Eat Little And Often So Your Sugar Levels Dont Drop
Try and eat regularly, dont go without eating for hours on end. Eat three meals and two snacks or five small meals a day. If you dont eat regularly, your blood sugar levels will drop. This will make you feel hungry and more likely to crave sweet sugary snacks. Plan your meals and snacks in advance, this will help you to eat healthy on the go and maintain your healthy eating goals.
Nutmeg Raisin And Coconut Cookies
This is an easy recipe that makes use of the natural sweetness of numerous delicious ingredients.
Ingredients
1/4 cup of hot water
1 cup of raisins
1 cup of oats OR almonds you choose!
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
2 teaspoons of honey OR 1 teaspoon of Stevia sweetener
½ cup of butter
400g of natural peanut butter
2 eggs
Method
Add your raisins, nutmeg and cinnamon into hot water and leave to soak for around five minutes.
Meanwhile, mix your oats/almonds, coconut, butter, peanut butter, eggs, baking powder and honey/sweetener in a bowl.
Add your raisin, nutmeg and cinnamon mixture to the bowl and work into a dough.
You may need to add a little more water as you work the mixture. It needs to be smooth and supple enough to shape into separate cookies.
Use a cookie cutter to create 15-20 separate biscuits on a greased tray.
Bake in the oven at 160C for 10 to 15 minutes.
Of course, your diet is only one part of your overall fitness journey you need to be exercising too! Why not take advantage of our free guest pass offer and head down to your local Fitness First Club?
How To Break The Sugar Habit
Our sugar-laden diet is literally killing us. That’s the conclusion of a study reported at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association in March 2013. The study authors attributed 180,000 annual deaths worldwide25,000 in the United States aloneto sugary beverages. Sodas and fruit drinks aren’t our only sources of sugar. The average American eats between 22 and 30 teaspoons of added sugar each day, according to the AHA.
“The harmful effects of sugar are primarily due to the weight gain from added sugar in the foods we eat and sugar-sweetened beverages,” says Dr. Michelle Hauser, certified chef and nutrition educator and clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Most of the deaths are related to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.”
How much sugar do we actually need? According to AHA guidelines, women shouldn’t get more than 100 of our daily calories from added sugar. In reality, “you don’t need any added sugar,” Dr. Hauser says.
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Rethink Your Weekly Food Shop By Cutting Out Anything With Refined Sugar
By learning about food labels and how to spot sugar, you will be more informed when doing your weekly or monthly food shop. This is a key part of kicking your sugar addiction, because if you are still buying sweet, sugary foods at the supermarket then you are only setting yourself up to fail.
Change the way you look at food shopping, instead of looking for sweet treats, look for products that will serve a nutritional purpose. If there isnt anything nutritional in a product, then you are wasting your money on empty calories. You will feel much better when you walk out of the supermarket if you have bought a great selection of food that will make you healthy.
Here are some tips for sugar free supermarket shopping:
- Read all the labels carefully.
- Dont go food shopping when you are really hungry, you will only end up buying rubbish.
- Before you make your way to the till, check through your trolley or shopping basket to make sure you havent picked up anything you shouldnt have.
- Shop for nutritional foods, rather than sweet treats.
- If you know you are likely to give in and buy something naughty, take someone who understands your goals with you who will help you make the right choices.
Do Not Go Cold Turkey
Sugar is hard on your health, but the more you eat, the more youll crave. So cutting down slowly is the best way to stop your sugar addiction, says nutritionist , MS, RDN. The exception: If you dont eat much sugar to begin with, says Eich. If you normally have two candy bars a day, cut to one a day. Then next week, one every other day. The following week, one every three days, until youre down to just one a week. If you normally take 2 teaspoons of sugar in your coffee, use the same routine, cutting down to 1 1/2 teaspoons for a week, then 1, then 1/2. Eventually, youll get to the point where you dont need sugar at all. Read more about what sugar does to your body.
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What Is Sugar Addiction
For starters, we should distinguish between sugar addiction and caffeine addiction. Most people are well aware of their caffeine addiction. After all, they know that if they dont have their coffee in the morning, they experience tremendous, debilitating migraines. These migraines are the bodys way of telling you that something is missing and are the direct result of withdrawal symptoms from not having caffeine. However, when it comes to sugar addiction, most individuals are not truly aware that they are addicted.
How To Beat A Sugar Addiction
Breaking a sugar addiction begins with reducing the amount of added sugar that you have in your food. Sweetened beverages are one of the main culprits, including sodas, energy drinks, and sweet iced tea. Opt for the sugar-free versions of your favorite drinks, or add sweetener yourself, gradually reducing the amount youre putting in your drink. Also consider reducing the amount of alcohol you drink. Beer and wine have a lot of sugar in them, too.
You may also like water with a few flavor drops added in. When you become dehydrated, its easier to cave and say yes to sugar. However, switching to foods and drinks with artificial sweeteners may delay the amount of time it takes to kick a sugar addiction.
Opt for the sugar-free versions of your favorite drinks, or add sweetener yourself, gradually reducing the amount youre putting in your drink. Also consider reducing the amount of alcohol you drink.
You can also stop buying desserts and sweet treats. If you think youll have a hard time moderating how many cookies or pieces of candy youll eat, simply stop bringing it into the house. If others in your family are asking for treats, ask them for their cooperation in helping you beat your sugar addiction. Or, you can buy small packages of your favorites instead of a large family-sized container.
When you feel a sugar craving coming on, try to do something to distract yourself. Exercise is a natural mood booster and can help take your mind off the craving for a sweet treat.
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You Hide Your Sugar Habit
Some people with a sugar addiction may recognize theyre eating too much, but instead of finding ways to cut back, they hide it. Making excuses or making deals with yourself concerning sweets and desserts is a definite sign of sugar addiction, Dr. Berry says. No one hides broccoli in their closet if you hide sweets, or sneak to eat them, you might have a sugar addiction.
How To Break A Sugar Addiction
Those cookies you smell at the holidays, the ice cream that makes your eyes light up in the summertime and the candy jar full of tempting chocolates all have one thing in common they’re loaded with sugar.
There’s something about sugar that speaks to your brain, evoking feelings of happiness with each bite of food or each sip of your favorite sugary drink you consume. It’s part nostalgia and part chemical reaction. The more you eat, the more you crave, which can lead you down a road of long-term health problems.
We’re here to discuss what makes sugar so habit-inducing, how you can kick your cravings and which foods you can substitute to please your sweet tooth.
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Addiction To Sugar Is Real
If you are wondering if sugar addiction is a real problem, just talk to someone who has been overconsuming carbs and theyll tell you that saying no to sugar can be extremely difficult.
That once you trigger that area of the brain that rewards you for your sugary choice that its as if you have no control to say no.
But whats happening? Why is it that its difficult to just step away from high-carb foods? Well, its because our bodies are reacting in a physical way to the hidden sugars.
There are true physiological changes occurring in our brains every time we say yes to these foods. Each time we choose to indulge we reinforce the need for more.
If thats not enough, the pleasure areas of our brains are also very close to our pain centers, which can explain why withdrawal from sugar can be so painful.
Become A Sugar Sleuth To Be Set
Personally, I find that this study helps shed some light on the weight and food addiction issues many people are facing. That it has nothing to do with a lack of willpower but a biological response to what they are eating.
When I made the decision to say no to sugar once and for all, I came to the realization that the food choices themselves were what was causing my sugar addiction. It wasnt that I was weak or that I had some character flaw.
Although that sounds like a pretty simplistic approach it wasnt. But coming to this conclusion put me on the path to being set free from sugar.
When it comes to a sugar/carb addiction becoming a bit of a sleuth is necessary. Its up to us to find where sugar may be hiding.
Unfortunately, this even includes items like vegetables, a place we would not think to check, or our table salt under the name of dextrose.
Thats why looking at the carb count of a food item is a quick way to see if something is high in sugar. Trying to stay within the 20 to 35 carb count a day has been key for me to be able to say no to sugar on a regular basis.
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Do You Ever Find Yourself Binging On Sweets Feeling Cravings For Sugar Or Experiencing Withdrawal Symptoms When You Can’t Get Your Hands On Them
Binging, withdrawal, and craving are the three stages of addiction, according to the American Psychiatric Association. It boils down to this: If you overeat sugar on more than a very occasional basis, or if you ever feel anxious when you can’t get your hands on it, you may be struggling with addiction.
In Order To Help Prevent Sugars Toxic Effects And Chronic Health Issues Avoid Extra Sugar In Your Diet When Possible And Work To Cut Cravings
Even the smallest steps to do this can make a big impact something as simple as making sure you stay hydrated, get enough sleep, and stay away from artificial sweeteners and processed foods as much a possible can help you crush cravings and kick hidden sugar out – without forcing you to make a lot of disruptive changes!
