Excessive sugar consumption is a huge issue for many people. It leads to many problems, with both oral health and overall health. Sugar is also a very addictive substance. This makes it incredibly difficult to reduce the amount of sugar that you consume on a regular basis. Here at Avenues Dentistry, we are passionate about providing you with the best services to ensure that your teeth remain in great health.
Problems with Excessive Consumption of Sugar
It is incredibly unhealthy to regularly consume excessive amounts of sugar. Sugar serves as fuel for bacteria, which results in damage to the surface of the teeth. Excessive consumption of sugar leads to tooth decay and many additional issues. It also impacts overall health in a substantial way. It tends to lead to diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, and many additional issues. It can be extremely beneficial to your health to reduce your overall sugar consumption.
Read Labels
Sugar hides in many processed foods. This means that you likely don’t know exactly how much sugar you are consuming every day. When you decide to cut down your consumption of sugar, it is important to spend some time reading the labels on your food. This will help you to identify when sugar is present in your food. You may be surprised by how much sugar is in the foods that you eat regularly! You need to carefully read the labels on low-fat or fat-free foods. These food types often contain incredibly high levels of sugar.
Take it in Steps
Cutting down sugar consumption can be an incredibly difficult process. Separating the process into smaller tasks can prevent it from feeling overwhelming, as well as ensure that your sugar reduction is far more effective. This often helps to create long term results. Consider taking it one step at a time, rather than all at once. Cut the amount of sugar you consume in half for a period of time. Then, cut it in half again. This helps to ease your way into reducing your sugar consumption.
Drink Lots of Water
Sugary beverages make up a high percentage of your sugar consumption. Replacing soda and juice with water can go a long way toward reducing the amount of sugar that you consume. In addition to reducing your sugar consumption, drinking water regularly can help to flush out food particles before they can do a significant amount of damage to your smile.
Stick to It
Cutting down your sugar consumption is certainly difficult, but it is important to remain dedicated to your goals. If you remain consistent with your sugar reduction, your taste buds will eventually adjust to the new tastes. This can even cause previous sugary treats to taste far too sweet. When you stick to your goals, it will become easier over time to make it a permanent lifestyle change.
Replace with Natural Foods
Most people will have sugar cravings every now and then. Using natural alternatives can go a long way toward managing your sugar cravings and satisfying your sweet tooth. Several options for natural sugar replacements include fruits, cinnamon, honey, vegetables, and many other options. When you make these replacements, you will improve your health, without feeling deprived of sweets.
Remove Sugar from the House
When sugar is conveniently located in your home, it will be far more tempting. While you may have to consider the other people in your home, it can be extremely beneficial to remove as much sugar from the house as possible. If you are required to go to the store prior to indulging your sweet tooth, it will be easier to resist the temptation. You should take care not to shop when you are hungry. Many studies have shown that shopping when you are hungry tends to result in purchasing unhealthy foods for your home. It is also important to ensure that sugar is not present in a convenient location. For example, keeping a bowl of candy on your desk will result in snacking on sugary treats throughout the workday. Make it more difficult to obtain sugary snacks to reduce your sugar consumption.
Get Enough Sleep
When you are trying to reduce your sugar consumption, it is important to take care to get enough sleep. Being sleep-deprived will often result in excessive sugar consumption to provide an artificial energy spike. When you ensure that you sleep for enough time, you will reduce the necessity of sugar to make it through the day. Go to bed early enough that you get at least 8 hours of sleep before you have to get up.
Reduce Sugar while Baking
Baking allows for incredible modifications to make the product healthier. You can swap out unsweetened applesauce for the sugar the recipe calls for. This should be done on a 1:1 ratio. Therefore, if the recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of sugar, you will use 1 ½ cups of applesauce. You may also be able to simply reduce the total amount of sugar that you put into the recipe. Dark chocolate can also be traded in for milk chocolate. This chocolate has a high cocoa content, which often contains far lower amounts of sugar.
Plan your Meals
Planning your meals carefully can help to ensure that you stick to the plan. If you are hungry and don’t have a meal planned, you are likely to reach for a sweet treat. In addition, without a plan, it can be difficult to determine precisely how much sugar you are consuming.
Here at Avenues Dentistry, we provide a large array of services to ensure that your teeth remain healthy, beautiful, and strong. These services can help prevent gum disease and keep your smile in great condition. Cutting back on your sugar consumption can go a long way toward improving the health of your teeth. It can also improve your overall health, as well. To learn more about the steps that you have to take to enhance the health of your smile, contact our expert team at Avenues Dentistry today!