Sugar is one of the most addictive substances on the planet. Most of us consume at least some sugar daily. It may be in our coffee or in our sauces, biscuits, juices, etc.
It’s so prevalent in processed foods that it’s almost impossible to avoid it. Food manufacturing companies tend to sneakily give sugar many different names so that consumers are unwary of just how much sugar is in the foods they’re consuming.
Obesity has become a worldwide problem, especially in 1st world countries like the US, UK, etc. Children get hooked on sugar at an early age and start guzzling sodas and eating junk food without control.
To break one’s sugar addiction will require Herculean effort, but it can be done… and if approached in a sensible manner, will be easier to accomplish.
Discover the joys of cold fruit
Let’s face it – kicking the sugar habit is going to be extremely difficult in the beginning, especially if you have a sweet tooth. The best way to get around this problem will be to get some of your favorite fruit, cut them into slices and place the fruit in the refrigerator.
Cold fruit always seems to taste sweeter. Whenever you’re craving for sweet foods, just grab a few slices of fruit and your sugar cravings will be satisfied. Not only is this healthier, but it will not be fattening like the usual sugary foods such as chocolates and ice cream.
Watch for hidden sugars
Hidden sugars can be found in almost all processed foods, including foods that claim to be healthy. Energy bars, packaged fruit juices, energy drinks, etc. contain high amounts of high fructose corn syrup which is also a form of sugar.
Sometimes it may be caramel or stevia or some other type of sweetener that still spikes your blood sugar levels. The key to breaking your sugar addiction is to consume as little sugar as possible.
One of the best ways to do that is to minimize your consumptions of processed foods for about 3 weeks. This will help curb your sugar intake greatly.
Know when cravings will hit
Sugar cravings can occur like clockwork. You’ll realize this when you start a food journal and write down the times you eat and the foods you eat.
You’ll discover that you may crave something sweet in the middle of the afternoon or it could be before bedtime. Whatever the case, it’ll usually be around the same time daily because we are all creatures of habit.
Once you know how your body behaves, you can be better prepared to avoid being around temptations when you know your cravings will strike.
Don’t drink your calories
Do NOT drink sodas, packaged fruit juices, sweetened water, etc. Almost all these drinks contain sugar.
Avoid drinks which contain artificial sweeteners too. These are just as bad, and studies have shown that they spike your blood sugar levels similarly because the body registers it as sugar. It also keeps you addicted to sweet foods.
Cold turkey VS gradual reduction
The best and fastest way to overcome sugar addiction will be to quit it cold turkey for 2 or 3 weeks. That’s sufficient time to overcome this problem.
You’d do well to avoid starchy carbs such as bread, pasta, white rice, etc. during this time too. You’ll discover that you lose several pounds during these 3 weeks than you thought possible.
More importantly, your cravings will stop and you’ll not need much sugar in your diet anymore.
That said, quitting sugar cold turkey can be very frustrating and require high levels of determination and fortitude. If that seems too difficult for you, the slow and steady approach may be better suited to you.
Aim to gradually reduce your consumption of sugar daily until you’re consuming it minimally. It may take you two months to finally reach a stage where you consume only 2 cubes of sugar a day in your coffee. That’s excellent, even if the process was longer.
What matters is that you broke your addiction… and that is definitely an achievement. If you’re consuming too much sugar, you can start making changes to your diet starting from today. This is one of the best steps you can take to ensure good health in the long run.
OM