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Ways To Kick Your Sugar Addiction Today
Is sugar holding you back from reaching your dieting goals? High sugar diets will not only make you put on weight, but they can have an impact on your mood and cause serious health problems. People often obsess over their fat intake, and dont realise that a high sugar diet can be just as bad.
Completely cutting sugar out of your diet is dangerous, as our brains run on glucose, and avoiding sugar altogether can lead to hypoglycemia. We need a certain amount of sugar in our diets, but these days people are eating far more sugar than their body requires
Lots of food contain sugar, including fruit and lactose which is found in milk. Eating a healthy amount of these foods is fine, we require sugar to help fuel our body and keep our brain functioning properly. However, a lot of people end up eating foods that contain sugar with very limited nutritional value, such as sweets and chocolate. Added sugars shouldnt make up more than 5% of the energy you get from food and drink each day. This is about 30g of sugar a day for those aged 11 and over.
You will feel so much better once you are free from the clutches of your sugar addiction. You may think that you cant live without sugar, well, thats because you are addicted to it. In reality, it is possible to cut down on your sugar intake, and your palate eventually adjusts. Stop eating empty calories, improve your health and lose weight by kicking your sugar addiction today with these simple steps.
Signs Of A Sugar Addiction
The signs of sugar addiction are in some regards more glaring than that of other addictions. However, since there is such an overwhelming social acceptance for sugar addiction the signs usually go unnoticed. When coming to terms with an addiction it is always important to point out that self-diagnosis, or acceptance of the addiction is the first step towards overcoming it. You also need to be prepared for your body to go through a sugar detox.
Below are some of the most common signs of sugar addiction. You could be addicted to sugar if you relate to any of the following. Consequently, you may want to reach out to us for help.
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Go For A Brisk Walk Outside
Another thing that can work is to go outside for a brisk walk.
If you are a runner, running will be even better.
This serves a two-fold purpose. First, you are distancing yourself from the food that you are craving.
Second, the exercise will release endorphins, or feel good chemicals in your brain, which can help turn the craving off.
If you cant go outside, do a few exhausting sets of burpees, push-ups, body weight squats or any other body-weight exercise.
Summary
Going for a brisk walk or running may help reduce cravings.
A Word Of Caution About Sugar Substitutes
You can choose to use sugar substitutes to ease sugar cravings. However, if you have a strong sugar addiction sometimes too many of these sugar substitutes can cause you to crave the real thing.
Everyone is different and learning your personal triggers is vital. I know that for me this is sometimes the case. This is not easy since I share my low carb/ keto recipes on this blog and many are substitutes for high carb treats that I may be missing.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
The key for me has been in seeing even my low-carb desserts as an occasional treat. I also use sugar substitutes that will not cause an insulin spike. Whats more, I will make it a point to either freeze the leftovers or to share them with others.
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So Youll Keep Walking Past That Vending Machine In Hopes That You Actually Will Give In
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Youll eat sugary foods even when you don’t really want to.
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Youll crave something, but you know its not a good idea. Then youll try and rationalise it by saying it will only be this time.
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Youll also intend to eat once slice of cake, then think it wasnt enough, consume three more slices, and regret it straight afterwards.
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Youll end up eating so much candy that you get a headache, gas, fatigue, or sleepiness – just like a hangover.
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Youll maybe do this a couple of times a week if youre a sugar addict, because that split-second moment seems worth the horrible after effects.
There Is Hope For You
Change begins with realizing that there is a problem with ones sugar addiction. Modifying ones diet and practicing self-control can help, but going cold turkey isnt ideal. Someone with a sugar addiction, especially if they have another substance abuse disorder or a co-occurring mental health condition, will likely have difficulty in ridding themselves of cravings. If you or someone you know has a sugar addiction, especially if complicating factors are present, please contact a treatment provider today to find out more about your options.
Deborah Montross Nagel
- About
All of the information on this page has been reviewed and verified by a certified addiction professional.
Deborah has a Masters Degree from Lesley University and has been certified as an Addictions Counselor in PA since 1986. She is currently a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor CAADC. She is nationally certified as a MAC Master Addictions Counselor by NAADAC . Her 37 years of experience and education are in addiction, recovery, and codependency. Addiction affects the entire system around the addict. There is no “bad guy” in the system. Fight the addiction, and help the addict. I help loved ones restore sanity to their lives and hence encourage change. Recovery is possible!
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