Sweet Alternatives

Most people have a sweet tooth but how they deal with their cravings varies.  Recent studies have shown that around 70% of people eat way too much sugar on a daily basis.  Sugar causes inflammation in the body and constantly eating sweet foods does all kinds of harm to your internal body not to mention your external body. Heart disease, diabetes and cancer have been linked to sugar consumption. It can also make your skin dull and cause rednes not to mention all of the extra calories that sugar has which add up to weight gain.  It is important to be creative with your solutions to sweet cravings if you want to stay healthy. Here are a few ideas:
 
1.Choose naturally sweet teas. Instead of your sugar laden morning cup of java, try an alternative at least a few times a week. Tea is very good for you because it contains a number of antioxidants, especially herbal tea. Find a tea that is naturally sweet such as licorice spice or peppermint to trick yourself into feeling like you are drinking something with sugar when really it is just healthy herbs.

2.Eat cereal. Next time you have a late night craving for chocolate or candy, reach for the cereal. Sure it may have some sugar in it but with the added milk and whole grains you will at least be adding some nutrition to your diet. Stay away from cereal with more than 9 grams of sugar per serving and also look for those that are whole grain and contain lots of fibre.

3.Use sugar alternatives. Stevia is a great option when it comes to sweeteners. Naturally found in a plant, stevia is a calorie free and safe alternative to sugar. Worried about the effectiveness? Don&undefined;t be-stevia is actually multiple times sweeter than sugar without all of the health problems.

Cutting sugar out of your diet isn&undefined;t easy and doing it too quickly can cause headaches, fatigue and irritability. Instead, tweak your diet so that you slowly cut down on your sweets until you are consuming less than 10% of your daily energy intake through sugar.