The most popular question every January is: how to cut sugar after the holidays. In fact, the Christmas holidays are one of the periods of the year in which, more than others, there are real feasts of sugarspresent not only in panettone, nougats, sweets, but also in unexpected foods such as cotechino, zampone, cheeses and cured meats.
Limiting the consumption of foods rich in them immediately after the holidays is essential not only to avoid the risk of gaining many extra kilos, but also to avoid putting your health at risk. Frequent and exaggerated consumption of these nutrients in fact favors weight gain, but also the onset of disorders and pathologies such as hyperglycemia, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance, mood and even tumors.
Here then how to cut sugar after the holidays according to the nutritionist’s advice Valentina Galiazzospecialist in clinical biochemistry.
How to cut sugar after the holidays in 5 tips
1. Limit consumption of dates and other rich foods
Dried fruit is much higher in carbohydrates than fresh fruit. For this reason it is necessary to eat it paying more attention to how it is consumed. «To avoid the risk of exaggerating with sugars, the ideal is to prefer those that have a lower glycemic index such as dried and natural apricots and plums, says the nutritionist Valentina Galiazzo. Then pay attention to the quantities. «To limit the consumption of sugars you need to ingest them a maximum of 30 grams per day and never at the end of the meal.”
2. Choose wholemeal bread for breakfast
«Granola, muesli and breakfast cereals in general often contain high quantities of added sugars including fructose and sucrose, which increase blood sugar peaks. A trick to cut the amount of sugar in your daily diet is to replace it with wholemeal bread, even better if stale and toasted, which has a lower glycemic index.”
3. Be careful with vegetable drinks
«Some vegetable drinks based on soy, coconut, almonds can provide a higher sugar content than that of milk of animal origin, explains nutritionist Valentina Galiazzo. «For this reason, before purchasing them, it is always a good idea to carefully read the information on the packaging and give priority to products that provide less sugar to avoid the risk of adding excessive amounts of sugar to the menus.
4. Consume more oranges and less juice
«Not only ready-made fruit juices, but also freshly squeezed citrus fruit juices have a high sugar content, including glucose and fructose, which the body assimilates quickly also due to the absence of fibre. It is better to consume more whole fruit which, thanks to the fibre, allows you to avoid sudden increases in blood sugar.”
5. Avoid sweetening your coffee
Even if you can’t do without classic white sugar, to reduce sugars, use spices instead of sweeteners. «They improve the flavor of drinks without increasing the sugar intake in the daily diet. Which ones to use? «Star anise is a very suitable spice for correcting the bitter taste of coffee, especially after lunch. It provides substances that, unlike sugars, facilitate digestion.”
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