Like salt and fat, sugar is a flavor enhancer and 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. As a result, the brain then activates a whole network of neurons stimulating “the pleasure center” : it’s the reward system.) That’s why in case of stress we often rush to sweet treats: it soothes us, it makes us feel good. But consumed in excess, sugar then becomes bad for your health, because it stimulates the production of insulin and contributes to the synthesis of fat mass. Nathalie Négro, dietitian and head of Nutritional Center of the Baths of Brides-les-Bains explains how to tame it.
Target where sugar is in excess and identify bad habits
To lose weight and (re) adopt good eating habits, professionals today prefer to talk about food rebalancing rather than diet. And without even consulting a dietitian-nutritionist, who establishes your eating profile and therefore what needs to be corrected, you know that you consume 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 consumption of 50 grams of sugar per day.
“Some people take their coffee or their yogurt very sweet, because in fact they don’t like the taste of coffee, or find the yogurt too acidic,” explains Nathalie Négro, dietician and head of Nutritional Center of the Baths of Brides-les-Bains .
We therefore choose to change the drink or if we cannot do without it, to gradually reduce the quantities of sugar (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 has 3% fat. A teaspoon of sugar is enough in yogurt. You can also replace this dairy with an unsweetened compote.
We avoid sweetening the fruit salad, and if we find it too bland, we add a can of unsweetened pineapple which will enhance the taste of the mixture.
We pay attention to sugary drinks and we do not forget that fruit juices are part of it!
The second step is to choose where you can’t do without it, because daily sugar consumption should be limited.
The right steps to reduce your sugar consumption
-When you want a sweet note, take a dry biscuit or two squares of chocolate, putting away the tablet right away.
– white sugar is replaced by Rapadura and Muscovado sugar, non-crystallized cane sugars, because they contain less 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 you are fond of desserts, you cook cakes, creams, compotes, homemade ice cream to control the quantities of sugar and find another way to eat fruit and dairy products. The desserts made from chocolate should be limited to once a week.
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“Keeping the sweet pleasure can 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 a very small quantity of it and we move on, we go for a walk, talk to a friend, a colleague.
-we drink only one glass of fruit juice a day, sweet and low in fiber (unlike whole fruit).
-we only drink a small can of light soda per day (150 ml), we avoid buying 1.5 liter bottles which lead to consumption.
-we try to replace this soda with sparkling water and lemon juice.
– the fruits being sweet, they can also be enjoyed in moderation.
Watch out for fruits, very sweet too!
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 sugar intake.
The right dosage is 2 to 3 servings of fruit per person per day.
Some ideas for 1 portion = 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 grapes) / 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 reduce your sugar intake, in addition to being careful with your sprinkles and drinks, also pay attention to fruit. 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 frecinette type bananas (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, be aware that a compote without added sugar (100g) corresponds to a portion of fruit and that a small glass of smoothie (120ml) can possibly replace a portion of fruit.
Read also:
Adopting a balanced diet is not that complicated!
6 diet recipes with lemon
Diet: how to make a food diary effective?
