Sugar, Sugar (Part 2)￼

Improving the nourishment in our diets often leads to a conflicted relationship with sugar. If you are starting to stop or reduce your intake here are some tips in addition to those in Part 1:

Start your Second Replacement. As you have already started your first 4 steps (see Part 1), you can begin to replace the second most sugary food that you notice yourself regularly consuming. (Pro tip: usually the first replacement is soda and the second is a packaged sweet for most people.) Continuing on this path without rushing and replacing too much too soon will yield results. As you continue your replacements also consider these tips:

Read. Labeling is your ally in knowing what is going into your body. Read every label when you shop, not when you have already bought the item. Sugar hides everywhere in our packaged foods, so look out for labels like “low fat”, “lite”, etc. Fat and other ingredients are often replaced with sugar and simple carbohydrates by manufacturers, so read the labels.
Nourish. Begin to look at your food as nourishment. This might be a change from looking at it like taste sensation or convenience or even comfort. Feeding your body what it needs to perform and stay healthy is nourishing and can change your mental perspective as well. Knowing that you want to make this change, look at your food journal and see where you might be making choices that are not nourishing.
Shop. If it’s not in the house, there is less likelihood that you will eat it, so don’t buy what you don’t want to eat. That said, it helps to not go to the grocery store hungry, if possible. People who plan meals and shop from a list are more likely to cook at home (almost always a healthier choice) and save money (because they don’t buy impulse items. Shopping the perimeter of the store and making at least one-third to one-half of your grocery purchases fruits and vegetables can help. Shop fruits and vegetables, trying to create the most colorful shopping cart that you can.
Cook. So much of what we are struggling with can be attributed to eating out, especially fast food. Cooking at home will bring more nourishment because you control the ingredients. Recipes are available everywhere, so enjoy some creativity in your kitchen. Learn what are good make-ahead ingredients for lunches and how to simplify breakfasts that will stay with you. Don’t forget healthy snacks for the work day, too.

Here are a few suggestions: