Conquering My Sugar Addiction

I have a really big addiction to sweets. I don't use the word addiction lightly. I have been trying to give up dairy, sugar and wheat for more than a year. It's never a slice of bread or a yogurt that causes me to falter. It's always a cookie. Or a piece of dark chocolate. Or Cookies and Cream Ice Cream. Or pie. Or...well you get the picture. I've joked about having a sweet tooth. But as I get older, I'm learning that my sweet tooth can have dire consequences. Two people in my family have Diabetes. One has taken very good care of themselves with diet, medication and regular doctor appointments. The other has not and now they are suffering the consequences. I don't want to get to the point where I have to deal with being Diabetic so I am diligently seeking to overcome my addiction. Here are some tips I'm doing to start implementing. If you're struggling with an addiction to sugar, maybe they will help you as well.

 Add self care. Before you attempt to eliminate anything from your life – even something negative, such as food addiction – it’s important to add to your life, so that you are operating from an overflow, not a deficit. Eliminating sugar will create a vacuum; better to fill it with something positive – self-care – than something negative – self-sabotage. Have a good book to read, to fill the hours you might have spent eating ice cream in front of the TV; take on a hobby instead of baking.

 Treat yourself like you’re in detox. The first week of sugar abstinence is hard, when the cravings are at their most powerful. Be kind to yourself: this is not the time to tackle a large project, to implement lots of changes, or to work overtime. Why do people go to a spa when they’re detoxing? Because they need extra support. Likewise, give yourself extra support. Go to bed earlier. Take naps. Cook simple meals (and don’t make the same mistake I did: don’t cook meals for your family that have ingredients in them that you are trying not to eat. Don’t make sugar abstinence any harder than it needs to be.) Spend time in prayer and meditation. Call on others for support and encouragement.
 
 Just start over whenever you slip and fall. You don’t have to wait until the next morning, or succumb to the thinking that says, “I’ve blown it; I might as well have some brownies to go with it,” when you slip up and eat sugar. Giving up sugar is hard. It’s ingrained in our holidays, in our meals, in our society. Be kind to yourself when you mess up, and get right back on track. Create a positive affirmation to use: “I am resilient,” or “I am starting over,” when you make a mistake. Have some protein, make a cup of mint tea, and brush your teeth. Then remove yourself from your food source: take a walk, call a friend, go outside, go to the library. Do something to change your environment so you can switch gears. Be mindful that there are 3 stages to healing a sugar addiction. What stage are you in?
 
 Forgive yourself. I felt terrible shame about my sugar addiction. Releasing that shame was like lifting an enormous weight off my psyche. We are all imperfect. If you have food issues, offer yourself self-acceptance. All those times you gorged on sugar? Recognize that you were doing the best you could, and that as you know better, you can do better. Sugar addiction is not a character defect; it’s a symptom of a lack of self-care skills. Most of us aren’t taught how to care for ourselves in healthy ways, which is why we seek comfort in food. The good news? Healthy self-care can be learned. It’s something you get to practice, everyday.

Know all the sneaky names for sugar. Read food labels and get rid of condiments, sauces, and dressings with sugar in them. Learn to make condiments and dressings with out the sugar.

Eat fruit. Fruit is a great way to eat something sweet, and control calories. Just stay away from dried fruit or sweetened fruit.

Avoid artificial sweeteners. These are just a crutch. They keep you from learning to enjoy the natural sweetness of real food. There are also studies that show that they can make you crave sugar, not to mention the studies that show other dangerous health effects like cancer. 

Eliminate the white stuff. White flour, white rice, and white potatoes. These have the same affect on blood sugar as sugar, and this will make sugar harder to kick. These foods keep you on the insulin- low blood sugar cycle

Avoid juice. Even 100% juice is sugar water in disguise. Drink water, and if you must, only a splash of juice for flavor. 

Try stevia. Stevia is an herb that is very sweet and has a slight licorice flavor. While it is a stretch to make a whole dessert with stevia, it is great in coffee and on cereal. It may take some getting used to, but it is way better than loading your food with sugar or known toxic chemicals.Tip: Look for stevia in the dietary supplement section. It will not be with the sweeteners

Learn to use honey. If you really need a sugar fix, eat some honey. Learn to cook with it. Learn how to drizzle it in thin steams. It is very high in sugar but, has other benefits that sugar does not and it is all natural.Tip: Buy honey local to your area. The local pollens the bees use to make the honey could help prevent some seasonal allergies. 

Limit alcohol. Alcohol is made from sugar. It acts like sugar in the body. Especially when you first are trying to kick sugar stay away from any alcoholic beverages.

Bring a low sugar dessert to share. Temptations are everywhere. Show others how delicious a low sugar life style can be.

 Keep it out of the house. Do not temp yourself with your child's pop tarts or your husband's ice cream. Tell your family what you are doing and then put your foot down. It is hard enough with out sweets calling your name all day long.

Eat sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and brown rice with meals. These are the foods to replace the white foods with. Sweet potatoes make a yummy dessert with a little yogurt. Steam small red potatoes or some brown rice to eat with dinner. If time is an issue, cook these items ahead of time.

If you must eat sweets, eat them after meals. After meals sugar has less of an effect on blood sugar. You will be less likely to crash and crave more later.