In conjunction with World Diabetes Day two days ago (November 14), here I present to three realistic ways to cut down your sugar intake… and just in case you think I’m making this up or suggesting unrealistic changes, I’d like to highlight that these are the exact things I do for myself - so if I can do it… then you can too! :-)
1. Switch to a sugar-free breakfast and start the day right!
If your daily breakfast consists of sweetened cereals (Kellogg’s Frosties, Coco Pops, etc) - it’s about time you made a switch to something better for you.
Weet-Bix can be rather dull - so remember to add your favourite nuts, dried fruits
If you’re having Oatmeal, don’t sweeten with sugar, condensed milk (that’s still sugar), or honey (still sugar too!) - but instead, opt for nuts, or dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes, raisins, which are still sugar, but you would usually end up using less).
Oatmeal with chopped almonds, raisins and frozen cranberries
Also stop kidding yourself that you’re starting the day ‘right’ by drinking a mug of Milo, Horlicks, or sweetened Tea - don’t be fooled by the TV ads. I’d rather eat a kit-kat than to drink a mug of Milo. Just have a glass of milk, or if you must, a cup of black coffee will do your body more good than any sweetened beverage, in my opinion - and don’t fall into the 3-in-1 coffee habit… just use black coffee so you have CONTROL of the amount of sugar that goes in it! (by the way… did you know that coffee creamer contains trans-fat? - The consumption of trans fats increases the risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of “good” HDL cholesterol - we’ll save that for another blog post)
Another great sugarless breakfast can be an omelet (with chopped red, yellow, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc), some fresh fruit, and a cup of green tea - perfect!
2. Find better/sugar-free versions of your favourite foods
I love Peanut Butter, but often, they contain added sugar (and even added palm oil - but we’ll save that too for another blog post). I also love carbonated drinks as an occasional thirst quencher on a hot sunny day - do I still consume these? Yes, but I have made improvements, thus eliminating the unnecessary sugar:
Natural peanut butter with no added sugar - tastes great too!
I often have a 6-pack of Diet coke at home - A pack would last me for about a month.
You’ll never find a bottle of Ribena, or diabetes-inducing Sunquick in my fridge - instead, I keep a bottle of Robinsons fruit squash on standby in the fridge - can be served to guests, or when I feel like having some myself - they have no added sugar (they use sweeteners actually), and taste incredibly good (100ml of concentrate only has 8cals!).
3. Sweeten with Splenda
Of course, if you MUST have your coffee, or tea with sugar, or bake something that requires sugar - then there is an alternative - Splenda. It contains a substance called sucralose, and has no unpleasant aftertaste, and it can be used virtually anywhere sugar is used.
If you get the individual packs, you can carry them along with you and order non-sweetened drinks when you eat outside and sweeten them yourself with Splenda.
The above options and suggestions aren’t all that perfect - the drinks for example do contain sweeteners which when taken in large amounts, aren’t exactly that good for you as well. In reality, the best option would be to simply cut out the sugar. But let’s get real… we’ve all grown so fond of the sweet tasting deadly powder we call sugar, that it IS difficult to live without it. So the suggestions I’ve given above can get us started on the right path.
Over time, when you successfully are able to change your habits, you will realise that the simple things you found to be not sweet enough, have now become too sweet for your liking. The true solution to having a better diet and a decreased dependency on sugar is Lifestyle Change - only when you change your habits will you be able to put down that teaspoon of sugar… for good.
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{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
I usually eat some bananas and apples for breakfast. Sometimes I’ll buy myself a small pack of HL milk (strawberry or chocolate because I hate the taste of regular milk) or Vitasoy. Either that or I’ll just settle for a steaming cup of green tea.
Nowadays I rarely eat sugar-laden stuff unless I’m having that time of the month cravings. I cut down on rice intake too because rice has sugar too. Gotta be extra careful because my family has a long and illustrious history of diabetes :(
Great tips.
Where did you find the Adams natural peanut butter? In PJ, KL?
