Stop Sugar Cravings Now!

Possible signs of Sugar Addiction

1. Feeling extremely hyper or tired after eating sugary or enriched grains (caused by the change in blood sugar)

2. Inability to go more than 24 hours without craving something sweet. This is an easy way to tell. Try it and see just 24 hours don’t eat any sweets of any kind. Might find it a little harder than you’re probably thinking. Irritability when having too much or not enough sugar (this is caused by changes in your blood sugar)

3. Symptoms associated with diabetes symptoms (increased thirst, increased urination, yeast infections, etc.); however after talking to a doctor and being tested you’re not diabetic.

4. Irregular eating habits

5. Cakes, cookies, etc. irresistible even when not hungry. People sometimes believe there hungry when there really not. A good way to tell is by trying to distract you

6. Sugar and Enriched grains make up more than half of your day’s meals.

7. Drinking more than 1 regular soda per day

8. Increasing weight gain or inability to lose weight.

9. Other people noticing your sugar cravings, a lot of times other people will notice things before you do.

10. Spending 15% or more of your grocery budget on sweet foods, remember things that you think have no sugar might have a lot of sugar.

Reasons for your sugar Cravings

Sugar Addiction or as some would call it, (sugar cravings) are a real problem for many people. They can cause weight gain, frustration, and feelings of low self-worth as we give-in to those cravings. One of the reasons we crave sugar is because of low adrenal function.

The adrenals are hormone glands that sit above the kidneys. Amongst other things, one of their jobs is to secrete epinephrine (better known to some as adrenaline) which provides us with energy. They also secrete cortisone when there is inflammation present in the body. When everything is functioning well and everything is being nourished properly, there is no problem. This hormonal transition takes place smoothly.

How ever there are things that can interfere with this process. Stress, can be one of the major players in creating problems for this process. When a person is stressed the adrenals secrete adrenaline as if we were preparing to fight in a war. They don’t know the difference between the stress or fighting is a war and the stress of facing an irate boss, a bouncing checkbook or rush-hour traffic. They just jump into gear and adrenaline flows.

Inflammation can be caused by many well-known factors such as injury and diseases like arthritis etc. What is less known is that food allergies can also cause inflammation? If the allergen is something that is eaten frequently such as wheat, we can have consistent low-grade inflammation going on almost all the time. (Dairy is another common food allergen). The adrenals are consistently under pressure to produce cortisone to keep the inflammation under control as much as possible.

These two factors are enough to deplete the body’s energy reserves. Add to them the requirement of now manufacturing estrogen and progesterone and you can see that this gland could very well get into trouble.

Ways to Stop those Sugar Cravings

Replace those sugary sweets with fruits. The sugars in fruits are digested differently than the empty calories of white sugar that are in most candies and processed foods. The fiber in fruit also slows the absorption of the sugars so you don’t get as high a sugar rush. Fruit is a great way to offset some of those intense sugar cravings and you have a large selection of different fruits to choose from.

Read labels on everything. You might be surprised to learn how much sugar there is in a lot of the foods that you eat. Being aware of sugar content can help you avoid high-sugary foods and help kick the addiction.

Avoid artificial sweeteners. Research has shown that artificial sweeteners cause intense cravings for sweets. Remember your trying to improve your sugar addiction not make it worse.

Remove temptations. Go through your fridge and cabinets, yes even your secret stashes and get rid of those sweets cakes, ice cream, cookies, candies, etc. When you go food shopping, make a conscious effort not to buy sweets. A good trick you might want to try is to take a walk instead of eating a dessert. If, after 15 minutes, you still want sweets, gargle with an antiseptic mouthwash and or brush your teeth. The aftertaste doesn’t mix well with sweets and you’ll probably lose your craving quickly after doing that. For a more dramatic altering of the taste sense, try getting Gymnema Sylvestre leaves and chewing a pinch of them thoroughly. In the following hour or two anything that is unsweetened will taste better than anything containing sugar.

Increase the amount of protein you take. Often our bodies will exhibit cravings for sweets when what they really need is more protein. This isn’t true for everyone though!

Switch to Whole Grains. For many people enriched grains are processed through your body as sugar – meaning they can affect you the same as eating sugar. In such cases you should start eating whole grains. Carbs are not the enemy, it’s the Carbs that are not whole grain that can detour your weight loss progress! You can switch to whole grain bread, whole grain rice, whole wheat pasta, and more. If you don’t like the taste at first, try going slowly.

Look for Sugar Free & No Sugar Added Products: Many foods come in “sugar free”, “diet”, or “no sugar added versions”. You will find that some products taste the same with or without sugar added. Buy only these versions of the product from now on. While artificial sweeteners are not great for you, it can help you gradually wean yourself off of sugar. However, you will need to stop eating these foods eventually or you could potentially fall back into the sugar habit easily.

Drink more Water. If you are a sugar addict, it’s very likely you do not drink enough water. Try to drink at least 3 glasses of water each day with no sweeteners or flavorings. Just plain old water!

Try Exercising more. Exercising will make you healthier and stronger. The stronger and healthier you are, the easier it is to fight temptation. It can also help alleviate stress and boredom that may cause you to eat sugar when you really don’t need too!

Get your rest: Sugar affects your blood sugar levels, which in return affects your energy levels. You should try to make it so that you go to bed at the same time every night and wake the same time each morning. This will make you less likely to reach for a candy bar the next time you are feeling tired because you’re in need for a boost.

Never Give Up. Some people give up just too easy, if you gobble down a pie after being sugar free all day, don’t get up-set and don’t give up. Just keep going! Everybody struggles with giving up something the love at first, just because you have a few slip ups doesn’t mean you’re doomed.

Identify and avoid triggers: Certain things make you crave sugar more than others. It is important that you do not do things that make your body crave sugar. Some common triggers are the need for more energy, boredom, depression, stress, etc. By finding alternative ways to deal with or completely avoid these triggers, you’ll learn how to stop sugar cravings for good.

It’s not easy giving up the foods you love, but what you have to remember your not giving-up all the foods you love just some. People shouldn’t think of this as punishment, but just a permit cut-back. If you usually drink soda every day, cut back to about 2 days a week. Some people don’t like the term sugar addict or sugar addiction, neither do I. You should think of eating sweets as a addiction, just a habit that you have to cut back on. Do scare yourself away from improving your sugar cravings and don’t try to move to fast. Take your time and move slowly, start small and work your way up. Don’t kick yourself in the butt if you indulge every once in a while too. Even if you do well for a few weeks or months, a relapse is possible for any former sugar craver. It’s important to take note of how much sugar you are getting each day and how it affects your overall mood. By doing this, you will likely see an improvement on days you go sugar free compared to days you had too much sugar.