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Why Eating Less Sugar benefits Weight Loss
If you’re on a weight-loss mission, cutting back, eating less sugar can be an invaluable component of your plan. You may experience additional benefits like increased energy and decreased inflammation levels as well. So there you have it, eating less sugar helps!
Sugar consumption can lead to weight gain and other health problems like heart disease and diabetes. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to reduce your added sugar consumption.
Lowers Blood Sugar
Dr. Dixon emphasizes the importance of cutting back on sugar intake for weight loss, as high blood sugar can lead to long-term health issues like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Eating less sweet treats also plays a role in weight loss success.
Maintain a balanced diet and regular exercise to help regulate your blood sugars. Your doctor may also suggest using a glucometer – a device which measures blood glucose level – as an additional tool in managing this condition.
Grocery stores and pharmacies often carry glucometers at an affordable price point, so you can use this device to monitor your blood sugar levels before and after meals.
If your blood glucose levels become too high, you may need to alter what you eat or take medication. That is why it is so important to monitor and log your sugar levels on a regular basis so that you can see how foods impact them.
Another essential part of a low-sugar plan is to avoid simple carbohydrates like white flour and pasta. These carbs are easily digested, leading to an abrupt spike in blood sugar levels.
Instead, opt for whole grains and other complex carbohydrates that take longer to digest. Doing so will provide you with sustained energy throughout the day.
Fruits, vegetables and healthy fats like nuts can increase satiety and keep blood sugar levels consistent. Fiber added to meals and snacks helps combat hunger while aiding in proper digestion.
Consuming less sugar helps curb sweet tooth cravings. Eating sweet foods sends a signal to your brain that you’re not full, leading to an increased urge to eat more. By decreasing sugar consumption, you can help curb these urges and stay on track with weight loss goals.
Lowers Triglycerides
Eating less sugar helps lower triglycerides, a type of fat often linked to heart disease. Triglycerides are included in both “good” (HDL) cholesterol and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol on a standard cholesterol blood test report.
Triglycerides, stored in fat cells, provide energy when not immediately needed. But if there is an excessive accumulation of these triglycerides in the arteries, they could clog them and lead to heart disease.
To reduce triglycerides, people should limit their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and limit fruit to just a few pieces daily. Furthermore, avoid sugary treats like candy, cookies, cakes and other treats.
Eating a diet low in saturated and trans fats is beneficial for lowering triglycerides. Furthermore, increasing omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil supplements or eating more wild-caught fatty fish like salmon, sardines and tuna may provide additional benefits.
High-fiber foods like beans, whole grains, oats, brown rice and nuts/seeds can help lower triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in the body. Eating more fruits and vegetables also has beneficial effects as does choosing whole grain or high-fibre breads/crackers for breakfast.
It is also essential to monitor your intake of fructose, which is naturally found in some fruits and vegetables as well as processed foods made with high-fructose corn syrup or other sweeteners. Fructose acts like a simple sugar and can spike blood glucose levels and triglycerides.
Lifestyle changes such as eating healthier, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight can significantly reduce the risk of high triglycerides. Studies have even found that losing just 5-10% of one’s body weight can lower triglycerides for overweight individuals by 20%.
Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
A diet high in sugar can increase your risk for heart disease, diabetes and other serious illnesses. Not only does it raise blood sugar levels, but it also increases triglycerides (fats in the blood), lower good cholesterol and lead to weight gain.
Eliminate or reduce added sugar from your diet to aid weight loss and enhance health. However, to achieve these results you will need to incorporate more fiber-rich foods and reduce unhealthy fats in your meals.
Exercise regularly to reduce blood pressure and triglycerides, which are harmful for your heart. Furthermore, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol are other heart-healthy habits you can adopt.
It’s essential to remember that even small, gradual improvements can improve your heart health. Assess your risk for heart disease and speak with a physician about ways to reduce it.
Additionally, cutting back on added sugar consumption could be an effective way to prevent or treat other health conditions. A diet consisting of whole, unprocessed foods and limiting processed and sugary beverages has been demonstrated to lower triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels.
These dietary patterns may also aid in weight loss, another significant advantage of cutting back on added sugar.
Eating less sugar is beneficial for your teeth and gums, as it helps prevent tooth decay caused by bacteria feeding off sugars. Eating this way may prevent cavities or other dental issues in the future.
Your healthcare provider can make screening recommendations based on your age and sexuality, so be sure to get them. These tests can tell if there is any increased risk for heart disease or other cardiovascular issues in your life.
Lowers Risk of Tooth Decay
Tooth decay, commonly referred to as cavities, is a preventable dental disease that can erode your teeth and harm their interiors. It causes intense pain and may even lead to tooth loss.
Starts with a sticky film of bacteria on your teeth that feeds on sugar and other carbohydrates you eat or drink. This plaque then hardens into tartar (calculus), which can create holes in your teeth known as cavities. Furthermore, this bacteria attacks the enamel layer – the hard outer layer covering each tooth – leading to wear and tear on those same enamel layers.
Your dentist can treat early stages of tooth decay with fluoride or other products that help combat bacteria. However, if it progresses, you may require a filling or root canal to repair damaged tissue in your tooth or treat an infection that has spread to its nerve.
Bacteria that feed on sugars and other carbohydrates produce acids that attack your teeth. These highly acidic solutions damage the enamel on your teeth – the hard outer layer which protects them from bacteria and food particles – when bacteria feed off these sugars or carbohydrates.
Acids also penetrate into the soft tooth material (dental pulp), which contains blood vessels and nerves. Once exposed to acids, these can irritate this pulp area leading to swelling and discomfort.
Your dentist recommends a balanced diet and good oral hygiene habits to prevent tooth decay. Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, floss regularly, and get regular checkups and professional cleanings from your dentist.
Tooth decay is most prevalent in your back teeth, which have grooves and pits that collect food debris more readily than their smoother front counterparts. Your dentist may suggest sealants or other treatments to keep food debris off these back teeth and reduce plaque buildup.
Lowers Risk of Diabetes
Eating less sugar for weight loss not only benefits your overall wellbeing, but it may also lower the risk of diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sugar can lead to high blood glucose levels which in turn increases the likelihood of developing the condition.
Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the amount of sugar you consume. One effective strategy is reading labels on food products carefully.
Recently, the FDA mandated that food labels include how much sugar is present per serving to help you reduce your sugar consumption. To maximize success, steer clear of processed foods with more than five grams of sugar per serving.
A low-sugar diet is an ideal way to shed some pounds without feeling deprived. You can swap out sugary items for healthier choices like fresh produce, lean proteins and whole grains.
Diabetes can be a serious health condition, so cutting back on sugars is especially beneficial. Insulin resistance, an integral factor of type 2 diabetes, makes it harder to maintain blood glucose levels while improving overall wellbeing.
Additionally, cutting back on added sugars can help combat chronic inflammation that could otherwise exacerbate other health issues. It does this by decreasing triglycerides – fats found in your blood – which are bad fats.
If you’re overweight or obese, losing just a few pounds could be all it takes to reduce your risk for diabetes and other serious health conditions. Eating a nutritious, balanced diet and engaging in regular physical activity are two easy ways to make this happen.