In 2016 we will…
Cut down on sugar.
I don’t know about you lot, but it feels as though I’ve eaten more sugar in the last few days than I have throughout the whole year. Mince pies, syrupy cocktails, Christmas cake and chocolate in every size, shape and form possible, which is why one of my most important resolutions in 2016 has got to be to cut down on the amount of sugar I consume.
I’m not someone who adds sugar to cereal or even in my hot drinks and where possible I buy sugar free alternatives, but I am a sucker for biscuits, cakes and chocolates and it is starting to get a bit out of control. Most of us consume way more sugar than the recommended amount, indeed it is hard not to these days, as so much is added to foods that we don’t even suspect to having a sugar content. The daily recommended amount of sugar for adults is 6 teaspoons. To put that in context, there is roughly 5 teaspoons of sugar in a tin of Heinz tomato soup, so it’s clear to see how easy it is to go way above this amount.
The key is to eat unprocessed, natural foods. Instead fill your diet with lots of fruit, vegetables, pulses, beans, wholewheat carbohydrates and lean protein. And OK yes, fruit does contain sugar, but it is the right kind of sugar and the additional health benefits of eating plenty of fruit far outweigh any negative effects of the naturally forming sugar.
Eating too much sugar leads to weight gain, skin problems, health problems, mood imbalances and will certainly not do your teeth any favours either. So, who’s going to join me in this resolution and have a go at reducing the amount of sugar in your diet?
I just need to finish the last few Christmas chocolates at the bottom of the tub and then I’m going to start, I promise 😉
