The festive season comes with lovely foods. Most of the foods that are prepared contain a lot of sugar. It is satisfying to always have them, but it is also important to keep a healthy lifestyle. During the festive season, our sugar intake level increases, which is not good for health.
Consuming excessive sugar can lead to problems like obesity and high blood pressure. Therefore, it is important to know how much sugar is too much.
The recommended daily sugar intake varies slightly depending on guidelines from various health organizations, but general recommendations are as follows:
The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that women should consume 100 calories (25 grams or 6 teaspoons) of sugar and 150 calories (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons) for men.
The AHA recommends that children consume no more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day.
If one takes too much sugar, his or her health will be compromised in many ways which may further lead wide range of health problems.
A 2014 study from JAMA Internal Medicine analyzed that people who consumed 17%–21% of added sugar had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than the people who take in 8% of added sugar.
How can you have a balanced diet?
Plan Meals
While going out, it is necessary to plan ahead of time. This is beneficial because arriving not too hungry prevents one from becoming overly full and thus having to leave to eat again. It is recommended to have a healthy snack before dinner.
Practice Portion Control
One should not let their guard down when it comes to taking food during the festive season. It only means one can take smaller quantities of the desired foods without a lot of harm to the body. Eat a small portion of nutritious food and carry out the second helping only when you are still hungry.
Read Labels
It is quite important to know how much sugar is present in the foods one consumes to maintain a healthy diet. Be cautious of ingredients like sugars, syrups, molasses, honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar.
Healthier Alternatives for the Festive Season
One of the wonderful festive traditions includes exchanging sweets, and it holds the true meaning of love and good wishes. However, people are beginning to embrace healthy lifestyles, and, therefore, extra effort could be made to provide food, especially those containing refined sugars. In addition to assuaging the sweet tooth, below are the options for healthy options.
Fresh Fruits
You can give fruits like berries, apples, pears, and oranges as they contain natural sugar and dense nutritional value such as vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. They make a good combination of delicacy and health to give out as a gift. One can even organize the fruit basket in order to spread the sweetness of the season.
Dried Fruits
Another type of fruit that is characterized by high density and dehydration includes raisins, apricots, and figs, and these are excellent to be given as gifts. They are intended for snacking up or using as an ingredient and are packed beautifully, which makes them perfect gifts.
Baked Goods Containing Natural Sweeteners
When baking goodies to give as gifts, replace regular sugar with naturally occurring sugars such as maple syrup, agave nectar, and coconut sugar. This approach is not only better for the quality of baked goods, but it also demonstrates that you care about the health of the other person.
The festive season comes with an abundance of delicious foods but are too sugary. It is essential for us to maintain our health by limiting our sugar intake at this time. One should not have a high sugar intake; otherwise, they can suffer from health problems.
Diksha Nayyar is a versatile writer with a passion for creating engaging and insightful articles on a wide range of topics. With a background in Journalism, she brings a keen eye for detail and a commitment to delivering high-quality content. Diksha has written extensively about health, social issues and technology, aiming to inform and inspire readers. Outside of writing, she enjoys trying out new restaurants and playing with dogs.
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