Tips for Combatting Sugar Addiction

Hi! Happy Saturday! Are you doing anything fun this weekend? I am laying low and planning what to bring to our new rental and what to leave in storage. I’m excited to get moved in and check everything out.

We were up by 6:15 this morning because Blake had to catch a flight to Anchorage and then fly with some co-workers over to King Salmon. He’ll be gone for a few days, so that means Layla and I have to keep ourselves entertained. After eating breakfast and pinning on my new Pinterest account, we went for our mid-morning walk. It was especially beautiful out today. I’ll share some photos from our walk around the lake:

The lake is totally frozen over now

Layla can walk on it, but I didn't want to fall through the ice!

"Mom, seriously. Enough with the photos!"

I love this cute cabin on the lake!

One of the signs that we pass on our walks.

Last pic of Layla. I can't help it - she's so darn cute!!!

Today I wanted to offer some tips on overcoming sugar addiction. As I continually transition to a healthier diet, there is one craving that sets in day after day: sugar! I love my sugar. Luckily, I have found that maple syrup and agave nectar settle much better with my system than refined sugar. However, I still would like to consume less sugar on a day to day basis. Last night, I was grocery shopping and had a major craving for candy corn. Even though I really, really wanted to some, I knew that I have absolutely no portion control when it comes to those corn syrup-sweetened candies. I had a flashback to Halloween 2008, when accidentally ate a whole bag in one sitting and then felt completely nauseous the rest of the night. So, I didn’t buy any candy corn last night. Accidental over-indulgence avoided!

Later on, I was flipping through some of my IIN (Institute of Integrative Nutrition) handouts and saw this one on sugar cravings. With Halloween and the holiday season right around the corner, I thought that we could all use a refresher course on how to work through our cravings for sugar.

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10 Steps for Dealing with Sugar Addiction

1. Reduce or eliminate caffeine. The ups and downs of caffeine include dehydration and blood sugar swings, causing sugar cravings to be more frequent.
2. Drink water. Sometimes sweet cravings are a sign of dehydration. Before you go for the sugar, have a glass of water and then wait a few minutes to see what happens. Caution: soft drinks are now America’s number one source of added sugar.
3. Eat sweet vegetables and fruit. They are sweet, healthy and delicious. The more you eat, the less you’ll crave sugar.
4. Use gentle sweets. Avoid chemicalized, artificial sweeteners and foods with added sugar. Use gentle sweeteners like maple syrup, brown rice syrup, dried fruit, stevia, barley malt and agave nectar.
5. Get physically active. Start with simple activities, like walking or yoga. Start with 10 minutes a day and gradually increase. It will help balance your blood sugar levels, boost your energy, and reduce tension without medicating yourself with sugar!
6. Get more sleep, rest and relaxation. When you are tired or stressed, your body will crave energy—in the form of sugar. These cravings are often a result of being sleep-deprived, going to bed late or waking up early, sometimes for months and years on end.
7. Evaluate the amount of animal food you eat. Eating too much can lead to cravings for sweets. So can eating too little! A good health coach will help you sort this out. Experiment. Respect your body’s individuality.
8. Eliminate fat-free or low-fat packaged snack-foods. These foods contain high quantities of sugar to compensate for lack of flavor and fat, which will send you on the roller-coaster ride of sugar highs and lows.
9. Experiment with spices. Coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom will naturally sweeten your foods and reduce cravings.
10. Slow down and find sweetness in non-food ways! You body does not biologically need sugar, but it does long for hugs, time with friends, outside time, workouts, massages, etc. When life becomes sweet enough itself, no additives are needed!From Get the Sugar Out: 501 Simple Ways to Cut the Sugar Out of Any Diet by Ann Louise Gittleman.

Do you have any tips that work for you on avoiding sugar? Just writing this post made me want something sweet. I put tip #3 into action and snacked on an organic green apple instead. It was delicious and satisfied my sugar craving. Mission accomplished!

Have a great weekend and I’ll talk to you later,

Kilee

Found this print on Etsy: here.