Like salt and fat, sugar is a flavor enhancer and it adds texture and volume to dishes. It also has the particularity of having a real psychophysiological function. Indeed, it is involved in the reward system (once the glucose is in the blood, a signal is sent to the brain to let it know. Result, the brain then activates a whole network of neurons stimulating “the pleasure center” : it’s the reward system.) This is why in case of stress we often rush on sweet treats: it soothes us, it makes us feel good. But consumed in excess, sugar then becomes unhealthy, because it stimulates the production of insulin and contributes to the synthesis of fat mass. Nathalie Négro, dietician and head of Brides-les-Bains Thermal Baths Nutritional Center explains how to tame it.
Target where sugar is in excess and identify bad habits
To lose weight and (re) take good eating habits, professionals today prefer to talk about rebalancing food rather than diet. And without even consulting a dietitian-nutritionist, who establishes your eater profile and therefore what to correct, you know that you are consuming too much sugar and would like to reduce your consumption. The first step is therefore to identify where the sugar is in excess to try to do without it or reduce the quantities.
The World Health Organization recommends a maximum intake of 50 grams of sugar per day.
“Some people take their coffee or their very sweet yogurt, because in fact, they don’t like the taste of coffee, or find the yogurts too acidic” explains Nathalie Négro, dietitian and head of the Brides-les-Bains Thermal Baths Nutritional Center .
We therefore choose to change the drink or if we can not do without gradually reducing the amounts of sugars (it works!) Or to opt for a natural sweetener such as Stevia. For dairy products, try to find a yogurt that is less acidic but still at 3% fat. A teaspoon of sugar is enough in yogurt. You can also replace this milk with an unsweetened compote.
Avoid sweetening the fruit salad, and if it is found to be too bland, add a tin of unsweetened pineapple which will enhance the taste of the mixture.
We pay attention to sugary drinks and we do not forget that fruit juice is one of them!
The second step is to choose where you can not do without it, because the daily intake of sugar must be limited.
The right actions to reduce your sugar consumption
-When you want a sweet note, take a dry cookie or two squares of chocolate by putting the bar right away.
-we replace white sugar with Rapadura and Muscovado sugar, non-crystallized cane sugars, because they contain fewer carbohydrates (316 cal per 100 grams against 400 cal per 100 grams). Very fragrant, they are rich in minerals and can be used in very small quantities.
-if we are fond of desserts, we cook cakes, creams, compotes, homemade ice cream to control the amounts of sugar and find another way to eat fruits and dairy products. Desserts made from chocolate should be limited to once a week.
Discover 8 recipes for slimming desserts .
“Keeping the pleasure sweet makes it possible to limit compulsions and demonize this food, which makes it less attractive,” recalls Nathalie Negro. When we have the impression that the appeal of sugar is very significant, we eat it in very small quantities and we move on, we go for a walk, talk to a friend, a colleague.
-we drink only one glass of fruit juice per day, sweet and not very rich in fiber (unlike whole fruits).
– we only drink a small can of light soda per day (150 ml), we avoid buying 1.5 liter bottles that encourage consumption.
– we try to replace this soda with sparkling water and lemon juice.
-the fruits being sweet, they can also be savored in moderation.
Watch out for fruits, which are also very sweet!
Fruits are also a source of sugar. Natural and healthy, they are rarely questioned and yet, it is essential to count them in the daily intake of sugar.
The right dosage is 2 to 3 servings of fruit per person per day.
Some ideas for 1 serving = 2 kiwi fruit / 3 medium apricots, fresh or dried / 2 small nectarines / 2 small peaches / 20 cherries / 15 medium strawberries (250g) / 30 raspberries (250g) / 2 medium mandarins / 3 clementines / 1 orange / 1 medium pear / 1 Apple medium / 1 grapefruit / 1 small bunch of grapes (15 grains) / 1/2 banana / 1 small mango / 2 figs, fresh or dried / 1/4 pineapple / 4 plums, 4 prunes / 1/2 large melon.
If you want to cut down on your sugar intake, in addition to ensuring that you sprinkle and drink, pay attention to fruit as well. As examples, here is what you can buy in fruit for a week.
In winter : 6 clementines (2 meals), 2 apples (2 meals), 2 pears (2 meals), 2 small bananas like frécinettes (2 meals), 1 small pineapple (4 meals), 2 oranges (2 meals)
In summer : 6 apricots (2 meals), 8 plums (2 meals), 4 large peaches (4 meals), 2 handfuls of cherries (2 meals), 2 punnets of raspberries (2 meals), 1 melon (2 meals)
In addition, know that a compote without added sugar (100g) corresponds to a portion of fruit and that a small glass of smoothie (120 ml) can possibly replace a portion of fruit.
Read also:
Adopting a balanced diet is not that complicated!
6 healthy lemon recipes
Diet: how to make a food diary effective?
