Sugar is notoriously hands-down, one of the worst things for your health. It’s been linked to a number of chronic conditions. Never mind the fact that even food dubbed as healthy has added sugar! It doesn’t have to be so impossible to quit sugar though. If you’re going to try to reduce your daily sugar intake, you’re probably going to have to be willing to do a little more work! If you’re really serious about cutting back on sugar, it’s worth it.

1. Make it yourself. Though definitely not effort-free, making sauces, soups, and condiments yourself means that you know that it has no sugar added to it. You can also buy no-sugar-added sauces and condiments, but they tend to cost a bit more.

2. It takes 20 cups of tea and coffee to get used to no sugar or sweetener in it. I have never had sugar in my tea, but I used to have 4 heaped spoons in my coffee – I know!! It personally took me 11 cups of coffee to get used to it and now I can’t imagine sugar in my coffee at all. The first few cups are strong and bitter and gross… but keep going and see how many cups it takes you. The experts say that the maximum it takes is 20 cups. Honestly, what is 20 cups of tea or coffee to make a major change in your health? Nothing and so so worth it.

3. Skip the low-fat foods. You might think you’re being healthy, it’s not much of a help if you’re trying to cut down on your sugar intake. Some lower-fat foods are full of sugar.

4. Learn how to read labels. Knowing what to look for on a label is super important if you’re trying to reduce your sugar intake because sugar can be listed on the label in many different forms! Doing your research and recognizing the different ingredients that might indicate added sugar can help you more successfully reduce how much of it you’re eating. It’s effort in the beginning as you educate yourself but soon it becomes second nature and you know what products you can buy and what you can’t.

5. Make a change at breakfast. Cereals and flavoured yoghurt can have of tons of hidden sugar, so one way you can try to cut back a bit is to make a change in your regular breakfast go-to’s. You can get lower sugar options of both cereal (low carb, sugar free muesli) and plain double cream yoghurt. You could shift gears to something like eggs, which are full of protein, which will keep you fuller longer.