{"id":1112,"date":"2021-07-19T07:22:09","date_gmt":"2021-07-19T07:22:09","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2023-08-30T14:22:13","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T06:22:13","slug":"how-to-break-a-sugar-addiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/how-to-break-a-sugar-addiction\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Break a Sugar Addiction"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you feel like you need to learn how to break a sugar addiction in order to start eating healthier, you\u2019ve come to the right place. If you think you might be addicted to food or battling an eating disorder, you may need to consider professional help. Learning how to break a sugar addiction on your own, for example, might be difficult without some outside help.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking to start with steps you can commit to on your own, to manage sugar cravings, the following steps might help. To begin, let\u2019s discuss trigger foods and the role they play in sugar addiction.<\/p>\n

Identify Your Trigger Foods<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Not all of us struggle with the same food triggers. The foods with which some of us completely lose control, others do just fine. In fact, your genes play a part in determining the degree of sugar addiction. Although a DNA test can help you determine if you\u2019re more prone to getting a sugar addiction, you can also simply pay attention to your eating habits.<\/p>\n

The first step to break your sugar addiction<\/a> is to identify which foods, specifically, you struggle with. You might find that a food journal comes in handy, here. Write down what you eat, how much of it you eat, and if you have trouble stopping. This doesn\u2019t have to be some detailed account of foods and calories, as it might simply be a record of what you eat and why.<\/p>\n

You might write down how you felt before, during, and after eating different foods.<\/strong> In your journal or food diary, you could also write about any occasions of binge-eating, where you ate one of something, and just couldn\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n

Get a crystal-clear picture of which foods or types of foods are causing you the most trouble. Reflect on the situations, times, places, thoughts, and feelings that are often present when your cravings kick in.<\/p>\n

Often, we turn to food for distraction, coping, entertainment, stress relief or comfort. Be honest with yourself and work to cultivate a sense of self-awareness.<\/p>\n

Doing so might help you practice self-control<\/a>, build confidence<\/a> and self-esteem, and make better decisions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve identified your triggers, start planning for how to address them.<\/p>\n

Consider Moderation or Abstinence<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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\u201cEat all foods in moderation\u201d is common advice for making dietary changes. For some of us, this is a great approach. We find that when we become too restrictive with our eating habits, we\u2019re more likely to binge.<\/p>\n

Some of us, however, are horrible at moderation.<\/p>\n

We simply find it easier and less stressful to say \u201cno\u201d than to eat \u201cjust one\u201d.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, in the context of food addiction, the advice to \u201ceat all foods in moderation\u201d can be counterproductive<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll want to find the approach that works best for you.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been trying either of these approaches and are struggling, consider trying the other.<\/p>\n

Regardless of which approach you choose, you might find it helpful to not keep trigger foods at home.<\/p>\n

Putting some friction between yourself and potentially problematic foods might make all the difference in the world.<\/p>\n

Next, we\u2019ll cover steps you can take with your diet in general to manage hunger and cravings.<\/p>\n

Eat to Stay Satisfied<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Another step that might help is dialling in the rest of your diet to control your appetite.<\/p>\n

Eat Slowly<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Without changing what you eat, changing how you eat can help you control your appetite and break your sugar addiction.<\/p>\n

Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and pay attention to your food. Eating slowly<\/a> might help you eat less without feeling hungrier.<\/p>\n

Chewing thoroughly also might help you eat less, and promote the release of digestion and satiety hormones<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Paying attention to what you\u2019re eating and reflecting on what you\u2019ve already eaten might help you eat less<\/a> in the immediate moment and also later in the day.<\/p>\n

Make Protein the Foundation of Every Meal<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Eating more protein<\/a> promotes higher metabolism, feeling more full, and losing more fat \u2013 not precious muscle, organs, or other lean mass tissue \u2013 when losing weight.<\/p>\n

Animal sources like meat, dairy, fish, and eggs typically offer more digestible, bio-available, complete amino acid profiles, plus a wide range of nutrients not found in plant sources<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll likely look, feel, and perform your best with somewhere around a gram of protein per pound of body weight<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This usually looks like one or two palm-sized servings of protein with each meal, assuming three or four meals per day.<\/p>\n

