Sugar is one of the most ubiquitous substances on the planet. It can be found in soda, candy and in the fruit that you eat for breakfast every morning. However, too much sugar can be bad for your health, which is why it is important to limit your intake or eliminate it from your diet. How can you stop eating sugar without losing your sanity in the process?

Learn to Control Your Emotions

One of the reasons that you may be eating or drinking a lot of sugar is because you are stressed or tired. Exercising more, mediating or taking other steps to reduce your stress can stop you from eating unnecessarily. When you are tired, your body is looking for sugar to keep it running at a reasonable level. By getting enough sleep, you will be less likely to crave a soda or a piece of pie. 

Drink Water to Help You Feel Fuller

You should aim to drink about six to eight glasses of water per day. In addition to helping regulate digestion and other bodily functions, it can help you to feel full throughout the day. When you feel full, you are less likely to reach for a quick snack at the office or at the store on the way home from school. 

Water can be infused with fruit or other flavors if you don’t like to drink it straight from the tap. You can also opt to drink milk, orange juice or anything else that has limited sugar and uses natural flavors. However, it is a good idea to avoid even zero calorie sports drinks or diet soda as they are full of additives that aren’t good for your health.

Add More Fat Into Your Diet

You may be able to cut out sugar by adding more fat to your diet. Salmon, nuts and avocados contain the type of healthy fat that will keep you full without expanding your waist line too much. Drizzling olive oil on your food can also be a way to incorporate healthy fats into your diet in place of sugar. 

Eat More Fruit

While fruit does have sugar, it is a natural form of sugar that your body can use to create energy during the day. Many fruits such as bananas and grapes are low in calories and can provide minerals and water that you need to thrive on a daily basis. Grapes and berries can be especially beneficial because their high water content can help you to stay full for longer periods of time. 

You Can Enjoy Anything in Moderation

If you can’t immediately cut out all sugar in your diet without going insane, it is acceptable to slower lower your sugar intake over time. For instance, you can choose to start cutting back by no longer drinking soda with lunch or dinner. From there, you can start to limit the amount of candy that you have after dinner or while at the office. 

Over time, you will start to crave these things less and less, and you will likely notice that you have more energy as a result. You may also notice that you get fewer headaches or are less jittery during the day. These and other improvements to your health and well-being will likely motivate you to keep reducing your sugar intake until you no longer consume it. 

Reducing or eliminating sugar from your diet doesn’t have to be an excruciating experience. By drinking plenty of water, eating fresh fruit and keeping tabs on your mental health, you can wean yourself off of sugar and start living a healthier life.