15 Top Tips to Kick Sugar Addiction
2014
Sugar. That white powdery addictive substance is like a bad boyfriend. It attracts you with an enticing lure but then soon leaves you flat, broke and exhausted. And even when you finally lock the door against it, it finds ways to slip in though the backdoor, often disguised in captivating and innocent-looking packages.
What to do?
Get wise to its ploys, get educated, be strong and on guard to keep his charming yet deadly lure at bay.
Stay sugar free and you will have lots of natural energy that lasts throughout the day!
It’s Dangerous Stuff
Over eating sugar can lead to:
- Cravings and addiction
- Weight gain
- Low HDL (good cholesterol) levels
- Heart disease
- Increased risk for type 2 diabetes
- Depression
- Migraines
- Autoimmune diseases, such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis
- Gout
- Osteoporosis
- Poor eyesight
How much sugar should we be eating?
Health experts say we should be eating only 6 to 9 teaspoons of sugar a day; that’s about 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men.
The average person in the U.S, eats 19 teaspoons/day.
Now I know you likely don’t eat these, but to give you an idea of the sugar in some foods, check this out:
- 1 can of soda contains 8 to 10 teaspoons sugar
- 1 glazed donut contains 6 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup Motts applesauce contains 5 to 6 teaspoons sugar
- 1 Weight watchers Blueberry muffin contains 5 teaspoons sugar
- 16 ozs (half liter) of Snapple or Arizona Iced tea contains 12 teaspoons of sugar
- 6 ozs (3/4 cup) Yoplait 99% fat-free Lemon yogurt contains 8 teaspoons sugar
If you start reading labels you will quickly discover that the labels on the front that contain words like: ‘Whole grain’, ‘Excellent source of fiber’, ‘100% real juice’, ‘Fat-free’ or’Low-sugar’, doesn’t mean these foods are nutritionally sound, or that they don’t contain a crazy amount of sugar.
Sugar is hiding everywhere!
This is another good reason to avoid the aisles in grocery stores. Beverages such as sports drinks, fruit drinks and colas account for most of the processed sugar consumed. Then there are the obvious sugar filled desserts and sweets, ice creams, cakes and cookies.
Packaged and processed foods are loaded with it, and often it is where you least expect to find it too. Especially high are ketchup, barbeque sauces, pasta sauces, salad dressings (especially beware the reduced-fat varieties), flavored coffees, canned prepared foods, teriyaki sauce and other sauces, breads and breakfast cereals.
Be on the lookout, read labels and watch carefully what goes in your shopping cart.
Sugar Highs and Lows – The Vicious Cycle
We all have experienced that wide awake energy feeling that comes from a sugar high. It’s hard to resist but down deep we know that luring high is really a trap and is often short lived.
How the cycle works
The sugar that comes from the carbs you eat gets quickly turned into glucose in your bloodsteam. This raises your blood sugar levels and gives you energy.
However, when blood sugar is high your pancreas is triggered to produce insulin to help move the glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells. The sudden change in blood sugar can leave you feeling wiped out, shaky and searching for more sweet food to get that high again.
Keep in Mind – Not all sugar is bad!
Sugar is essential and fuels every cell of your brain. It is essential and necessary for life. So in the same way that you need good healthy fats, you need good healthy sources of sugar too!
Choose the healthiest sweetener options. You can find out more about these on my previous post: The Healthiest Sweeteners
13 Top Tips to Kick Sugar Addiction
1 Identify the hidden sources of sugar in your diet.
Closely look at everything you consume, read labels and figure out what is in all of the food you eat.
2 Just say no and cut the biggest culprits out.
What are the biggest sources of refined sugar in your diet? Cut them completely from your diet. Find more healthful substitutions. Make sure to get them out of your house and your immediate environment (especially at first) too.
3 Stop adding extra sugar.
Get used to tea, coffee and cereal without sugar added. You can. ..and you will likely come to prefer it.
4 Eat more fruit ..and vegetables too
Fresh produce contains natural sugars along with valuable nutrients that are good for you. Substitute puree fruit, a sliced banana or berries to your breakfast instead of sugar or syrup.
5 Eat high fiber and protein-rich foods
Healthy protein sources, such as nuts, seeds and beans and foods with lots of fiber helps to slow down the digestion process, keeping you full and keeps blood sugar balanced.
6 Drink more water
Sugar filled beverages account for over half the refined sugar consumed in America. They are filled with calories too, avoid them. Fresh water is the best way to go. Consider adding a little fruit: an orange slice, lemon, mint leaves, raspberries or grapes will flavor it and make it more interesting. Make a pitcher of your own iced tea and keep it in the fridge.
7 Never shop if you are unhappy on an empty stomach.
These times really are when the worse food choices are made.
8 Be prepared
Plan your meals ahead and have healthy foods and snacks stocked. Most unhealthy indulgent eating is done when you are hungry and feeling weak. Be prepared for these times.
9 Have distraction techniques ready for when cravings hit.
There are many great distractions. If a mid-afternoon craving strikes, get up and run up and down a flight of stairs, do 10 push ups or get up and go for a quick walk. These usually work well and long enough to get yourself distracted and avoid the sugar urge.
10 Understand the difference between true hunger and cravings.
If you are truly hungry, healthy choices like a handful of nuts, flax crackers or veggies and hummus will sound good. So go ahead. If you are having a craving it will be for a sugary snack. Distract yourself.
11 Avoid artificial sweeteners.
Not only are most of them neurotoxins and dangerous for your health, but according to experts, artificial sweeteners don’t help you break that taste for sugar and can leave you craving even more sugar afterwards.
12 Avoid anything that is ‘fat-free’.
Almost every food that has fat free on the label is loaded with sugar. If you look at the ingredient list often sugar of some type is the second or third ingredient.
13 Get outside
Fresh air and nature will help wipe sugar cravings. It makes you feel better and have a natural inclination to healthier, more natural foods.
14 Exercise
Exercise releases feel good chemicals, or endorophins in the brain and this will help turn your sugar craving off. Exercising also naturally makes you want to eat more healthful foods.
15 Retrain your mind
Subliminal audio and hypnosis tracks can help you not crave sugar at a subconscious level.
I have made tracks specifically for combatting Sugar Addiction. Each with over 30 affirmations geared to help you stop craving sugar. These tracks are embedded into subliminal tracks on the following cd’s.
Subliminal Cd with Quit Sugar tracks
Get the Habits and Addictions Subliminal Cd.
Hypnosis Cd with Quit Sugar tracks
Get the Hypnosis Cd with Quit Sugar tracks
Will you join me on a Sugar Free Challenge?
I am cutting sugar from my diet this week. Fruit is ok. This is a great chance to cut back on that little extra sweetener and explore the ingredients of whatever we consume. I think it’s a great plan.
I’d love to have you join me, and ask a friend to join you too!
Tweet this: Join us for a Sugar Challenge this week! @loverobinskey #sugarfree #healthyliving
It keeps getting easier!
Once you decrease the amount of sugar you consume you will also lose those nasty sugar cravings. You were not born craving sugar, that comes from unhealthy sugar filled diets and food choices. Within a few weeks of cutting out refined sugar you can decrease your cravings dramatically and over time you will lose the taste for so much sugar.
Remember: They say it takes 3 to 4 weeks for a habit to become ingrained, so try to stick with your new healthy lifestyle habits for at least this long.
To your optimum health with naturally sweet smiles,
