In paternership with Decibel Nutrition
Sugar is bittersweet. Incredibly moreish – addictive, even – but also the prime culprit behind the ballooning obesity epidemic in the UK and around the world.
A little of it, especially in the natural form of fructose from fruit, provides energy for everyday activity and action-packed exercise.
But a lot of it – often smuggled into your diet buried in processed foods or in high-GI (glycemic index) starchy foods – causes sudden sugar spikes.
These can lead to energy crashes that – over time – lead to potential weight gain, an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Making simple food swaps can drastically reduce your daily sugar intake and, in some cases, even boost your body’s fat fighting powers.
Here Are Six Simple But Effective Switches To Make Today:
Swap Your Latte For A Black Americano
Even if you take your hot drinks without a spoonful of sugar, it can find a way in via lactose (fructose, sucrose, glucose – see the trend?). Ditch the milk and you will ditch the hidden sugar.
Swap Fruit Juice For Whole Fruit
Most fruit juices, especially those from concentrate, sieve out all the fibre and extra nutrients you get from whole fruit – especially from the edible skin of fruits like apples – leaving you with what is basically just a soup of sugar.
Swap Strawberry Jam For Peanut Butter
Fruit spreads are typically jammed with extra sugars, flavourings and preservatives. Good quality nut butters (think Whole Earth rather than Skippy) are lower in sugar and boast healthy fats and satiating protein to keep hunger at bay.
PixabaySwap Brown Bread For Sourdough Bread
You’ve already swapped your high-GI white loaf for a slightly lower-GI brown wholewheat one. Good start. Now go one step better with sourdough. It’s a better source of minerals and kinder on your gut for better digestion.
Swap Coconut Water For Protein Water
The nectar of the tropical fruit has been drained, packaged and sold relentlessly in recent years. It’s the so-hot- right-now healthy food trend but it’s still crammed with sugar that’ll turn to body fat if you overindulge.
A guilt-free alternative is Protein Water from Decibel Nutrition, a protein powder designed to mix instantly with water to create a refreshing and hydrating alternative to heavy, milky workout shakes.
The Wild Berries and Watermelon Peach flavours are as tasty as a glass of fruit juice but with none of the sugar content, and each serving packs a powerful 30g punch of fast-absorbing, high-quality whey protein isolate.
PixabaySwap Chips For Sweet Potato Wedges
Don’t let the name fool you by the name sweet potato is the healthier option.
Firstly, the orange potato is widely regarded as tastier.
Secondly, it’s a slow-release, medium-GI carb that can actually improve blood sugar regulation – even for those with type 2 diabetes. Partner with a naked grass-fed beef burger for the ultimate guilt-free feast.
If you’re looking to up your protein intake head over to Decibel Nutrition and check out their innovative protein water – use code SUMMER30 for a 30% discount on protein water.
