"I just need to quit sugar"
"This month I won't eat any sugar"
"Why do I feel like I need to end the meal with something sweet?"
There are easier, kinder ways to control your sugar addiction that don't require a "detox" or going cold-turkey.
While sugar can feel addictive, "detoxing" is not a scientifically proven concept. Those diets do not necessarily “remove” your body of toxins. And chronic dieting can create under-eating which leads to binges.
In fact, sugar can be addicting.
“Sugar is noteworthy as a substance that releases opioids and dopamine and thus might be expected to have addictive potential.” PMID: 1761746
But if we are going to try and control our appetites for sugar, we need to treat our brain as well.
One study showed, "the effects of sugar addiction, withdrawal and relapse are similar to those of drugs of abuse. PMID: 16669597
Everyone agrees that addiction to drugs requires psychiatric care, medical care and support. So then why do we blow off our struggles with sugar so casually??
The bigger issue with diets : they do nothing to treat the mind.
The mental burden of this struggle, along with the physical effects are often misunderstood. It's like a merry-go-round you feel like you can't get off, because a diet high in sugar often leads to "cognitive impairments, negative neuroplasticity and emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression." PMID: 31125634
Let's stop pretending we can just "quit sugar"-- instead treat the problem with the right support to change habits.
3 kinder ways to quit your sugar "addiction"
Stop telling yourself sugar is bad. Instead focus on adding more green vegetables into your meals which contain phytochemical that decrease cravings.
Stop avoiding sugar. Try building in a simple, quality sweet treat every day and not skipping it for a week to reduce the "all or nothing" mentality that leads to bingeing.
Get support from a qualified registered dietitian who can create positive changes that last.
Working on mindset is key to changing our sugar cravings. We can retrain our brain to make new connections when we eat sugar. And we can change our cravings and get control of them.
To learn more about this approach, schedule a free call with Nora today to get a personalized plan that has helped her client conquer their cravings and lose over 1700 pounds together.
Talk to you soon,
Nora