Breaking sugar addiction is easier than you might think....
Breaking sugar addiction is easier than you might think. It doesn’t take weeks or months.
We know at this point that sugar causes all kinds of health problems ranging from diabetes to heart disease, we know that sugar has an adverse impact on the gut microbiome which is a key player in our overall health, and we know that we generally eat too much sugar and that most of us do better on a diet that is lower in sugar.
This newsletter isn’t t going to explain why sugar is so bad. I've written about that recently. This newsletter is for those of you who want to cut back on the sugar your family is eating, but are having trouble breaking the sugar addiction and kicking it to the curb.
But before sharing my most successful strategies on breaking sugar addiction, I hope you learned some interesting facts about how “Food isthe foundation of health” in our newsletter last week. If you missed it, you can use this link, here.
So for today, I’d like you to think about this…..
Is busting through sugar cravings an issue for your family?
If you live in today’s society and socialize with others outside of your most inner-circle of friends and family at all, you know this question is almost laughable!
Sometimes a sugar craving looks like tantrums when sweets are withheld, sometimes it looks like clandestine visits to the refrigerator or a stop at the gas station for junk food, sometimes it looks like a picky eater who will only eat carbohydrates like bread and pasta.
We know sugar causes all kinds of health problems and that we eat too much of it. But what should families do when it comes to cutting down on sugar??
Why Bother????
Studies have show that refined sugars can suppress your immune system for hours after ingesting it. And we all now know that our immune system and gut microbiome are the most important key players in our overall health.
Breaking sugar addiction is easier than you think. It doesn’t take weeks or months.
This newsletter is for those of you who want to cut back on the sugar your family is eating, but are have trouble breaking the addiction and taking control of those unconscious cravings that creep into our daily lives at times.
Don’t forget:
Certain eating styles have the potential to influence disease prevention, influence the quality of life, health, and longevity.
What you put at the end of your fork is a more powerful medicine than anything you will find at the bottom of a pill bottle.
Let’s talk Strategy
My goal is to help families actually do the things they want to do to improve their health and well-being. So let's move past the why and into the how.
The first thing to understand is that breaking a sugar addiction has little to nothing to do with willpower (yes, sugar is super addictive... so let's call a spade a spade).
When it comes to breaking a sugar addiction, it helps to think about what is driving the addiction in the first place.
Addictions don't come out of thin air... addictions move in to fill a gap.
So what's the gap sugar is filling for your family?
Cutting Sugar is Not Going to Come From Willpower:
Sugar is highly addictive. There are reasons we crave it. Here are some common drivers of sugar cravings. Root out this stuff and you'll be more successful at kicking the sugar out.
Low blood sugar. The level of glucose in the blood needs to stay within a very narrow margin. Should that level drop, hormones trigger the brain to want sugar. Not eating enough during the day, certain micronutrient deficiencies, overeating refined carbohydrates and poor fiber intake can lead to low blood sugar. Children and older individuals can be very susceptible to this.
Yeast overgrowth in the gut. A plethora of yeast species naturally live in our digestive tracts and are helpful to our detoxification and immune function (among other things). When certain yeast species are allowed to overgrow, they can create chemical metabolites that can cause pain, inflammation and mood changes. Yeast eats sugar - when they're hungry they will make you reach for sugar.
Cravings for comfort & Stress. Sugar truly makes us feel good... for a while. Sugar’s ability to stimulate feel good-hormones like endorphins, dopamine and serotonin is in part what makes it so addictive. Also, since stress gobbles up energy, and since your body knows that the quickest way to replenish that energy is to reach for sugar, stress can lead to sugar cravings.
Can you see why this has little to do with willpower? There is something causing the craving and the question to ponder is: why is my family craving sugar?
If you can’t alter biochemistry by reducing stress, stabilizing blood sugar and controlling yeast, you’ll find it very difficult to get sugar out of your diet, or your family’s.
So what is at the root for your family’s sugar cravings?
Start By Looking For Patterns:
Do the cravings appear mid afternoon? That's when serotonin naturally takes a dip so maybe the body is trying to boost that.
Does it happen towards the end of the day? Could be the body is looking for quick energy.
Does it happen first thing in the morning? Perhaps the body is trying to boost dopamine, our “get-up-and-go” hormone.
Is it happening in response to stress? Perhaps the body is trying to boost endorphins which are hormones that improve self-esteem and confidence.
Some Nutritional Strategies To Help Curb Sugar Cravings:
1. Stimulate the same feel-good hormones as sugar, using nutritious foods instead.
Include plenty of tyrosine-rich foods like chicken, fish, nuts, pumpkin seeds, beans, eggs, along with plenty of tryptophan-rich foods like turkey, shrimp, mushrooms, cod, tuna, spinach. Tyrosine and Tryptophan are the amino acids that we need to create dopamine and serotonin.
