The Ultimate Way To Cut Out Sugar

Authored by Flora Zhao via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

You may have thought of cutting back on or even quitting sugar. But how exactly should you go about it, and, more importantly, how can you achieve the greater goal of overcoming excessive cravings for sweetness?

From 2005 to 2009, at least 74 percent of packaged or processed foods contained added sugars. Even if you don’t have the habit of eating sweets, you may unintentionally consume sugar in excess. For instance, added sugars have dozens of names, so you might not even know you are eating them despite reading ingredient labels.

Nevertheless, quitting sugar is not an impossible mission. Many people face challenges not because they cannot quit but because they don’t know how or they set overly ambitious goals.

You can break it down into steps: First reduce sugar, then quit altogether, and eventually overcome sugar cravings.

The benefits of this approach are no different from quitting sugar directly. Dr. Jason Fung, a nephrologist specializing in reversing Type 2 diabetes and intermittent fasting, likened it to swimming. Some prefer easing into the water to adapt to the temperature, while others dive right in. Both approaches can achieve the same ultimate goal.

“Just like we advise people with any addiction,” Jessica Russo, a clinical psychologist in Philadelphia with a doctorate in psychology, told The Epoch Times, “every day, just [cut] your sugar down a little bit.”

“The process of quitting sugar is about retraining the palate,” said Lorenzo Cohen, professor and director of the integrative medicine program at MD Anderson Cancer Center, during an interview with The Epoch Times. Once people apply this, they will gradually discover that even items with very little sugar taste quite sweet, and unexpected changes will occur in the body.

The Epoch Times interviewed over a dozen experts and reviewed scientific studies to compile the most effective methods for quitting sugar.

Step 1: Reduce Sugar Intake

Avoid High-Sugar Foods

Reading labels is often the first habit many people adopt when quitting sugar or embarking on a diet. When reading labels, there are two key aspects to focus on: the ingredient list and the sugar content per 100 grams or serving.

“There’s more than 60 names for sugar,” Amy Gonzalez, a registered dietitian, told The Epoch Times.

These include barley malt, dextrose, sucrose, and rice syrup.

Ms. Gonzalez stated that among these added sugars, those with high fructose content, such as high-fructose corn syrup and agave nectar, are more detrimental to the body. These may harm the liver and lead to insulin resistance.

“The food industry puts all these forms of sugar in our food and lists their chemical names on the package,” Laura Schmidt, professor of health policy at the University of California–San Francisco, wrote in an email to The Epoch Times. “This is confusing for people.”

Ms. Schmidt shared a simple way to identify sugar: Look for chemical names ending in “ose,” such as “lactose” (sugar in milk). They likely indicate sugar.

Another trick: “If a product has more than a few ingredients, and some are unfamiliar sounding, then just don’t eat it,” she added.

Even in foods that do not taste sweet, like crackers or salad dressings, you might still find sugar listed in the ingredients.

One tablespoon of Heinz Tomato Ketchup (17 grams) contains 4 grams of added sugar. A Big Mac from McDonald’s has 7 grams of added sugar. In a large Big Mac combo meal (with a large Coca-Cola and a large serving of fries), the total added sugar content reaches 84 grams. Even potato chips and other other savory snacks may contain sugar.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), if the added sugar in each serving of food is below 5 percent of the Daily Value (DV)—50 grams per day based on a 2,000-calorie diet—it is considered a product with low added sugar. If it exceeds 20 percent, it is regarded as a high-added sugar product.

As per the UK National Health Service (NHS), foods with less than 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams are categorized as low-sugar, those with sugar content ranging from 5 grams to 22.5 grams are classified as medium-sugar, and those exceeding 22.5 grams fall into the high-sugar category.

Dr. Becky Gillaspy, a chiropractic doctor and author of “Zero Sugar / One Month,” suggests a simpler approach: Avoid purchasing foods where sugar ranks among the top three ingredients on the food label (ingredients are typically listed in descending order of weight). Compared to using specific numerical criteria, this screening method is quicker and more convenient, effectively filtering out items with high added-sugar content, she said.

However, Ms. Gonzalez also emphasized the importance of learning all the names of sugar and reading the ingredient list from start to finish. This is crucial because, unfortunately, many food manufacturers use several different forms of sweeteners, which will move them further down the list.

Swap in Natural Sweeteners or Natural Sugars

Consuming sugar is, fundamentally, a pursuit of flavor. So why not satisfy that craving with natural sweetness, such as sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit? You can add them to your coffee and tea or use them in cooking.

