If you’re like me, you can’t survive a meal without dessert. Or a day without something sweet. I love anything mixed, coated, and sprinkled with sugar, so it’s one of the things that stop me from leading a healthier lifestyle. As another year closes, it’s time for me to renew my new year’s resolution of losing weight.
Somewhere along the way, I realized that to go cold turkey is not the best way to be more healthy. I read that going cold turkey will make it harder when I reward myself with a treat, because I won’t be able to control my binging. Instead, we should make alternative choices.
So what’s a guy with a sweet tooth like me to do? Replace the unhealthy amounts of sugar with smarter choices that are also sweet. Here are 5 alternatives:
1. Fruits
Fruits are a no-brainer. They’re called nature’s dessert for a reason: they’re packed with vitamins and nutrients, and are sweet enough to counter the savory food we had for lunch and dinner. The best part is the earth is diverse enough to create fruits with different tastes. Just take a look at the friendly neighborhood fruit stand or the grocery aisle and be overwhelmed by the selection of bananas, oranges, apples, watermelons, grapes and more.
2. Tea
Like fruits, there are plenty of options for tea, many of which are sweet. Get the flavored green teas, as herbal infusions don’t have Camellia sinensis in them, or the leaves that provide the health benefits. Teas are packed with antioxidants, which help reduce your risk for diseases, boost your immune system, assist in weight loss, and help protect your bones. It also helps digestion to help after a heavy meal.
3. Yogurt
We’re all familiar with flavored yogurts available in groceries, but get the ones that have less than 10 grams of sugar per serving. It may taste tart if you’re used to the yogurts packed with sugars and other sweeteners, but you can brighten up this dish by adding fruits, honey, and granola. Apart from satisfying your sweet tooth, yogurt also has live bacteria cultures to regulate the digestive system and help you lose weight.
4. Fruit shakes
Imagine the benefits of fruit, in shake form. It’s a great alternative if you’re getting bored with simply slicing fruit because shakes are refreshing, especially during the summer. Since they’re in liquid form, they will make you full, too!
5. Dark chocolate
Yes, chocolate can be healthy, as long as they’re dark chocolate. And by dark, we mean those that have at least 70% cacao in them. Dark chocolate bars have less fat and sugar than the milk chocolate variety, which make it a guiltless treat. Dark chocolate also has antioxidants, and can lower the stress hormone cortisol. You get to satisfy your sweet tooth and feel less stress! What more can you ask for?
Moderating one’s intake of sweets is just one way of losing weight and living a healthier life. To make weight loss faster, it is important to also moderate total food intake and to lead an active lifestyle. A gym membership can help you reach your weight goals in 2017. Anytime Fitness is open 24 hours so you don’t have any excuses! They have branches in Alabang, Bonifacio High Street, Burgos Circle, Bacoor, Eastwood, Cubao, Escario in Cebu City, Cebu Business Park, and Davao. A branch in TriNoma is opening in February 2017.
What other alternatives do you know? Share your suggestions below!
Follow When in Manila Koji for more stories like this!
