What is a Sugar-free Diet Plan?

A sugar free diet plan involves cutting out all foods with added sugars and artificial sweeteners. This includes most processed and packaged foods. More extreme versions of the diet involve avoiding all foods with a high glycemic index (GI), including most carbohydrate-rich foods like white potatoes, white flour and white rice.

What can I eat?

Most dishes in sugar free diet plans include leafy green vegetables and lean protein. Additionally, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and all vegetables are allowed. However, only fruits with low glycemic index can be consumed, since other fruits contain a large amount of natural sugars. It is important to identify foods with added sugar, since they may not taste sweet, but still have high sugar content, like bread or certain sauces, for example.

Why should I try a sugar free diet plan?

Many nutritionists and health experts believe that sugar is an addictive substance that adds empty calories and also causes far-reaching negative effects on overall well-being. Therefore, a sugar- free diet plan is aimed at cutting the substance out, and gradually reducing and eliminating craving altogether.

Benefits

People following this diet plan generally reap the following positive outcomes:

• Weight loss
• More energy
• More focus
• Fewer mood swings
• Reduced craving for junk food and desserts
• Clearer skin

Tips for sugar-free first-timers

• Try to make your own food, as most processed food contains added and refined sugars
• If you are having trouble managing cravings, fruits and low-fat yoghurt provide great options for dessert
• When it gets tough, persevere, because the overall results may take some time to appear, but are usually worth the effort
• Make sure to create a well-rounded meal, with proteins, vegetables and a small amount of carbohydrates too!
• Look for healthy, simple alternatives to your usual snacks, since packed snacks also contain large amounts of hidden added sugar.

Scrap the added and refined sugars out of your diet, today!