I have an addiction, and I need to quit sugar. Ok, I said it. I bet I am not the only one who has this problem either. But it can be bad. When I give myself permission to have sugar it can go one of two ways. It will either open the floodgates and make me want more, or I can have a sip or a taste of something and then not need to have any more of the item I am tasting.
My Addiction
When I am in the right mindset, I can be very good about not doing something that I know isn’t good for me. That’s how things were when I began my wellness journey in 2019. I had gone to my chiropractor’s office to work with my doctor and we came up with a plan to find out why I was struggling with unexplained weight gain. I was “dieting”, eating well, and working out; but hadn’t been able to lose weight. She did a blood test on me and found out I was battling leaky gut. So we cleaned up my nutrition to remove gluten, dairy, and eggs.
When I made these changes to my nutrition, I also lowered my consumption of sugar. I was eating more natural and whole foods, plant-based foods. With that, I didn’t have as many cravings for sugar. I didn’t necessarily cut out sugar cold turkey, but my cravings were less because I was eating good quality foods. When you eat good quality foods, your need for junk food decreases. You are more satisfied with the good food you are taking in.
This year, I am struggling with sugar and my sweet tooth. I don’t know if it is related to hormonal changes, or I am not being strong enough with my willpower. But something isn’t clicking in my brain right now to make me behave.
What Are The Dangers of Too Much Sugar?
We all know that eating a diet with excess sugar can cause weight gain, but there’s more. Besides obesity, a diet of more than 150g of fructose per day spikes your risk of developing high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
It can also cause mood swings, with the highs and lows from the dips and rises of your blood sugar levels. There is also the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. When you eat sugar, your body produces insulin. So every single time you consume sugar, you are making insulin. Too much insulin can affect your arteries all over your body. This can cause inflammation, heart disease, heart attacks or strokes.
Did you know that if you were to have a candy bar and a soda every day, you’ll gain a pound a week? Imagine taking in that sugar in other forms that you think are healthy! For example, having a breakfast of orange juice and a bowl of cereal is almost as bad as having that candy bar and a soda for breakfast. Take a look at the sugar contents of the cereal and compare it to the candy bar. Now take a look at a soda and compare that to the sugar in the orange juice. Scary right?
Why Is It So Hard To Quit Sugar?
Simple sugars cause an instant energy hit, which may be why people are more prone to grabbing a quick snack of something sweet. People see sugar and sweets as a reward. So if you refrain from having sweets, it feels like you are punishing yourself.
Having too many carbs in your diet can also enable the sugar habit. A carbohydrate releases dopamine and serotonin when you eat it. These are “feel-good” hormones. When those hormones go up, your mood goes up. Carbohydrates and/or sugar cause that to happen more quickly. When you do this often, your body craves more after the initial taste. It’s often compared to a drug because you have a little and then you want more.
You need fats and proteins mixed into your meal to make you feel more satisfied. The simple sugars found in breads and carbohydrate-heavy foods only satisfy you for a short time; whereas foods with proteins and fats take longer to break down. This helps with your insulin control.
Tips For How To Quit Sugar
Preparation
I know I am most successful with eating well when my fridge is stocked with vegetables and fruits, my dinner options are thawed out ahead of time, and I have a plan to follow for the week. I find we get stuck when we haven’t thought about dinner ahead of time, and don’t have something planned or thawed out in time.
When getting groceries, it’s really best to clean, prep, and cut up your produce before putting it in the fridge. Ideally, I wish I did this every time we brought home groceries. But I’m trying. When I have fresh blueberries on the counter that are already washed, I do grab a handful of them to snack on.
When I have snacks that are readily available and better choices for me, I am more successful. I also want my kids to have healthier options to select from when they get home from school. I’ve always seen them excited about a new snack when it’s cut up and prepared already for them. Presentation makes a big difference.
When eating your food, be mindful of how fast you are eating. Take the time to chew your food. Slow down so your brain will catch up with your stomach. Eat meals about every 4 hours. This will help stabilize your blood sugar. Those meals should contain protein, fiber, and good fats.
I made these watermelon skewers once and they thought it was the best snack!
Mindset
This is the hardest part of it all for me. At least right now, I am finding that I want something sweet more often and it’s been harder for me to resist. I think part of the reason for this is because many foods contain additional sweeteners in them.
I thought I was making a better choice by selecting a dairy-free vanilla yogurt. However, the vanilla-flavored yogurt contains many more sugars in it than a plain yogurt. I need to get into the habit now of having the plain yogurt and adding fruits, chia seeds, nuts, cinnamon, or a tiny amount of agave or honey to the yogurt.
Just being aware and conscious of what you put in your mouth is the first step in trying to reduce the amount of sugar you eat each day. Ideally, we don’t want to have more than 6 teaspoons a day of sugar per day. These sugars can be found naturally in some foods like fruit, breads, juices, and sauces. Be aware that sugar hides in many foods we eat like spaghetti sauces, ketchup, and barbecue sauce, and natural sugars are found in fruits. Check the labels when shopping.
Movement
I’ve said it before and I am a huge believer in being active every day. I am not the perfect student when it comes to practicing what I preach, but working out is a large priority in my daily routine. I work out at least 5-6 times per week.
Here’s a suggestion, if you are feeling like you need a snack or a quick sugar fix, try taking a walk. Get up from your desk or wherever you may be and move around. Do it with intention. Set a timer and make a plan with yourself to walk for 10 minutes around your yard, neighborhood, or place of work. Be intentional in using your mind over matter. A change of scenery will help take your mind off of what you are craving.
Be Kind To Yourself
If you are the type of person who can work well with controlled portions, then it’s ok to indulge from time to time; but only a little bit. For me sometimes, a forkful of a piece of cake is all I need to feel like I am enjoying a sweet dessert along with everyone else. Sometimes, it is all I need to satisfy the craving I was having in the first place.
Mix a little sweetness into your snacks. For instance, add some chocolate chips to your trail mix. The salty and sweet are a nice combination. Or make some ants on a log with bananas (or celery), peanut butter and chocolate chips.
The sweetness doesn’t have to come from chocolate; you can use raisins, fruit, artificial sweeteners, lemon juice, agave, or honey to add natural sugar to the food. But you need to be aware of the dangers of adding these to your diet. That’s why it is important to remember the “All things in moderation rule”.
Have you seen people who drink a lot of diet Coke because it is diet, so they think they are doing something better? It’s not though. They are tricking their brains into thinking they are having something sweet, which activates the body to prepare to capture the incoming sugars to process into energy. But then the chemical just goes through the body without being used, and over time, teaches the body to not process sweet things when you ingest them.
I’ve never been a fan of artificial sweeteners. I don’t like the chemical taste, aspartame gives me a migraine, and I feel better knowing the source of where the food or drink is coming from. I’d prefer to just use real sugar or a natural sweetener to control flavor and sweetness.
Do you struggle with a sweet tooth?
What do you do to help curb your appetite for sweets? I’d love to hear how you get over the struggle!