10 Tips to Get Rid of Sugar Cravings

One of the most common things I hear from the clients I work with is, "I have such strong cravings for sugar and carbohydrates." or "...if I could just get rid of these sugar cravings, I think I could follow through on my healthy eating plan."

If this resonates with you, you are not alone. In fact research shows that the average American eats between 3 and 5 pounds of sugar each WEEK! Holy cow! Back in the 1800's, people would eat only 10 pounds of sugar a YEAR!

The USDA estimates that most of this sugar comes from processed and pre-packaged foods that contain refined sugar as well as sugar loaded beverages like: soda, fruit juice, cakes, cookies, and candy. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition proved that the refined sugar found in these foods was just as addictive as cocaine or heroin. 

When you eat sugar, your brain releases tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter that acts as an anti-depressant and makes you feel good and happy. But that feeling only lasts a little while until the body crashes from the sugar high. So in order to increase serotonin and help you feel better again, your body signals cravings for MORE sugar!

This vicious cycle is not your fault, these foods are crazy addictive, but that doesn't mean that you have to stay on this crazy sugar ride forever. There are some simple steps you can take to get rid of this addiction, check out this week's What's That?! Wednesday post for...

Top 10 Tips to Get Rid of Sugar Cravings:

1. "Crowd out" the processed foods and sugar by eating REAL FOOD! The bottom line here is that processed foods are sugar loaded fake foods that increase your cravings for sugar. Avoid the "middle isles" of the grocery store where these foods are featured and shop the "outside" edges of the store where the fresh vegetables & fruits clean proteins, and real, whole foods are usually located! 
   
   
2. Include clean proteins and healthy fats with EVERY meal.  Getting enough protein and healthy fats at each meal will help keep those cravings at bay. Shoot for 4-6 ounces of clean proteins-wild caught fish and seafood, organic, pastured chicken and turkey, bison, and grass-fed beef are all good choices. Include 1 serving of healthy fats with each meal like: 1 tsp coconut oil, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 of an avocado, 2 organic pastured eggs, or 1-2 tablespoons nuts or seeds that have a healthy balance of omega 3's). Check out our blog, Omega-6 & Omega-3 Fats for a Healthy Diet, to learn more about what to include and exclude.
   
   
3. Rethink Breakfast - Choose protein, fiber, and healthy fats for breakfast! Choosing carbs for breakfast (like cereal, wheat toast, bagels, doughnuts, pastries, pancakes, waffles, etc) will spike your blood sugar, which will cause your body to release insulin, a "fat storage hormone" which also causes cortisol to plummet leaving you feeling slow and fatigued. This sets you up for increased sugar and carb cravings the rest of the day. Instead try a green protein smoothie, some organic, pastured eggs, or even a salad or soup. Head over to our blog,  5 Steps to Make the Perfect Green Smoothie to get some great recipes with the right combination of nutrients that will keep those cravings away! Or try our Seasonal Vegetable & Quinoa Frittatas - a great, nutritious breakfast!
   
   
4. Focus on eating "healthy carbohydrates" instead of "no carbohydrates" - We suggest including a little bit of fiber based carbs at each meal (1/4 cup to 3/4 cups) to help keep your blood sugar stable and insulin turned off. Eating a no or low carb diet and/or relying on "diet foods" can lead to metabolic imbalances that will increase your body's cravings for sugar. Focus on swapping your "white carbs" like rice, pasta, bread, and cereal for "brown carbs" like brown rice, quinoa, and sprouted grain breads.
   
   Check out our blog, Good Carbohydrates vs. Bad Carbohydrates, to learn more about "good - fiber based carbs" and to get a list of the best choices in this category as well as the types of carbs to avoid and how many carbs to have at each meal. 
   
   
5. Boost your intake of organic, green, leafy vegetables.  - Not only do green leafy vegetables have tons of fiber, they also contain powerful anti-oxidant benefits that fight inflammation, regulate digestion and support your immune system - all of which you need working well in order to balance hormones and keep those cravings away! Plus, greens help escort excess hormones out of your body through your waste along with other toxins that may slowing down your metabolism and increasing cravings for carbohydrates. We recommend 1-2 cups minimum with each meal or 3-6 cups of non-starchy veggies per day!
   
   
6. Know your temptations and keep them out of your house and workplace. Everyone has their vices, so get rid of yours! Empty out your pantry, fridge, freezer, car, purse, backpacks, and desktop candy dishes of all the processed foods that are keeping you addicted. Just don't buy them or keep them around!
   
   
7. Ditch artificial sweeteners & "diet foods". "Fat-free" and "sugar-free" foods as well as diet sodas use artificial sweeteners to replace the fat or sugar that has been removed. Several large scale studies point to the science that clearly shows that these fake sugars actually slow down your metabolism, increase your body's insulin production, increase fat storage, and keep you overweight and craving sugar! These are toxic substances that are not real foods - so avoid "diet" everything! We will expanding on this topic on next week's What's That?! Wednesday post so stay tuned and subscribe here if you are not already a part of our community!
   
   
8. Exercise both your mind & body. Physical exercise and movement helps the body metabolize glucose and sets your body up to crave real, nutritious foods like clean proteins, fibrous carbs, healthy fats, and non-starchy vegetables. Try shooting for 5,000-10,000 steps a day and a couple days a week of strength or interval training as a starting place. 
   
   Likewise, a busy mind that is focused on something you love doing, are passionate about, or that makes you happy will also keep your cravings at bay. These activities release "happy" neurotransmitters in abundance so that your body isn't looking towards sugar fill that void! 
   
   
9. Make sleep a priority! Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day to support your body's natural circadian rhythm. When this natural cycle is disrupted, hormones get out of balance, especially cortisol and insulin and you guessed it...your body sends signals to increase sugar and carbohydrate intake. Not cool! Focus on getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. 
   
   
10. Consider food sensitivities as a source of cravings. Those with food sensitivities can often experience intense cravings for the very foods that are making them sick. We see this often is those who are sensitive to gluten, dairy, and soy. Once they remove these items from their diet, their cravings diminish significantly. If you'd like help evaluating whether this is an issue for you, we offer a couple programs that can help you. Check out our Elimination Diet Programs here.

If you found this post helpful, stay tuned next week when our new eBook, 10 Day Sugar Detox Diet, goes on sale Wednesday, January 27th! This book is packed with over 30 real food, sugar free recipes that you and your family will love! I've even included two (5-day) meals plans with shopping lists to help you incorporate the recipes into your daily life with ease!  I really love how this eBook turned out and I know you will love it as well!

You can even enter to win 1 of 4 free 10 Day Sugar Detox Diet eBoooks that we will be giving away to our community next week. Click here to learn more and enter to win!

Thanks for tuning in and I look forward to connecting with you next week!
​~Billie

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