Are You Addicted to Sugar and What to Do About It?

Do You Have an Uncontrollable Sweet Tooth? Here are some Practical Tips to Kick Sugar Cravings to the Curb

Sugar cravings can feel overpowering and uncontrollable. However, you have more control than you think you have. If you can stop and think, really have a personal pow wow, and examine what might be behind your sweet tooth, you can actually intervene and interrupt the pesky habit of a sweet tooth. Read these and think, but always remember, PERFECTION is not the goal. If you can decrease your sugar cravings by 80% that would be a victory.

It is always a fun party in the moment, but when the sweet tooth monster knocks on your door day after day, it is time to have that pow-wow. Here are some practical things to examine to help kick sweets to the curb.

• Get Enough Sleep– Lack of Sleep causes an increase in cortisol to keep you full of energy but that hormone causes an increase in insulin which decreases blood sugar and promotes fat storage, and can increase sugar cravings. It also causes a decrease in leptin which tells your brain you have had enough to eat, and causes an increase in grehlin which stimulates appetite.​
• Eat Enough During the Day– Skimping on the food throughout the day causes a drop in blood sugar. When blood sugar is dipping, it is natural to have a physiological sugar craving to pull blood sugar back up. Be sure all meals include a source of healthy, whole real food sources of carbs, protein and fat.
• Avoid Artificial Sweeteners– Artificial sweeteners are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar. They do not fill the void but rather perpetuate the sweet tooth. Your palate expects super sweet tastes but it never really satisfies.
• Go Easy on Caffeine– Excessive caffeine can disrupt blood sugar levels so if you are consuming a lot of caffeine you can develop cravings!
• Watch Stress– See the first bullet point. The exact same thing happens with stress!!
• Improve Your Environment-It is easier to control your environment instead of controlling your habits. It is super tough to have candy on your desk and say no all day long. Be the hero, stop offering candy to your coworkers (and yourself) all day everyday.
• Is it Hunger or Habit? –It is always good to step back and examine your cravings and determine if it is hunger or habit.

By taking a few small steps, you can overcome a sweet tooth that seems to have pushed you around for years. What seemed like an impossible habit, may merely become a small annoyance if you implement some of these tips.