Unlike refined sugar, stevia and monk fruit have a glycemic index (GI) of nearly zero. Many studies indicate their ability to stabilize blood sugar and even suggest potential benefits in managing diabetes. Additionally, stevia offers other benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and blood lipids, and possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Monk fruit has also been found to be beneficial against conditions such as COVID-19 and cancer.

It is worth noting, however, that animal studies suggest eating stevia long-term may potentially have adverse effects on the liver and kidneys or alter the gut microbiome. These findings are contentious, as other research indicates stevia may benefit patients with chronic kidney disease and ameliorate liver and kidney damage. Researchers have suggested the effects of stevia may depend on how much you eat and what it is eaten with.

The sweetness of pure stevia and monk fruit is several hundred times that of regular sugar. The powdered forms commonly found in supermarkets are typically blended with base ingredients. For example, you might find a composition of 1 percent steviol glycosides mixed with 99 percent erythritol. This means that the usage and quantities of these products are similar to regular sugar. Nevertheless, reading the usage instructions on the packaging is advisable so you understand serving sizes. The same applies to liquid stevia and monk fruit products, where the recommended amounts may vary. For some, one drop might be equivalent to the sweetness of a teaspoon of sugar, while others may require 10 drops or a few milliliters.

Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin, are commonly used as sugar substitutes in processed food and drinks labeled zero-sugar. However, numerous studies have found that these sweeteners can lead to metabolic syndromes, harm gut health, and may even be potentially carcinogenic.

Natural sugars are another excellent alternative. Honey, for example, while often equated with sugar, can actually help stabilize blood sugar when consumed in moderation. Moreover, honey has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal properties, particularly its antibacterial and antiviral effects. Certain types of honey, like Manuka, have a higher level of antibacterial properties compared to others. Collected from maple trees, maple syrup has a unique taste that captivates many and contains a rich array of nutrients. Coconut sugar is both anti-inflammatory and antioxidative, contributing to heart health.

A common practice is to use ½ to ⅔ cup of honey or ¾ cup of maple syrup to replace 1 cup (240 milliliters) of sugar.

Other ingredients also naturally carry a sweet taste. For example, Ms. Russo mentioned that licorice root has a natural sweetness and offers health benefits when used to make tea. Additionally, naturally sweet ingredients such as red dates and dried goji berries can be used to brew tea or soup that is both sweet and fragrant.

During interviews, many experts supported the idea of cooking at home as the safest and best way to avoid excess sugar. Choose natural, sugar-free ingredients like unsweetened yogurt and plain oats, and then sweeten with an appropriate amount of relatively natural sweeteners.

Replace Desserts With Fruits

Those with strong cravings for desserts and snacks can replace such treats with fresh fruits, said Dr. Luc Tappy, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physiology at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, in an email to The Epoch Times. The choice of fruits is generally not restricted.

Fruits come in abundant varieties, from common ones like blueberries and bananas to more exotic options like durian and mangosteen. Even the same type of fruit will come in different varieties in some tropical and temperate regions. The many kinds of desserts that can be made from these fruits are just as diverse. As you explore options, you will find that using these fruits can yield unexpectedly delightful flavors while satisfying your sweet tooth.

“The good things in fruit are far more important than the fruit sugar ... in fruit,” Ellen Kampman, a nutritional epidemiologist and chair in nutrition and disease at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, told The Epoch Times. “So I’m not afraid that people might overeat [them].”

However, Dr. Tappy pointed out the importance of being mindful of portion sizes. Initially, when reducing sugar intake, consuming up to three servings of fresh fruits per day is recommended, which can later be reduced to two servings. A comprehensive study published in 2021 suggests that consuming two servings of fruits per day is ideal and healthy. One serving typically corresponds to one medium-sized piece of fruit or approximately 80 grams.

Dr. Fung warned that the fruits we consume today are generally much sweeter than 50 years ago, indicating increased sugar content. Individuals, especially those with blood sugar problems or a strong sugar addiction, should opt for low-GI fruits and avoid high-sugar fruits like grapes and bananas; the intense sweetness of such fruits may also trigger sugar cravings.

Cooking methods also impact fruit sugar content. Dried fruits shrink during the sun-drying or dehydration process. While eating one apple might fill you up, eating apple chips might lead you to easily eat two or three dehydrated apples without even realizing it. When consuming dried fruit, we must calculate based on the original size of the fruit. Fruit juice also concentrates sugars from multiple fruits while filtering out the dietary fiber. In an 8-ounce cup of orange juice, you are essentially getting the sugar and calories equivalent to three oranges.

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