At one point or another, we have all dealt with a sugar addiction.
I recently gave up all sugar for 30 days and felt actual withdrawal symptoms.
I was exhausted and couldn’t shake a nagging headache.
I was also snapping at my family for no reason at all.
verify you’re eating enough fat
Do you remember thefat-free trendin the ’90s?
Suddenly we were bombarded with fat-free cookies and crackers, and they seemed healthy.
We avoided fats, because we assumed eating fat made us fat.
However, food companies simply replaced the fat in their products with sugar.
“Eat sweet vegetables earlier in the day to diminish evening sugar cravings.”
Some examples of naturally sweet vegetable are sweet potatoes, red bell peppers, and carrots.
Moments later there were candy wrappers everywhere, and you felt a little better.
That’s because most of us crave sugar when we’re stressed.
That is why you literally feel better and more calm after inhaling that brownie.
How much sugar is in your favorite pasta sauce, salad dressing, or boxed crackers?
Another sneaky place for sugar to hide is in our coffee.
“It is tough to break the habit.
Then once they accomplish this, they generally reduce other sugar products,“Dr. Murray Grossantold me.
This could be a major means of avoiding diabetes.
But I start with teaching them to study ‘great’ coffee and tea without and learn that.”
Have fun with this process and become a coffee snob.
The better the coffee, the less sugar your taste buds will be calling for.
Try a supplement
Sometimes our sugar cravings are trying to tell us something.
The supplement L-glutamine may help stave off cravings.
“Add 500 milligrams three times a day with meals and an extra dose when a craving hits.
Once we figure out what our triggers are, we can set ourselves up for success.
A bacterial imbalance could be the result of many issues, but a common one is chronic antibiotic use.
So how can you tell if you have an imbalance going on?
Trubow recommended starting with an easy test at home.
Next time you’re hungry and grab a snack, pay close attention to your cravings.
Sit in meditation
Most of us don’t want to eat sugar every day.
It weighs us down, makes us tired, and leaves us feeling regretful.
Yet somehow we end each day having eaten too much of the sweet stuff.
Slowing down and remaining more mindful of your feelings and cravings can help you avoid those sugar binges.
Meditation is a wonderful aspect on your new and healthy journey.”
Take some time just for yourself and breathe deeply.
What do you have to lose?
“Hypnosis is a powerful tool to resist urges to ingest sugar.
Seek out a certified hypnotherapist in your area to ‘reprogram’ you to avoid refined sugars.
Like meditation, hypnosis is another opportunity for you to slow down and stay aware of your sugar triggers.
Plan ahead
Giving up sugar is no easy feat.
One of the most powerful strategies is simply making a plan ahead of time.
Don’t just walk into the grocery store empty handed.
Make a list, and commit to yourself to not even walking through the sugary cereal aisle.
“Start off slow when starting to break a sugar cycle.
Cut out junk food one-by-one.
Another way to plan ahead is finding an accountability partner.
“If you’re married or living with a partner, you already have an advantage!
Have them join you on your quest,” recommended Lee.
“you’re able to encourage each other to make smarter choices.
It’s hard to break longtime habits on your own.
It’s good to have accountability partners that can coach you or be your own personal cheerleader.”
Feel your feelings
We can’t help but link our feelings to sugar.
Many of our happiest memories involve sugar.
Think about all those birthday treats, Christmas candy canes, and wedding cakes.
It’s okay that you have an emotional relationship with sugar, so long as you recognize it.
“Sugar addiction is tied to emotions.
It illuminates the same part of the brain that cocaine does!
It’s absolutely addicting.
In fact, a study inPLOS Oneshowed just how powerful this addiction is.
Researchers exposed animals to sugar in water and the highly-addictive drug cocaine.
Then they watched to see which substance the animals would crave more.
Over 94 percent of the animals went for the sugar water.
“What emotion are they trying to numb?
What is going on in their life that they need to pacify with sugar?
Forget artificial sweeteners
When giving up sugar, it sounds reasonable to substitute calorie-free artificial sweeteners instead.
This way you could remove harmful sugar from your diet without missing out on the taste.
However, those artificial sweeteners like aspartame are doing way more harm.
In fact, consuming artificial sweeteners like the ones in diet sodas has actually beenlinked to weight gain.
Eating artificial sweeteners changes your taste buds and brain chemistry, leaving you needing more and more sugar.
“The taste buds taste sweet, but there’s no calorie load that comes with it.
There’s a mismatch here.
It seems it changes your brain chemistry in some way,” Dr. Marie SavardtoldABC News.
“Anything you put in your mouth, your body has a strong reaction to it.
It’s much more than counting calories.
It seems normally with sweet foods that we rev up our metabolism.”
Plan your meals ahead of time and ensure to focus on a healthy breakfast with plenty of protein.
Get enough sleep
Our bodies replenish during sleep, and our hormones are reset.
When we get a full night’s sleep, our hunger signals go down.
That is why you’re able to fast for eight to ten hours every night without feeling it.
However, when we don’t sleep well, cravings go up.
Oftentimes we use sugar as a reward after a difficult or stressful experience.
Start looking for other ways to reward yourself and help cut down on those cravings.
“Get curious about what helps you and feels like a reward.