Increase foods rich in vitamins A and D. They work together in the creation of dopamine.
Assess the need for more magnesium and vitamin B6 which are used in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin and tyrosine to dopamine (both those co-factors are, as it turns out, depleted by sugar!)
Engage in repetitive movements like chewing gum, drumming, knitting.... these activities increase serotonin
Try meditation and exercise to increase dopamine and endorphins
Try whole fruits such as berries and pure dark chocolate to wean yourself off of the need for refined sugar. The taste of “sweet” on the tongue will stimulate opiates in the brain which will lead to dopamine release. Go for quality over quantity with this strategy.
2. Eat for better blood sugar stability
Consume as much real, whole, unprocessed foods as possible - you need to eat fat and protein for each meal - like veggies, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Broccoli is broccoli. Processed, sugary foods are not REAL foods. They set the stage for sugar addiction and all it’s ugly consequences
Ditch all sodas and fruit juices - drink tea, coffee, water, or soda water
Replace table sugar with a healthy sugar substitute such as Stevia, Xylitol or Erythritol
Sit and relax when you eat (try to not “eat on the go”)
Focus on lower-sugar whole fruits like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
Eat chromium-rich food like broccoli, green beans, apples and grass-fed beef
3. Implement crave-cutting amino acids
These nutrients can curb sugar cravings because they are the building blocks for those hormones we talked about above. They can be taken as supplements. Some helpful amino acids can be:
L-glutamine. Use 200-500mg of powder directly on the tongue when a sugar craving hits
Tryptophan. If low serotonin is causing the sugar craving this can be helpful in the morning and then, if needed, mid-day
D-phenylalanine. If the sugar is filling an emotional need this can be helpful first thing in the morning
The RDA for added sugar is currently (36g) and (24g) for women. Half that for children. Start to pay attention to food labels to see how much sugar you're taking in each day. You'll likely be shocked!
Some Lifestyle Strategies To Help Curb Sugar Cravings:
1. Reduce Stress - Stress eating and junk food go together. When you’re feeling stressed, you’re more likely to reach for that bag of chocolate chip cookies or whatever your vice might be. Learn to address the root cause of your stress and address it with something like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing.
2. Exercise Smartly - Besides creating a healthy distraction to avoid nose-diving into a pint of butter pecan ice cream, exercise tapers cravings and raises feel-good endorphin levels. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned athlete, you can incorporate an easy-to-implement exercise such as walking, calisthenics or stretching anywhere, any time.
3. Do you have allergies? - Determine whether food sensitivities could be causing your cravings. We often crave the very foods that we have a hidden allergy to, including gluten, dairy, and sugar. See me for simple blood tests that will reveal these sensitivities.
4. Sleep Well - Ever notice you’re hungrier for something sugary after a terrible night’s sleep? Studies show a lack of sleep increases cravings. Aim to get (8) hours of deep quality sleep each day; and start your day with protein like eggs, protein shakes, or nut butters. Eat smaller meals (with protein) throughout the day, and avoid eating (3) hours before bedtime.
The Bottom Line
So, as you can see it’s really quite simple….. Paying attention to your sugar craving pattern(s), eating REAL whole unprocessed foods, steadying your blood sugar levels, reducing stress, exercising smartly, sleeping well and implementing crave-cutting supplements are the main solutions to sugar cravings! Yes, you may have an allergy or two that is adding to your sugar dependence (see me for a simple blood test). But, a focus on eating real, whole foods that are rich in polyphenols (like berries and nuts), healthy fats (like avocados), and high quality protein (like wild caught seafood) rather than processed foods found in packages that lack nutrients will stave off most sugar cravings.
While these tips can help prevent or even treat sugar addiction, it’s important to keep your expectations in check and work with a holistic functional doctor on what’s right for your individual health situation.
You have the immense power to shift your cravings with EVERY thing you eat and do! Find out first what your patterns of cravings are, and implement some of these tried and true strategies.
I hope today’s newsletter has helped you see why it is so important for you to protect and strengthen your body. Don’t let the pressures of sugar cravings keep you from the amazing health your body has intended for you. If you need help breaking a “sugar” addiction and are ready to make a change; please reach out to us!
Also, we’ve got my new cookbook, “Eat Like your LIFE Depends on it”, available in each office for those of you that would like to buy one at a discounted price. Hopefully I ordered enough! If not, and you’d like to get cooking right away, you can find them for sale on Amazon, using this LINK.
And, don’t forget the (5) Essentials we talk about at Ferguson Life Health Centers…
Mindset
Nerve Supply
NUTRITION
EXERCISE
MINIMIZING TOXINS
There are NO LIMITS of what you can create, you are POWERFUL and there is nothing that you can not have or achieve! Believe in your power, believe in yourself and let go of what no longer serves you! ♡ design your life, create your reality…
This is life changing!
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