Most people realize that sugar is not good for the teeth. The bad bacteria, which cause decay and possible infection, feed on the sugar left behind after you eat. If you have less sugar in your diet, there is less for those bacteria to feed on, and that means less risk of cavities and gingivitis. Cutting sugar out of your diet can seem like a daunting task. After all, we all love the sweet taste. There are ways, though, to easily cut down your sugar intake without giving up the treats you love.
Read Labels
You may be consuming more added sugars than you are aware of. There are many pre-processed, canned, jarred, and boxed foods that contain more sugar than most would suspect. Look at ingredient labels so you are better informed about what you are consuming. Keywords to seek out include high fructose corn syrup, cane syrup, agave, sucrose, and essentially any word ending in ‘ose’. You may be surprised how much sugar you can cut out of your diet simply by making more educated selections at the grocery store.
Swap One Sweet Drink Per Day
There are certainly health benefits that come with drinking fruit juices, but they are also loaded with sugar. Similarly, colas and energy drinks can deliver a sweet punch. You don’t have to give up your favorite beverages completely but try swapping out just one of those drinks per day for a glass of water, unsweetened tea, or even a cup of cold brew coffee (served black).
Eat Before Shopping
When hungry, a person will often crave sweet foods. Therefore, grocery shopping on an empty stomach can mean piling a cart high with high-sugar foods. Instead, eat something healthy before you shop, so you can make wiser decisions.
Halve Your Snack
Afternoon and evening snacks are often big dieting troubles for people trying to lose weight, but these can also be the times when large doses of sugar are consumed. Instead of eating the whole chocolate bar, cookie, muffin, or donut that you crave, take half and substitute the rest with a piece of fruit or nuts. You’ll find that you can still reap the satisfaction, you’ll feel fuller, and you won’t intake nearly as much of the refined sugars.
Choose Dark and Fresh
Instead of snacking on mixes of dried fruits or reaching for the milk chocolate candy, opt for fresh fruits and dark chocolate. These simple swaps can drastically reduce the amount of added sugar that you consume.
These are just a few of the many helpful hints that can be discovered for reducing sugar consumption. For more, reach out to your dental team.