DM, nice one. I’m already doing almost all of what you’re written, except that I substitute sugar with honey/brown sugar, usually add about 1/2 tbsp to my oatmeal. I was using artificial sweeteners but latest studies kinda scared me off from aspartame or sucrolase. I’ve been looking around for Stevia as well, do you know where I can find it?
Same question about the PB, haven’t seen the Adams brand before. Currently the PB I eat contains no other ingredients or preservatives except peanuts and salt, but I would use one that discards the excess sodium too.
@DM Yeah where did you find the Adam’s Natural Peanut Butter …. I’m currently using Waitrose Organic Peanut Butter … the bottle is so tiny and expensive .. HAHAHAA …. Everymorning i will just have a Milo Kosong .. no Sugar nor nothing .. is that OK ?
@Mark what peanut butter brand do you use
Aizan: Way to go!
Mark: I keep hearing you can find it at Village Grocer (Bangsar), but I’ve never been able to find it - stevia would be a better option than the artificial sweeteners.
leeloo & demsi jake: Try Village Grocer or Jaya Grocer - but hey… save some for me yeah!!! They don’t carry that many! :D
And by the way… Milo even without the sugar has sugar in it already… thats why the raw powder tastes sweet in the first place. But it’s better than adding sugar in it… but eventually… you’ll want to get rid of these kinda drinks. It’s such a poor source of nutrients - I’d rather eat my calories any time than to drink it.
Thanks. Will check out Village Grocer specifically for the pb. How much is a jar of that stuff? Probably only afford to get one so no worries i won’t clear them out!
Have heard that an alternative to pb is almond butter - found in organic stores but the huge layer of oil on the top sort of turned me off. It also goes bad quite quick.
Is Stevia really better than Equal (and other such sweeteners)?
I found MaraNatha PB but comes with salt tho. It’s in Jaya Jusco supermarket at the organic section & at Jaya Grocer. But they also have a layer of oil on top. Why is that so? BTW, do you know wat’s spinach called in malay? Thanks for reply.
DM hey thanks for the tips. Meaning without sugar it’s also a Sugar Bomb isn’t that what you like to call it .. hehehehe …
There is one more question which is quite bothering me since this is about diet. Everymorning i have a pretty straightforward diet, which consist :- 1 thosai (or 1 idli), Egg omelette (1 regular egg + 2 egg white) and an empty milo (will look for alternative)
A lot or i would say majority people say that Thosai is a healthy food, i want to know which way isit healthy cuz from what i know rice is refine carb … what makes thosai any different than roti canai or even nasi lemak ? During my snack time and lunch time my diet is pretty much covered with Complex Carb (Plenty of Oats), Protein (ON Whey & Nitrocore) and Oil (Raw Almond, Fish)
I’ve read a thing or 2 about artificial sweeteners and none are good. Once I read that aspartame can cause multiple sclerosis at high temperatures (eg. if added into hot tea and coffee).
As for coke, its acid level is 2.15 pH (vinegar is only 2.4 pH), which takes about 8x table spoon of sugar to combat the acidic taste so it wouldn’t burn our throat and tongue as we drink it. And to neutralize the acidity of coke once consumed, it takes 32 bottles of mineral water to do the job. Coke zero may not have even an mg of sugar, but its pH level should be the same and to neutralize this, they use artificial sweeteners.
I’ve stopped taking coke and anything with artificial sweeteners for some time already. I’d prefer to stick to natural foods. Sugar by itself is not harmful, but it has adverse effects on the body when taken in high doses. but what else isn’t?
DM: Got your feedback regarding my last question.Thanks.
Michelle: If I’m not mistaken, spinach is called “bayam” in BM.
