ways to combat this feeling is to drink plenty of water throughout the day. In addition to staying hydrated, you will not feel as hungry or tired anymore.

Make sure you always have your healthy meals ready when you are hungry so you don’t have to snack as much. Keep a granola bar or similar with you or at your desk for times when you can’t take your lunch break when you want to. If you have herpes, make sure it doesn’t have nuts in it. Be sure to read about foods to avoid with a herpes outbreak.

It is very common for people to eat all sorts of foods without even bothering to read the list of ingredients. If you are trying to overcome your addiction to sugar, then you will certainly need to change this habit. You’ll be surprised how much sugar is in salad dressing and other foods you wouldn’t think about. Start reading labels.

The types of foods that you eat are very important. You will want to limit intake of foods that contain too much sugar. Instead of eating packaged products, you should switch to eating base foods instead. For example, you could start eating whole oatmeal with fruit instead of pre-packaged oatmeal or sugary cereals. Instead of canned peaches in syrup, you can eat a whole peach.

It is also best for people who are addicted to sugar to eat foods that contain plenty of protein and fiber. Protein and fiber take longer for your body to digest. You will feel full for a longer period of time and be less inclined to snack.

One of the next things to do is limit your intake of white bread, since it contains sugar. Instead, you can switch to eating wheat bread. The same thing should happen with rice and potatoes. Instead of eating white rice, try to consume more brown rice. Instead of regular potatoes, eat sweet potatoes some of the time. They won’t raise your blood sugar as much as regular potatoes.

Things will go much more smoothly if you keep an accurate journal of everything that you eat. Many people will be surprised at how their sugar intake can add up when all of the foods they eat are combined. Keeping a journal will allow you to see exactly how much you consume.

It is important to note however, that you shouldn’t try to change things excessively in such a short period of time. Start slowly to reduce your sugar intake and it will be much easier to continue. You may not even want to avoid eating sugar altogether. It’s fine if you want to give yourself a reward every so often whenever you do well. If you have herpes try to stick to fruit for your sweets.

You will also help yourself considerably by staying as active as possible. People tend to eat more often when they are sitting around relaxing or watching TV. If you are physically active, then you will be too busy to eat any sugary foods. Starting an exercise routine is a great idea since it helps you get or stay in shape.

If you are concerned about your overall health, then it is best that you stop being addicted to sugar. You will have a hard time maintaining your ideal weight if you consume too much, not to mention the havoc on your body and immune system. If you take the time to follow some of these suggestions, then you will considerably reduce your intake and lead a healthier lifestyle.