Seven Ways to Kick Sugar Addiction

 

Sugar is an extremely addictive substance and giving it up isn’t always as easy as just making the mental commitment to stop it. If you want to give up your sugar cravings and stop the mood swings and insulin spikes, it’s important to understand what it does to our body.

Marketers figured this out a long time ago, that’s why sugar is added to almost every product. Sugar affects the same part of the brain as heroin. Having a little bit creates a craving for more and eventually stopping it causes withdrawal symptoms such as mood swings, insomnia, cravings, headaches, and fatigue. Sugar addiction leads to an autoimmune conditions, adrenal exhaustion, digestive disorders, obesity, and diabetes.

Did you know the average soda size in 1955 was only 7 ounces? How did we go from 7 to the 128 ounces in 62 years?

Everybody knows that sugar toxic for your health (find out why), but how can you stop this addiction without experiencing horrible withdrawal symptoms?

In this article I will share with you my secrets of breaking this distractive cycle of addiction so you can start lose weight, have more energy, sleep better, reduce pain, and have a stable mood.

Sugar is an ingredient in almost all conventional pasta sauce, hummus, sauces, salad dressings, bread, canned vegetables, yogurt, and even baby formula. No wonder we are so addicted to it!

Here are the different names for sugar that you may find on food labels (and in organic food too!):

• fructose
• maltodextrin
• high fructose corn syrup
• dextrose
• maltose
• sucrose
• corn syrup solids
• glucose/glucose syrup
• sorbitol
• mannitol
• lactose
• barley malt
• corn syrup
• cane juice
• evaporated cane juice

Here are the methods I use with my clients to break their destructive sugar cravings:

Use Spices and Natural Sweeteners

Ceylon Cinnamon has been proven to stabilize blood sugar and to have a curing effect on the pancreas and high cholesterol. Remember that the the Cinnamon Cassia type that you find in the grocery stores in not the same as Ceylon Cinnamon.

Add cinnamon to your smoothie, coffee, hot chocolate, sweet potato, or other foods is a great way to gradually eliminate sugar from your diet. It tastes sugary and very satisfying when used in amount that works for you. Experiment with it!

Cumin Seeds helps to reduce sugar craving and speed up metabolism. One of the most important weight loss impacts of cumin seeds, according to scientific research, is that it can help your body to digest and absorb fats. When you exercise and eat healthy foods, cumin can maximize on your positive changes.

There are natural sweeteners that have a sweet taste without the negative impact on the body are coconut sugar, maple syrup, liquid stevia extract, and raw unprocessed honey.

Start using these spices and natural sweeteners and eventually you will crave less and less of processed sugar.

Decrease Caffeine

Did you know that coffee without breakfast leads to sugar craving throughout the day? In the morning healthy functioning adrenal glands are supposed to produce stress hormone cortisol, which helps you have energy for the day. But because your adrenals are not producing enough cortisol, you may feel tired and reach out for caffeine for a quick energy boost.

When you drink coffee, your adrenals work too hard to produce more adrenalin, which eventually lead to adrenal fatigue and burnout.

This adrenal spike pushes cortisol into your cells’ receptors and blocks insulin from entering them. When the cortisol production wears off, your cells become very low in insulin which creates the state of emergency for your body. This may cause mood swings, anxiety attacks, headaches, or depression.

If you don’t want to give up your morning coffee, enjoy it with the healthy breakfast which contains protein and fat. Adding collagen powder, bone broth protein, coconut powder, or grass-fed butter to black coffee will boost your brain and give you energy.

Collagen is rich in the amino acid glycine that has been scientifically studied to help reduce joint pain. Collagen also aids in healthy tissue repair and helps to decrease inflammation.

You may also try a roasted dandelion, chicory or green tea to lower your caffeine intake and to cut your caffeine dose slowly.

Take  Trace Minerals

Purified and reverse osmosis water often lacks trace minerals, which may cause sweet cravings. Trace minerals are essential to hydrate your cells and detoxify your body.

So resolve this deficiency, use the essential trace minerals supplement by adding a few drops to each glass. Drink sufficient amount of mineralized water daily: 1 liter (34 ounces) for every 50lbs of body weight daily. Drinking enough mineralized water will boost your energy, reduce sugar cravings, and support your digestive and immune systems.

I often use my favorite mineral Chromium as a part to my detoxification protocol when I work with clients with long-standing sugar and alcohol addictions.

Chromium regulates blood sugar and helps insulin transport glucose into cells where it can be used for energy. Chromium also appears to be involved in the metabolism of carbohydrate, fat, and protein. Two forms are commonly available as supplements are chromium picolinate and glucose-tolerance factor (GTF) chromium.

Take 200mcg of chromium GFT with breakfast and lunch for 4-6 weeks and you will be amazed how fast your sugar cravings disappear.

Eat Complex Carbohydrates

If you are severely addicted to sugar, try eating a sweet potato for breakfast or lunch for about a week. Because sweet potato is complex carbohydrate, this will help to slow down the release of glucose in your bloodstream, reduce energy imbalances and lower sugar cravings.

You may also include other complex carbohydrate such as beets, carrots, zucchini, parsnips, plantains, butternut squash, and yams with breakfast, lunch, and dinner regularly.

Get 7 Hours of Sleep

Studies have found a link between poor sleep and some serious health problems, such as heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes, and obesity.

If you’re getting seven or eight hours of sleep a night, I suggest that you turn off the lights or use the red or amber light bulbs, shut down your computer, meditate, and go to bed an hour early. There is no replacement for a good night sleep! If we don’t sleep enough, the body creates a balanced state by craving for energy; and sugar is fastest way to get that energy. If you have trouble sleeping, try taking Melatonin or Gaba 1 hour before bedtime.

The most amazing thing that works for 95% of my clients is binaural music generated by the GDV software. It balances chakras and, as an additional benefit, helps to fall asleep faster and have uninterrupted peaceful sleep. Many of my clients reported that they have great sleep the night after listening to the binaural music for only 10 minutes. (You can listen to a sample HERE).

Boost Your Serotonin Levels

Serotonin is called the “happiness hormone,” which can be increased through diet, exercise, and the good sleep schedule. When you have enough of serotonin, you are less likely to have cravings for sweets. Serotonin is a hormone that acts as a mood stabilizer. It helps to produce healthy sleeping patterns and improve your mood. Studies show that serotonin levels can have a positive effect on mood and behavior, and this chemical is associated with feeling good and living longer. Supplements, such as tryptophan, can increase your serotonin levels. Here are the Serotonin-rich foods that you can incorporate into your diet: eggs, pineapple, tofu, salmon, nuts and seeds, turkey.

Research shows a clear relationship between being exposed to bright light and serotonin levels. To get better sleep and to boost your mood, spend one hour a day outside on direct sunlight or use the Light Therapy.

More Ways to Reduce Sugar Cravings

• Meditate Daily
• Avoid processed Foods
• Keep your blood sugar stable by eating more protein and fat
• Eat more sea vegetables (they contain minerals)

I would love to hear about your ways to deal the sugar addiction. What do you do when you feel tired and fatigued? Please share your comments below.

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Sources and references:

https://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-expert/how-does-exercise-help-those-chronic-insomnia

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11148895/