re you a Sugar Addict?    I am and even after all the work to improve my health, I still fight the cravings.  🥺  I have learned that I do not experience the intense cravings if I keep sugary items out of my diet, but as soon as I taste them, the battle is fierce!  🏹.  I also find that when I am on the cycle of feeding my sugar cravings, it is harder to focus and do the things I need to do.  Much of this behavior is a result of our habits of thinking that whisper “it’s ok to eat that.  You deserve it!”  Really, I deserve the cycle of physical effects this substance has on my body?  I don’t think so!

Researchers have found that sugar lowers both opioid and dopamine receptor availability in our brains. Put simply, sugar activates the reward and pleasure centers of our brains the same way addictive substances do. 😳.  I was told once that sugar is as addictive as cocaine, and the above explanation would explain why that is true.

Reducing  or eliminating your sugar intake can be a positive step toward improving your overall health. It can help with digestive issues like irritable bowel and acid reflux.  Eating less sugar can also improve anxiety 🫣 and stress😵‍💫, reduce fatigue😴, ease joint pain🦵, and cut down on headaches 🤕and migraines.   It can also reduce the brain fog that results from the impact of the cycle of blood sugar highs and lows we naturally experience with sugar

Self-reflection and an honest review of how your body responds to sugar in your diet is enough to identify the problem.

Ask yourself these questions:

❓Do you feel like you've lost control over how much sugar you eat?

❓Do you think about sugary foods all day?

❓Do you feel that you’re eating more sugar than you should?

❓Are you eating so much sugar that you’re making yourself sick to your stomach?

❓Do you eat sugary foods you don’t even like, just to get a boost?

If you’re answering “yes,” chances are you are dealing with dependency.

The long-term consequences of too much  sugar can include elevated risks of: Type 2 diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease, chronic inflammation , heart disease, stroke, & pancreatitis.

When it comes to breaking a sugar addiction, there’s no quick fix. 😒 It takes time and effort,  however there are mental, physical and dietary changes that will help you fend off sugar cravings and help you manage your eating habits.

🌟1.  Focus on eating a balanced diet - your plate should be divided into fourths - protein, vegetables, fruit and grains.

🌟2. Don't skip meals - and try to keep a regular schedule.  Eating small amounts 6 times a day helps keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day, which will eliminate cravings.

🌟3. Plan & prep - the more prepared you are the less likely to make quick decisions that are likely to include empty calories that will feed the cravings.

🌟4. Get Moving - add healthy motion to your routine such as walking and bicycling.

🌟5. Get plenty of sleep - We have two hormones in our stomach: leptin and ghrelin. Leptin signals to our brain that we’re full. Ghrelin, on the other hand, sends the message that we’re hungry.

Your ghrelin levels increase when you don’t have good sleep.

It’s harder to make good choices when you’re tired, and even harder to pass up the short-term energy boost sugary foods offer. Being well-rested will reduce your sugar cravings and — when they do happen — make them easier to ignore.

🌟6.  Drink lots of water - the body signals dehydration and hunger in the same way, so often when we think we are hungry we are really needing to drink water.

🌟7. Journal your food intake - Its really easy to eat (or overeat) sweets without realizing it.  We can manage what we monitor.

🌟8. Don't eliminate food groups that aren't harming you - Everyday we see / hear see plenty of people claiming that you’ll feel so much better if you just stop eating [fill in the blank].  That doesn’t serve us well and sets us up for failure.