HOW TO CUT SUGAR OUT OF YOUR LIFE

Everybody knows we consume too much sugar.

It causes all sorts of health problems, not the least of which are dental-related. When we picture sugar, we often picture regular granulated sugar, but that is not the only form that is often found in our foods! In chemistry, basically anything ending in “-ose” is a sugar: sucrose, dextrose, fructose, and maltose. Other kinds of sugar include molasses and corn syrup. These are all sugars that we, most likely, regularly encounter in our daily lives. Knowing what actually defines a sugar is the first step in quitting them.

Set up some rules for yourself.

Try to limit how often you eat desserts. We understand that sometimes you can cheat, but you should make sure that this doesn’t happen too often. Other things you should avoid are sugary drinks, and eating an hour before bed. All of these things together will help you to create a healthier lifestyle, your body and your teeth will thank you.

Go for fresh foods.

Processed foods with sugar contain several times the amount of sugar in fresh fruits. Things like sugary breakfast cereal, which can contain up to 30% sugar, and even some foods that appear healthy like granola, dried fruit, and smoothies, can leave a very negative effect on your dental health. By actively avoiding these types of foods and substituting fresh fruits, you can make great strides toward a life without excess sugars.

Go to bed on time.

This might not seem much related to the topic, but sleeping can help you by minimizing your urge to midnight snack. Not only that but it has been shown that people that go to bed late tend to skip brushing more. Additionally, people that go to bed later also tend to skip breakfast, which can lead to an increased risk of snacking later on in the day.

Choose healthy snacks. When mid-morning snack time hits, it is very important that you have something healthy nearby. Nuts are great for this. A handful can give you all the energy you might need until lunchtime!

All of these are pretty easy individually, but implementing all of them is a real undertaking. We understand that changing a routine is hard, but also not impossible. Choosing to adopt even one of these is sure to help you! As always let us know how we can help you.