Count me in!
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| | | | I love sugary treats — cookies, fruit snacks, chocolate-covered berries, you name it. I enjoy them way more often than I should, and I know I need to cut back to protect my health. But it's just so hard! (They taste so goooood, and I have minimal self-control.) | | We recently published an article about the health benefits of reducing your (added!) sugar intake. I read it, and it made me reflect on how much added sugar I eat in a given day. It also made me wonder whether cutting out sugar for a month could really lead to long-term health benefits. Today I share what I learned, plus sustainable "simple" ways to cut back. | | | | Have a sweet day,
Morgan Mandriota
Newsletter Editor, Healthline | | | | |
| |  | | Written by Morgan Mandriota
August 28, 2024 • 3.5 min read | | | | | | | |
| |  | | | Can giving up sugar for a month lead to real benefits? | | A no-sugar challenge typically involves cutting added sugars from your diet and eating more nutritious, whole foods and drinks — usually for 30 days.️ | | The potential health benefits of reducing your sugar intake in the long term are pretty enticing, like lowering your risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood sugar, cavities, and heart disease, clearing up acne, boosting energy, and relieving anxiety. But aside from decreasing your blood sugar levels, you're unlikely to see any real health changes just by cutting sugar for 1 month.️ | | Instead of taking a restrictive approach that may be hard to keep up long term, it may be more beneficial to spend that time tracking your sugar intake and figuring out what sustainable change looks like to you. | | Depending on the patterns you notice, you might decide to reduce how often you eat ice cream, say from 2 nights per week to 2 nights per month, or make meal swaps like eating eggs for breakfast instead of sweetened cereal.️ | | Or, you may swap out foods with added sugar for more foods with natural sugar. "The natural sugar from fruit (or dairy products for that matter) is a packaged deal with a lot of other things that benefit your body, like fiber," explains registered dietitian Annie Hibbs. "Added sugars, on the other hand, add extra calories without any nutritional benefit." | Regardless of whether you're trying to cut down on sugar for a month or in the long term, you might try to limit how often you eat foods with added sugars like: - juices and sodas
- sugary baked goods like cookies, cakes, and donuts
- sweet cereals, granola, and flavored oatmeal
- candies and chocolate
| You'll also want to boost nutrients with healthier foods and drinks that are free from added sugars, such as: - vegetables like broccoli, spinach, carrots, and sweet potatoes
- fruits like apples, berries, and oranges
- proteins like chicken, fish, beef, and eggs
- complex carbs like beans, quinoa, and brown rice
| | Remember, even seemingly small shifts can go a long way toward improving your diet and protecting your health over time — and lead you closer to reaping the health benefits of lowering your sugar intake. | | | 💌 Living with diabetes and want to learn which snacks or meals are best for you? Sign up for our Care Journey newsletter to receive more personalized nutrition stories with one-click here!️ | | | | | | |
| | | | Chips and guac to go, please | | | | |  | | Bentgo® Reusable Snack Cup | | If you want snacks on-the-run but don't want to carry around bulky storage containers, then I have a sleek, stylish solution for you! This portable snack cup has a dual, leak-proof design for two sets of snacks. Think: chips and guac, pretzels and peanut butter, or apple slices and almond butter. Those are just the snacks I'd pair — enjoy your favorites, then throw the cup in the dishwasher for an easy clean before using it again. | | | Every product we recommend has gone through either Healthline's or Optum Store's vetting processes. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline and Optum Store are owned by RVO Health. | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | *It can not be combined with your health insurance. Healthline and Optum Perks are owned by RVO Health. By using this Optum Perks service, we may receive a tangible benefit. | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Thanks for reading! Keep your eyes peeled for our next newsletter on Friday, where I'll be talking about a dilemma I face far more often than I'd like. | | | | | | |
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