By Sanjaya Eramudugoda   
If you have a sweet tooth, you will like eating sweet  foods, especially sweets and chocolate. People have a craze to eat  sweets. Despite a need to reduce the intake of sugar-based food, it is a  difficult task to curb one’s greed for sweets.   

However, this desire can be somewhat controlled by reducing  the intake of additional sugar. This won’t be completely effective but  if you follow a systematic plan, you can get rid of a reasonable amount  of excess calories from your food.   

Saying no to sweetened drinks 
A considerable amount of sugar enters our body through  sweetened, carbonated and fruit drinks. Consider the amount of sugar  entering our body through soft drinks, tea, coffee and flavoured milk.  It is much better to drink water instead of turning to these drinks. If  you desire something flavourful, make lemon, lime or orange juice. If  you think you cannot avoid drinking beverages like tea and coffee, take  them with less sugar and cut down on the number of times such drinks are  taken.   

Bid goodbye to artificial additives 
Artificial sweeteners used as alternatives to sugar may  appear to be one way to get rid of sugar addiction. However, artificial  sweeteners being able to rid the body of excess fat has not been proven  scientifically. As these artificial sweeteners too are very sweet,  addiction to sugar will increase. This has been proven through various  research.  

Eat with a clear mind 
Always stop to think before you develop a craving to eat or  drink something containing sugar. Is the craving a result of hunger or  is it due to mental stress? Examine the reasons for this craving. Then  it will be easier to control your food intake. Taking a short walk or  having a conversation with a friend will help you overcome your desire  for sweets. In addition, while having meals, concentrate on the meal and  do not allow your mind to wander. This will allow you to enjoy the  taste of your food and get over the need to have something sweet.   

Always be aware of sugar content in foods 
When purchasing food and drink, always get into the habit  of reading the labels. This will help you have an idea about its  nutritional value and natural content. If any label on a food or a drink  product indicates that the sugar content is over 8g or that additional  sugar has been added, it is better to put this back on the rack. If the  sugar content is not indicated on the label of an item, it is evident  that this item has no added sugar and therefore you need not worry.   

Our bodies respond differently to natural sugar compared to  added sugar. Additional sweeteners contain sucrose, dextrose, sorbitol,  manitol, honey, agave plant extract, dextrin, moltodextrine, corn syrup  with excessive fructose and other syrups. If any base material ends  with ‘ose’ or ‘ol’ it contains sugar. Sucrose is identified as an  alternative to sugar.   

Get used to natural foods 
It is about time we realised that life does not revolve around  how much sugar we consume. Fresh fruits or dried fruits with natural  sweetness, unsweetened yoghurt, grains with the bran intact and  vegetables should be consumed instead, to lead a healthy life.   

Further, these foods provide protein, vitamins, minerals  and fibre, which are required by our bodies. These proteins are present  in low content in sweet foods. The presence of proteins and fibre in our  bodies makes food digest much slower, thereby regulating the sugar  levels in our systems. This also prevents frequent hunger and limits the  daily caloric requirement of our bodies.   

Therefore, it is time to say goodbye to sweet foods and  give more preference to fruits, vegetables, grains and unsweetened  yoghurt, for longevity.