Tips For Tackling Sugar Addiction

Festive tips to help our Greenwich patients cut down their sugar consumption.

Although Christmas is probably at the front of our minds right now, the few days spent celebrating Christmas will soon be over and it will be time to start thinking about those New Year resolutions. In addition to the usual, get fit, lose weight ones, and, of course, stopping smoking for those of you who still do, why not add reducing sugar too?

Sugar not only damages our teeth, but is also increasingly being discussed as the ‘new smoking’ in regards to the damage that it causes to our general health. With this in mind, the team at the Confidental Clinic in Greenwich have put together some tips to help you end your addiction to sugar.

A healthy breakfast

Many breakfast cereals include high quantities of sugar. This often even applies to those that claim to be healthy. They may include nuts and grains etc but many also include very large amounts of sugar. Try to switch to a sugar free or low sugar cereal, and, if you want something sweet, try a piece of fruit.

Snacks

When we are hungry or feeling a little tired, we often reach for a chocolate bar or similar to give us a quick energy boost. Unfortunately, this ‘boost’ tends to be short lived, as well as potentially harmful to our teeth. If you are a ‘snacker’, try to keep some nuts or similar sugar free food with you for when you feel a little peckish.

Beware ‘healthy’ tags

As we mentioned about breakfast cereals, something which makes a health claim may not actually be sugar free. Even a typical fat free yoghurt can contain high levels of sugar, and indeed is likely to do so, as removing fat from a product also often removes some of the taste. Sugar may be added to compensate for this. Make sure to read the packaging!

Alcohol

Even a pint of bitter, which, by its name, indicates that it shouldn’t taste sweet, will still contain a fairly high sugar level. In addition to the increased risk of gum disease and even oral cancers in drinkers, it may mean that you are consuming a lot of sugar if you drink regularly.

Beware late nights

Studies have shown that people who go to bed late are more likely to snack late at night and may also be less likely to give their teeth the thorough brushing and flossing that they need to stay healthy. We all differ in our routines, but if you are a ‘night owl’, make sure to take care to look after your teeth.

Coffee

Finally, if you drink shop bought coffee regularly, try to avoid some of the more ‘speciality’ coffees. Many of these are very high in both fat and sugars and should be drunk only as an occasional treat.

A sugar free diet will help to keep your teeth and gums healthy, but you should still make sure to visit our Greenwich dental practice for regular check ups. To arrange yours, please call the Confidental Clinic on 020 8858 1422.