Fill up with Minimally-Processed Carbs and Fats<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Regardless of whether you prefer more fat and fewer carbs or vice versa, eating minimally processed food can help you keep your hunger in check.<\/p>\n

For example, in a 2019 trial<\/a>, participants freely eating ultra-processed foods consumed 500 calories more per day than those freely eating unprocessed foods with the same nutrient profile.<\/p>\n

Examples of minimally processed fat sources are beef, lamb, eggs, nuts, seeds, olives, avocados, and fatty fish like salmon.<\/p>\n

For carbs, you might choose fruit, berries, root vegetables, tubers, and properly-prepared grains and legumes, if you tolerate them.<\/p>\n

Drink Water, Tea, or Other Non-Caloric Beverages<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Calories in liquid form, including sugary drinks, don\u2019t affect our hunger and satiety signals<\/a> the same as solid food, and can promote excessive energy intake and weight gain.<\/p>\n

Consider starting each day with 30 \u2013 40 oz. of plain water immediately upon waking.<\/p>\n

From there, prioritize non-caloric options like more water, unsweetened tea, plain black coffee, or drinks flavoured with other sugar substitutes.<\/p>\n

You might find flavoured carbonated waters like LaCroix to be a nice non-caloric option.<\/p>\n

If you prefer something sweeter, you might enjoy a stevia-sweetened soda alternative like Zevia.<\/p>\n

That all being said, food and drink aren\u2019t the only factors affecting your appetite.<\/p>\n

Prioritize High-Quality Sleep<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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One factor other than food that might be playing a role in your cravings is poor sleep.<\/p>\n

Sleep deprivation appears to affect our nervous systems in ways that drive our appetite<\/a> for high-calorie foods.<\/p>\n

Even one night of sleep curtailment<\/a> may promote increased hunger, cravings, food reward, and portion sizes.<\/p>\n

To make sure poor sleep isn\u2019t contributing to your cravings for sugar, consider the following steps:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends<\/a> setting a bedtime that allows for 7 hours of sleep, establish a relaxing bedtime routine, keep your bedroom quiet, comfortable, and cool, and use your bed only for sleep and sex.<\/li>\n
  2. Practice good sleep hygiene<\/a>, including regular exercise, manage stress, reduce noise, set a consistent bedtime, and avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and daytime napping.<\/li>\n
  3. Get plenty of bright light<\/a> early and throughout the day, while minimizing bright light \u2013 especially from artificial lighting, smartphones, and screens \u2013 at night.<\/li>\n
  4. If you must use screens at night, consider wearing amber-colored blue light blocking glasses<\/a> for 2 hours before heading to bed.<\/li>\n
  5. Make sure you\u2019re eating enough<\/a>, particularly protein and carbohydrates, and consider supplementing with melatonin, GABA, or glycine.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Manage Stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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    Another factor that might be playing a role in making a sugar addiction more difficult to break is stress.<\/p>\n

    One of the primary drivers of stress causing weight gain is the cravings<\/a> it can promote.<\/p>\n

    What makes this such a challenging obstacle to overcome is that we can\u2019t always eliminate our sources of stress.<\/p>\n

    Sure, we could cut ties, quit our jobs, and move to the tropics to open a coconut farm.<\/p>\n

    However, most of us have bills to pay, mouths to feed, and people who depend on us.<\/p>\n

    So, rather than dropping everything and removing ourselves from society, we can take small steps each day to better manage our stressors.<\/p>\n

    Establish a Mindfulness Practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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    One strategy for managing stress is establishing a mindfulness practice.<\/p>\n

    Mindfulness is paying attention to the immediate moment<\/a>, intentionally, and with curiosity and compassion, not judgement.<\/p>\n

    One area where a regular mindfulness practice really shines is in its ability to promote self-control<\/a> when making changes to improve your health.<\/p>\n

    Perhaps most relevant to break your sugar addiction or cravings, mindfulness might help reduce<\/a> binge eating, impulsive eating, and restrained eating.<\/p>\n

    One popular mindfulness practice, meditation<\/a>, appears to improve not only stress, but also anxiety, depression, pain, and other aspects of mental health.<\/p>\n

    Some popular ways to practise mindfulness<\/a> are:<\/p>\n