Sugar is deliciously addictive, and absolutely everywhere. It’s lovingly interwoven into our celebrations, holidays, and after school snacks. I remember being appalled to hear that my daughter and her entire second grade class were given candies by the teacher every morning before standardized testing to “help those brains work.” These kids were being fed more than artificially colored sugar; they were being fed the idea that sugar is a widely endorsed crutch that they should rely on to do their best. That definitely was not the healthy relationship I was trying to instill in my girl, especially after a long personal struggle with sugar. We all choose our battles, this was one was mine.

Most of my patients say it’s too slippery a slope to have even a taste of sugar, because the floodgates open and there’s no stopping the deluge. I don’t have a problem with the ‘all or nothing’ approach in the preliminary stages, but eventually it becomes a recipe for failure. There will ALWAYS be a party, a holiday, or a wedding. Plus it feels terrible being left out while everyone else partakes, while being asked repeatedly “are you sure you don’t want some?” “…just a small slice??”

Does sugar offer anything our bodies need to survive? – Nope.

Does that mean you can’t relax and enjoy a piece of Birthday cake? – I certainly hope not.

It isn’t easy to change a long standing habit, but it is an excellent challenge and opportunity for self reflection. There’s a lot of merit in the process and I encourage people to try, even if the goal it’s a permanent lifestyle change, but rather a dip into what might come down the road.

This is a quote I personally had to tip my hat to as an ex-sugar junky. It may seem harsh, but I think it holds true for many. It speaks to eating our emotions, using sugar as an immediate source of pleasure + simultaneous distraction, and the unfortunate cycle of energy dependence that constantly consuming sugar invites.

“…those who fail to accept the appropriate and often-difficult challenges in life usually consume an excess of sweet food, which fuels their laziness.”

~ Paul Pitchford; Healing With Whole Foods.

No sugar coating there!

I promise there IS a way out. With healthy doses of self-love, discipline, and patience, you can baby-step you way to a place of ease and control in the face of sweet temptation. The tools below comprise your survival backpack for this quest. There are no shortcuts, and that’s precisely the point.

1:: Remove Temptation – Remember that sugar is highly addictive. Don’t keep unhealthy options in easy reach.

2:: Eat naturally sweet foods BEFORE you have cravings – Realize that consuming sugar in natural forms, such as in whole fruits, carrots, winter squash, and sweet potatoes, results in a totally different insulin response than consuming refined sugars does. Flooding the body with a rush of insulin from refined sweets, creates a cycle of stress on the stomach and pancreas leading to increased blood acidity which the body then corrects by leaching important minerals out of other areas of the body to bring the blood pH back into safe range. The digestive system becomes weak and can’t efficiently extract the building blocks for robust energy from even the healthiest foods, leading to greater sugar cravings for a quick shot of poor quality energy.

3:: Combine healthy fats with your sugar – This will slow the breakdown of sugar and the release of insulin, and provides a feeling of satisfaction which will help keep you from reaching for more sugar. Be aware not to go overboard even with healthy fats.

4:: Take time to relax while you’re eating – Even a very clean diet can be problematic if not consumed mindfully. Poor food combining, eating while stressed, such as during mental or physical multitasking or rushing, and inadequate chewing can all contribute to major sugar cravings along with bloating, gas, digestive pain, and increased stress reactions.

5:: Chew, chew, chew – Thorough chewing releases the natural sweetness we otherwise miss in vegetables and grains and gradually relieves sugar cravings as well as improving digestive function and reducing excessive food intake.

6:: Adapt your pallet to more mildly flavored foods – this helps keep your body from swinging from high salt to super sweet cravings.

7:: Try eating something sour or slightly spicy – When you’re trying to resist a sweet craving, something sour or a little spicy can help diminish the desire for that dessert.

8:: Don’t be deceived – Inflammatory reactions and insulin spikes don’t just come from cane sugar. Shift the way you define sugar to include the foods that revert back into sugar upon contact with your stomach. Simple carbs like pasta, tortillas, bread, and crackers, along with other concentrated natural sweeteners: maple syrup, honey, juice, agave. Don’t even get me started on artificial sweeteners. That’s a no-go zone.

9:: Keep the fiber – The difference between fruit and fruit juice is the fiber. Like adding fats to sugars to slow the ensuing sugar rush, fiber works to slow the rush and fill you up so you don’t consume so much. A standard glass of orange juice is equivalent to 3-4 oranges!

10:: Make small shifts in your current habit, and continue to add to those tiny successes until you’ve transformed your norm. It’s very helpful to reflect along the way with a journal or just silently in your mind. Compare your overall mood and energy as you make these improvements. You’ll find that despite the difficulties, you will gain far more benefits: improved mental clarity and mood,  fewer colds, happier menstrual health, healthy body weight, more restful sleep, and the knowledge that you are finally in control of your habits and making the choices you want for your body.

11:: Don’t over consume animal proteins – Pay attention to the amount of animal protein vs. sugar in your diet. Too much animal protein often leads to increase cravings for sugar and a cycle of inflammation and blockage in the body.

12:: Slowly wean yourself off artificial energy – Stimulants, including sugar, give a temporary jolt of energy which results in greater depletion in the body and pushes you further away from the place where your body can create real sustaining energy. I recommend a slow reduction in stimulants.

13:: Rest & Move – This vital combination cannot be supplemented or sidestepped. Without it, you will add more stress to the equation and rob your body of it’s best outlet for releasing pre-existing stress and toxins. Even on our best behavior, the body encounters constant stress in the form of natural cell die off and the need to detox from other waste products, along with filtering out unavoidable environmental toxins.

Be kind to yourself. You’ll only waste valuable time beating yourself up for getting off track… instead, get back on and keep moving forward.

Here’s to freedom from maddening sugar cravings, while still enjoying well-budgeted splurges from time to time. Good luck!

I would love to hear about your personal journey and lend support as well.