I started taking oats alternately for my breakfast. I can’t say that I like it. I cooked em with water then I add milk to go with it. 1 spoon 1 med sip of milk to gulp it down. The taste is not my liking and I got whole packet with me still. Where u guys get your frozen fruits? Is it expensive?
thanks daren. May i intro a way i make my oats a little bearable. Actually it’s yummy now. I use rolled oats. Cook it till it became porridge like abt 5 mins. Then the fun part comes. I use a dollop of greek yogurt, a scoop of meal replacement, some frozen berries or fresh ones, some almonds flakes n dark chocolate chips.
leeloo: I think I paid around RM15 only. It’s not fancy organic stuff, but its still natural peanut butter with no added junk. You’ll find that the peanut butter too has that layer of oil which is completely normal - you will need to stir the oil back into the jar…otherwise you’ll end up having a very DRY bottle of peanut butter. And don’t worry.. that’s good fat. And Stevia is a natural substance… not artificial - so yes, it’s better than sweeteners.
Michelle: Maranatha is really expensive… about RM30+ for a jar of peanut butter, cos its organic. And yes, Spinach is Bayam!
Demsi Jake: You’re right - I don’t think Thosai is that healthy too. Probably you can sneak one in as a post-workout meal when your body is more tolerant towards simple carbs. Other than that… you will be better off without it if you’re looking at getting leaner. How about muesli/oats as a carb source for breakfast? Or apples? :-)
Daren: I buy frozen cranberries from Village Grocer - about RM16 for a pack which lasts me for approx a month. I also use them in my blended shakes. I don’t waste my money on blueberries etc cos they’re just too expensive. I love chopping almonds and adding them to my oatmeal - gives a little crunch. You can also stir in some protein powder (but make sure your oatmeal cools down a little cos you dont wanna destroy the protein with that high heat).
@DM, Usually my post-workout meal it’s a protein shake with a large Banana .. If i do not have my banana it’s one spoonful of organic sugar. It’s funny if i don’t have my refine carb after workout craving can really go “WILD” … LOL … i really appreciate your feedback. Tq
@Daren I’ve got another OATS recipe to share which i LOVE to eat and the ingredients are basically easy to find ..
1) Oats + Mashed Banana + Peanut Butter … WOW …
2) Oats + Mashed Banana + Cinnamon .. My favourite..
3) Cooled Oats + ON Whey (Coffee / Mochachino) = Thumbs UP.
These here are to name a few … Like me i like to put almonds as well together with flaxseed and raisins …. There are PLENTY of recipe and all it takes is a little creativity … LOL
@DM i have found an alternative to Adams … I found myself bottles of Skippy Creamy All Natural , no Trans Fat, No Hydrogenated oil and it cost RM 15.00 per bottle (might vary a little with different grocer). It’s way cheaper than the waitrose organic peanut butter which cost RM 10.00 for such small bottle comparing to this Skippy All Natural ..
Demsi Jake: Great recipes! Have you tried a scoop of your favourite whey with some cold plain yoghurt? I think it makes a perfect bedtime snack.
By the way, I remember seeing the Skippy All Natural too - I was comparing that with Adams, but for some reason which I can’t remember now, I still went ahead with the Adams. I’m out of Peanut Butter and need to restock soon - when I compare them again, I’ll update on what it is. I think it had something to do with Adams having lesser ingredients than the Skippy one.
skippy comes wit palm oil so no need to stir. Tat’s their tag line on the bottle tho. So i skipped the skippy n went wit adams.
@Michelle - yes it says no need to stir .. but still the oil is on top and i have to stir once again …hahahaah …
@DM Please do update me :)
Btw i have found a very interesting video on how acid vs alkaline diet .. Just like to share …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpoAtwVyzZI&feature=player_embedded
Hey, Demsi. Thanks for sharing that informative video! I’m gonna post it on my blog.
I’ve always known that protein from animal sources are acidic. But for dairy addicts like me, I just can’t resist anything that has cheese and milk in it, especially cheese. I’m gonna give wheat based protein supplement a try soon. I read that its amino acid profile is on par with regular whey protein.
Sorry going a little off topic though.
