Reduce your Sugar and Salt Intake

As well as creating weight problems, too much sugar causes energy spikes and has been linked to diabetes, depression, and even an increase in suicidal behaviours in young people. Reducing the amount of candy and desserts you eat is only part of the solution, as sugar is also hidden in foods such as bread, cereals, canned foods and vegetables, pasta sauce, margarine, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, low-fat meals, fast food, and ketchup. Sodium is another ingredient that is frequently added to food to improve taste, even though your body needs less than one gram of it a day (about half a teaspoon of table salt).

Too much salt can cause high blood pressure and increase risk of stroke, heart disease, kidney disease, memory loss, and erectile dysfunction.

Use the following tips to reduce your sugar and salt intake:

1. Slowly reduce the sugar and salt in your diet a little at a time to give your taste bud time to adjust and wean yourself off the craving.
2. Avoid processed or packaged foods such as canned soups, frozen dinners, or low-fat meals that often contain hidden sugar and sodium that quickly surpass the recommended limit. Prepare more meals at home and use fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned vegetables.
3. Be careful when eating out. Most restaurant and fast food meals are loaded with sodium. Some offer lower-sodium choices or you can ask for your meal to be made without salt. Most gravy, dressings and sauces are also packed with salt and sugar, so ask for it to be served on the side.
4. Eat healthier snacks. Buy unsalted nuts and add a little of your own salt until your taste bud is accustomed to eating them salt-free. Cut down on sweet snacks such as candy, chocolate, and cakes. Instead, eat naturally sweet food such as fruit, peppers, or natural peanut butter.