Challenge Tips

Congratulations on completing the challenge Curb Your Sweet Tooth challenge! Don't forget to send us your feedback on how you have been doing here.

Even though the challenge is at an end, we hope you’ll continue to keep an eye on nutrition labels for added sugar and try to limit how much you consume. One last tip:

Remember “sugar-free” doesn’t always mean healthy. When you’re trying to reduce your sugar intake, it’s tempting to replace it with artificial sweeteners (like saccharin or aspartame). Although these substitutes are lower in calories (about two calories per teaspoon) and don’t raise blood sugar levels, they do have some drawbacks. 

Research suggests that artificial sweeteners may make people crave sweet foods even more, which counteracts the reason most people opt for them in the first place. And a study by The American Diabetes Association suggests that drinking diet soda containing artificial sweeteners daily may increase a person’s risk for developing metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the sweeteners as safe to use, but it is best to use them in moderation.

And it’s important to note that even sweeteners that are marketed as “natural” like agave nectar, beet sugar, and evaporated cane juice still contain fructose (sugar). They should be limited, just like sugar and high fructose corn syrup. 

Is there anything you tried during the challenge that you think you can keep up long-term? Also let us know how you did over the weekend in our discussion in the challenge update section here or on Facebook. 

Thank you for making this challenge a success! 

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