The reason we all love sugar so darn much is the obvious reason – the taste – and sugar also gives us a quick-fix high. However this high will ultimately end, and it ends badly in what experts describe as a ‘crash’ ; nausea, exhaustion, dizziness and headaches are all some of the lovely side effects obtained after that initial rush.
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Sugar is also making us fat, bringing on wrinkles and serving as a catalyst in pre-mature ageing; celebs all over the world have banned the white stuff with fantastic results, just look at Heidi Klum as proof of that! Furthermore, sugars stimulate insulin secretion in the pancreas, which in turn stimulates the liver’s triglyceride production. Triglycerides are linked to stroke, heart disease and obesity. Not good.
Sugar is basically a socially acceptable, legal, recreational drug, with deadly consequences—and like with any drug addiction, you have to have a flexible but structured plan to beat it.
Never fear as Rescu. is here with some tips and tricks to beating a sugar addiction every time it rears its ugly head:
Eat regularly. This is the simplest yet most effective way to combat those cravings, by eating three meals and two snacks or five small meals a day. For many people, if they don’t eat regularly, their blood sugar levels drop, they feel hungry and are more likely to crave sweet sugary snacks.
Choose whole foods. The closer a food is to its original form, the less processed sugar it will contain. Think delicious fresh fruits and a variety of yummy vegetables.
Have a breakfast of protein, fat and phytonutrients to start your day off right. Breakfast smoothies are ideal for this. The typical breakfast full of carbs and sugary or starchy foods is the worst option since you’ll have cravings all day to combat the ‘crashes’. Eating a good breakfast is essential to prevent sugar cravings and sets you on a healthy eating plan all day.
Try to incorporate protein and/or fat with each meal. This helps control blood sugar levels. Make sure they are healthy sources of each; eggs, mushrooms, lean meat, nuts, fish and avocado are good examples.
Add spices. Coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom will naturally sweeten your foods and reduce cravings.
Move your body. Swim, run, dance or do some yoga. Whatever exercise you enjoy will help reduce tension, boost your energy levels and decrease your need for a sugar lift.
Get enough sleep. When we are tired we often use sugar for energy to counteract the exhaustion.
Do a detox. This is a great way to cleanse our insides and re-set our eating patterns. After the horrible initial cravings are over you will find that you continue to crave sugar less and less.
Keep sugary snacks out of your house and office. It’s difficult to snack on things that aren’t there!
Don’t substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar. Studies suggest that having ‘sugar free’ products like soda actually intensify any sugar cravings we have later in the day as the body is ‘tricked’ into thinking it’s already been given sweet things.
Learn to read labels. The longer the list of ingredients, the more likely sugar is going to be included on that list. So check the grams of sugar, and choose products with the least amount of sugar per serve.
Become familiar with sugar terminology. Recognise that all of these are sweeteners; corn syrup, corn sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, honey, molasses, turbinado sugar and brown sugar.
Sugar in disguise. Remember that most of the ‘complex’ carbohydrates we consume like bread, bagels and pasta aren’t really complex at all. They are usually highly refined and act just like sugars in the body and are to be avoided.
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5 items to cut out of your diet NOW:
1. Sweets (lollies, chocolate, ice cream etc)
2. Alcohol
3. Soft Drink (INCLUDING ‘sugar free’ variety)
4. Bakery Goods (Donuts, white bread, cinnamon rolls, cakes etc)
5. Savoury snacks (Chips, biscuits etc)
5 items to replace with:
1. Fruit
2. Soda water and lime
3. Vegetable juices
4. Veggies and brown rice/bread/pasta etc
5. Air popped popcorn and nuts
So Let’s work together on our combat against our mutual sugar addictions! And don’t be cheeky; I know you’re spooning some sugar into your mug right now…PUT DOWN THE SPOON AND WALK AWAY!! Keep walking…there you go!
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