There’s too much sugar in our lives! This “feel good” food, at high doses, is a real toxin for the body. However, reducing consumption is much easier than it might seem. Why not try a little detox?

Too much! It’s too much!

Sugar is practically an addiction in our society. People in France, for example, currently consume 20-30 kg (45-65 pounds) per year per person, compared with a little over a kilo (2½ pounds) a century ago. But of course human metabolism has not changed.

Why cut down?

Because it causes or contributes to serious diseases – diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disorders, high blood pressure, metabolic syndromes, excess triglycerides, bad cholesterol, and ever some cancers.

Pourquoi ne pas prendre en mains ce qu’il est possible de contrôler ? Pourquoi succomber aux sirènes de la publicité qui s’acharnent à nous mettre l’eau à la bouche, manipulent nos goûts et notre santé en créant une véritable addiction ?

Sugar consumption is controllable, so why not control it? Why should we give in to the blandishments of advertisers, who will do anything to make our mouths water and who manipulate our tastes and our health, creating a real addiction?

What to do?

Don’t panic – it’s not about giving up anything that tastes sweet. You don’t have to go “cold turkey”! A slice of toast and honey or a bit of chocolate from time to time can even have nutritional benefits. Likewise, definitely don’t give up fruit. Fruit is full of vitamins and other health benefits, even though it is sugary! However, get rid of quick-release simple carbohydrates, the refined sugar that is hidden or that we add ourselves – in coffee, in soft drinks, and in some industrial foods which create a real dependency.

Our advice for regaining control

– Be brave! Simply stop putting sugar in coffee, tea, yoghurts, fruit salads, etc. It may seem astonishing, but it will take only a few days for you to rediscover, with pleasure, what these foods really taste like, and then you won’t find the idea of sweetening them at all appealing. You’ve already started the process of weaning yourself off sugar.

– Use your creativity. Replace some of the sugary things you like with other things that are better for your health. Try other tastes, a new way of consuming, healthier drinks, and try making cakes of your own that are less sugary than bought ones.

– To kick the habit successfully, avoid using sweeteners, which don’t treat our addiction to sweet tastes, and are also suspected of having secondary effects.

– Keep eating the slow carbohydrates that provide energy for a long period and thus prevents cravings – complete cereals, bread, starch, potatoes, etc.

– Tell your friends about it. If people know about your good resolution, you’ll be less tempted to given in, and maybe they’ll follow your example!

– Cultivate tranquillity; to fight the stress which can lead to binge-eating.

– Protect children. Sugar should never be given to babies or young children. Tastes are formed very early, and it’s essential not to condition them. What they don’t know, they won’t miss!

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