Steve’s Playbook for Life Without Added Sugar

For years now, eliminating added sugar has been a top priority on my quest for wellness.

Without getting too technical, most of my research agreed that added sugar isn’t great for you. For example, according to Healthline, sugar can lead to heart disease, diabetes type 2, weight gain, cancer, inflammation and speed up cellular/skin aging. And if you’re fighting cancer, there are claims that sugar can feed cancer cells— I know this is a hot topic for doctors and patients, but from my end, if there was even the slightest possibility this was true, I wasn’t taking any chances. No thanks. Not when it’s a matter of life or death. (In 2018, I was given less than 10% to live while fighting metastatic bone cancer.)

* Keep in mind, I’m mainly talking about cutting out added sugar as opposed to natural sugar which is found in whole, unprocessed foods like fruit.

There was a pretty steep learning curve at first, and keeping disciplined was one of the trickiest parts. Sugar is everywhere and when cutting back, it’s natural to get hit with cravings until the taste buds adjust— but it’s important to remember this is a process and they will adjust in a major way… Then one day you reach a point where you’re asking yourself, “Am I crazy or is this strawberry the greatest thing I’ve ever tasted?!”

A few key suggestions: Make it a habit to read nutrition labels. Forget the packaging and marketing labels, the FIRST thing I check is “added sugar”, even before looking at the ingredient list (which I then scan for additives, fillers, chemicals, etc), because sometimes companies are shady and won’t list sugar there. The other part of the equation in this lifestyle change is eating at restaurants or ordering takeout. I always call or ask in advance if there’s added sugar in any dish I’m considering, especially the sauces or dressings.

Now that we’ve got that covered, here’s how I typically navigate each day:

Breakfast: Celery juice then 30 minutes later my custom oatmeal (Gluten-free rolled oats, cacao powder, chia seeds, hemp seeds, maca powder, almond butter and blueberries.). When I’m craving protein, organic free range eggs.

Lunch/dinner options: Heavy veggies and greens, beans, quinoa, lentils, nuts, fish (wild salmon, wild tuna, sardines) and free-range organic eggs. Occasionally, Hilary’s veggie burgers and Trader Joe’s organic red lentil pasta. Processed foods usually contain sugar and aren’t ideal.

Note on carbs: I stick with low-glycemic options such as Ezekiel bread and Mary’s crackers. Low glycemic means they are more slowly digested and absorbed, causing a lower and slower rise in blood glucose.

When you need to spice up your meal: Many dressings and sauces have a surprising amount of added sugar. I use Primal kitchen’s unsweetened ketchup, BBQ sauce and Greek dressing. Also, Rao’s tomato sauce (natural ingredients, no added sugar), extra virgin olive oil, salsa, guac and hummus. And don’t sleep on the spices: lots of healthy options that taste natural and super flavorful once you figure out what you’re doing.

When you need an afternoon boost: My custom smoothie: (1/2 banana, almond butter, coconut oil, chia and hemp seeds, cacao powder). Cacao is a nutritionally rich alternative to sweets: 40x antioxidants of blueberries and tastes like a “healthy chocolate". Fruit is a great snack too, I typically go with green apples, pears, berries, just try to keep fruit to 2-3 servings a day and hold off on fruit smoothies which blast your body with sugar. Toasted Ezekial bread with almond butter and cinnamon is another staple. You can even mix in a little cacao powder if you’re feeling crazy. For a more savory route, toast ezekial bread and dip into olive oil, garlic powder, chili peppers and sea salt. Healthy garlic bread. Bang.

When you need an emergency snack: I always carry around a bag of organic raw walnuts and almonds. Just in case. And Sakara Detox bars with blue spirulina, 10g of organic pea protein, and only 5 grams of sugar from low-glycemic dates. Watch out for disguised candy bars like KIND, RX Bars. They’re fine every once in a while, but usually have a good amount of added sugar, plus if you try Sakara’s bars you’ll notice the difference in a more natural taste and texture.

When you want to munch aimlessly while watching the game or Netflix: Trader Joe’s organic popcorn made with olive oil. Throw in a few squares of Lindt 95% dark chocolate for good measure. Each serving of 4 squares has only 1 gram of added sugar and the entire bar has 2 grams.

Note on drinks: Check out my tips on drinking water better. I also love coffee — no milk or sugar added, definitely no artificial crap like Splenda, Equal, Sweet N’ Low… I don’t even mess with Stevia. No soda for this guy and rarely La Croix or Bubly with their “natural flavors”. Just don’t trust ‘em or understand how it can taste that sweet, but that’s just me. Tea, on the other hand, always a great choice.

This kind of dietary overhaul may feel overwhelming but for those of us fighting for our health each day, you really can’t afford to leave anything on the table. And remember, your tastebuds do adjust. Plus the world is only trending in this direction. More and more restaurants are adopting cleaner recipes which is great, just don’t get caught up in the trap of thinking “organic, plant based or gluten free are automatically healthy”— watch out for that added sugar too!