While writings on sugar addiction and breaking it are vast, here are some quick ways to alter your lifestyle and to enjoy more energy without sugar. There are many foods and supplements that will regulate blood sugar and cravings; three are included below to quickly eliminate your body’s demands for it. Homeopathics are great too but we’ll have to include those in another installment.

On another note, people engaged in the sugar battle can become discouraged and berate themselves for their inability to quit. We hope they take heart! Rats equipped with their animal survival instincts will still opt for sugar water over cocaine if given the choice. Americans are fighting brain and hormonal responses, heavy-duty marketing, years of diet conditioning and misinformation, food additives, and Candida yeast to name a few. The Candida alone will put up a fight for its sweet sustenance and will scream in your body for more sugar! Those free riders need to go away and leave our energy alone.

~Health Freedoms

Overcoming Sugar Addiction

I received quite a few emails after my last post about sugar addiction.  Yes, you know sugar is not good for you, but you NEED it…especially after a meal and certainly after you’ve eaten a bite of chocolate goodness. What was once thought of as a relatively innocuous source of empty calories is now understood as a major contributor to our nation’s increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, ADHD, metabolic syndrome and cancer.

Sugar is known to lower our immune system and makes us more susceptible to infections.  Sugar gives an initial burst of energy followed by a crash, which leads to wanting more and more sugar. This series of highs and lows stresses your adrenal glands and contributes to fatigue, anxiety and sleep disturbances. I still think that sugar in moderation will not cause disease or significant weight gain. On the other hand, for many people, sugar in moderation leads to a psychological battle of watching the minutes until the next sugary fix and the unhealthy consequences of addiction.

Sugar addiction is real. One study showed rats that were given a choice between sugar water and cocaine, chose sugar 94% of the time. Even rats addicted to cocaine, switched to sugar water when given the choice.  This shows that sweetness is more rewarding to the brain than cocaine (well, at least in rats who happen to metabolize sugar like we do).

In order to overcome sugar addiction, I recommend a 3-week strict sugar elimination. I usually recommend this as part of a 3-week cleanse.  It takes 3-weeks of avoidance to reset the palate, eliminate cravings and allow the consumption of sugar in moderation (such as the occasional dessert during an evening out).  Also, a cleanse eliminates wheat and dairy which, I have found, also contribute to sugar cravings. Here are some tips to help you manage sugar cravings during the 3-week elimination period: