If you managed to stay sugar-free for all of June, congratulations! You’ve got the first (and arguably hardest) step out of the way! But while going sugar free for a month is tricky enough, how can you stay sugar-free indefinitely? Here are some tips that may help!

Tip 1: Flood your body with nutrients

Sugar is addictive, so it’s not surprising that the hankering for something sweet can strike at any time. The best way to avoid sugar cravings is to crowd them out with nutrient-dense alternatives. This includes whole veggies, quality proteins and good fats.

Eat lots of different coloured vegetables and a little fruit – the best are low fructose fruits like berries, kiwis or green apples. If you don’t have time to cut up and eat heaps of vegetables, you can use nutrient dense superfood powders instead.

Fats such as those found in olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds are a great addition to your diet and will help keep you going for longer. Coconut products are great to eat as they taste sweet and have very low fructose. Try adding a teaspoon of coconut oil to herbal tea or snack on coconut chips whenever you feel cravings coming on.

Tip 2: Plan ahead

Planning meals in advance and cooking in bulk will help you to stay on track. Don’t consider going sugar-free a diet – rather, it’s a lifelong plan and commitment to your wellness.

When planning meals, aim to make up half the plate with fruit or veggies, a quarter with carbs, and a quarter with protein-rich foods such as meat or fish. Making most of your meals from scratch is the perfect way to control what you’re eating. It usually works out cheaper than eating out as well. Here are some tasty recipes to add to your collection!

Tip 3: Herbs and spices

If you are craving flavour and sweetness, herbs and spices can be a great way to add a subtle sweetness to food and also increase the nutrients. Why not try sprinkling cinnamon on plain yogurt, drinking liquorice tea, or adding nutmeg to roasted pumpkin and pureeing it as a side dish?

Tip 4: Use fructose-free sugar substitutes (in moderation)

Once sugar has broken its hold over you, you can start to reintroduce safe substitutes into your diet. Knowing you can enjoy some sweet (sugar-free) treats guilt free can help you stay steadfast in your commitment to quitting sugar.

There are several options to satisfy your sweet tooth if you are in the mood for a treat. Rice malt syrup is a blend of carbohydrates, glucose and maltose, and is completely fructose-free. Stevia is a plant-derived sweetener containing no sugar of any kind. However, both should still be consumed in moderation, and you’ll probably consume less of them to achieve similar sweetness levels as sugar (your sugar cravings will probably decrease when you cut sugar anyway).

Tip 5: Be motivated and celebrate!

From increased energy to clearer skin, it’s important to appreciate how much better your life is without sugar. Don’t be ashamed to remind yourself of how far you’ve come without fructose – you could even use before and after visuals if need be! Use this as your motivation to continue.

Keep in mind that sugar-quitting slip ups happen to the best of us. If you fall off the wagon, don’t beat yourself up, but use the opportunity to reaffirm your commitment to a sugar-free life, well aware that the temptation really isn’t worth it. And be sure to celebrate your achievements!

Content contributed by I Quit Sugar and Lifestream.