Skippy has added sugar! And palm oil - who wants palm oil when we’re buying peanut butter? Grrrr…
Demsi: thanks for that video. I walked an extra 8mins on the treadmill this morning just to watch that video (i checked my email towards the end of my cardio, and HAD to watch it.). I alkalize my diet by including regular salads, and the occasional Apple Cider Vinegar. Also, Spinach ranks very very high on the alkaline load compared to other vegetables - i always throw in a bunch in my salads when I can.
KevL: I dont think you should lessen your milk intake just because of that - milk is good for you. Instead, consume more alkaline forming foods.
Also, where did you read about wheat protein? Beware of claims made by the supplement industry… they always twist and turn research findings to suit their product, even if it’s ONE guy in some remote village in zimbabwe who saw some benefit, they will mention it as a ‘groundbreaking study’ on their marketing materials… so beware! ;).
Michelle: Your welcome and thanks for the recipe.
DM: Thanks. Will get those frozen berries soon.
Demsi Jake: DOLE’s banana? Hehe. Great recipes, will try it.
You guys kept talking bout natural peanut butter and me thinking of getting em as well. At least something new for my diet. =D
DM,
I was referring to Ultimate’s Nutrition Wheat Protein Isolate, which costs like RM99 for 3lbs tub of 57 servings! It’s really cheap so that’s why I’m gonna give it a try. I’m not falling into their marketting gimmicks or whatever, but one thing they did claim was that wheat protein has got a high glutamine profile which is stated in their product label. I’m not saying great things about it, because I couldn’t find any research papers on wheat protein, unlike soy protein. So, well, I can only resort to reading user feedbacks about the product. The only problems some (if not most) users have are mixability and taste, but those are really subjective.
If you happen to come across any wheat protein related articles, do share yeah? Thanks :)
http://egonutritions.com/shopping/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=31&products_id=406
@DM OMGoodness i didn’t see that Palm Oil and it was on the Top Right side of the label I’d always go and see the nutrition fact and see what is the added ingredient .. I MISSED that out … what a bummer … LOL but I usually tuck in PB for the extra cals. that i need .. but Palm Oil ? This is the first for me …
Groundbreaking study in zimbabwe .. LOL .. didn’t see that coming LOL …
@KevL you buy from egonutrition ? I find everything there is overpriced. Wheat protein i have heard before it’s one of the protein for vegetarian but if your allergic to gluten it’s best to avoid it unless the protein is gluten free
Demsi,
I don’t think I have any allergies. I can eat or take mostly anything that can be considered food or medication. I guess I’m lucky :D!
EGO is having their YES (year end sale) now so there is further discount (the wheat protein’s at RM88 now). Not all products are overpriced there. Just take note of their promotions.
Just so you know, EGO isn’t the only place I look for supplements ;)
Anyone know where can I find Adam’s Natural Peanut Butter in Penang? I’m been searching high and low for it, all hypermarkets, shopping mall, Cold Storage, etc..
KevL: Actually, animal protein (whey) is more bio-available to our bodies compared to a vegetarian protein (wheat protein)…
yin: Sorry I don’t know. EVen in KL it’s kinda hard - I can only find it at Village Grocer (Bangsar) at the moment.
hi DM,
I am a typical malay… i can live without rice, but not sambal… is there any alternative way to make a “healthy ” sambal…
people say that cold drinks is not good… especially when u want to lose weight..
is that true as well???
help me plzz… im dying to lose weight here…
Aida, I don’t think the Sambal is the cause of your weight problem. Are you getting enough exercise, and what about the various other things you may be eating?
As for the myth of cold drinks and weight loss - it’s not true. I don’t think the temperature of what you drink would influence your weight loss.. if it did… then I pity the eskimos! :D
Perhaps you can ask more questions over at my forum?
http://forum.dailymuscle.com/
There are many of us there who can readily help you!
Im a type one Diabetic,is it okay for me to have a cup of Milo before goin to the gym?my work out is rather vigorous.
Abeed: Why don’t you eat something instead of having a sugary drink? How about an apple, or some muesli.
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