4 Tips For Cutting Down On Sugar [10/18]

Here you are again, facing a new year. Are you ready to start down the trail toward a newer, healthier you? Take the first steps and challenge yourself to learn facts about eating healthy and feeling better.

Here’s a place to start: most people know that sugary sodas increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease, but many don’t realize it can also increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in women! You may already have rheumatoid arthritis and need to accept that sugar isn’t sweet on your joints.

Have you experienced the feeling of a slow burn in your joints that brings on pain, swelling, and stiffness? Excess sugars, such as fructose and sucrose, are thought to add fuel to that slow burning fire. Experts have difficulty pinning down exactly how sugar harms your joints, but many believe it could ultimately be attributed to inflammation. It’s most likely time to give up much of that junk food. This never sounds like fun, but once your pain becomes lessened, you may not miss that snack cake or candy bar so much.

In addition to increasing the risk of arthritis, sugars often increase your risk of diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes as well. Some doctors think those with RA are doubly at risk to develop cardiovascular disease, accompanied by a 50% increased chance of diabetes. If you have RA, you really need to make cutting back on sugar one of your top priorities.

If you’re asking yourself how you can cut back on sugar, we have a few suggestions.

• First and foremost, stop drinking sugar!  Just as sodas are bad for your joints, so are energy drinks and many fruit juices.  Instead, go for skim milk or black tea – and of course water is even better.
• Second, drop the syrup. One tablespoon of maple syrup contains 50 calories. If you must have your morning flapjacks, use fresh fruit or pure fruit purees instead.
• Third, add cinnamon to your diet. Cinnamon is a good antioxidant, and it helps your body process blood glucose. Try it in your tea, hot chocolate, or coffee. Leave out the sugary creamers. If you’re making muffins, add cinnamon to the batter for a healthier tasty treat.
• Fourth, make your own pasta sauce. Almost all readymade pasta sauces are packed with extra sugar, so treat yourself to some homemade pasta sauce for an easy way to cut down on your sugar intake.

If you would like more useful ideas for cutting sugar from your diet (among other healthy choices that will heavily impact your weight loss!), contact us here and start your journey to wellness today!

If you’ve made weight loss resolutions for years, only to find yourself falling back on the same unhealthy habits that spur weight gain, it’s time to let us help! Your goals are waiting to be achieved with help from the professional medical staff at Weigh to Wellness.

Don’t wait any longer!  Visit us here to contact us online, or call now at 205-994-2393.