A 2017 review reported similarities in brain neurochemistry and behaviour between sugar and drugs of abuse. Sugar and starch (which both convert to glucose) are highly addictive. Reducing a sweet palate can be a challenge. But the benefits of good blood glucose management and consequential smoother energy levels throughout the day, make the effort well worthwhile. Try going ‘cold turkey’. The following tips will help you beat those sugar cravings while enriching your nutritional intake.
- We naturally wake up in the morning a little insulin resistant as our cortisol rises to get us started for our day; therefore, eat a breakfast with no refined carbohydrates eg boiled egg, half an avocado and ½ cup mushrooms cooked in 1 teaspoon grass-fed butter, sprinkled with 1 teaspoon turmeric and a handful fresh parsley OR a smoothie with 1 cup of kefir, 1 tablespoon of organic grass-fed gelatin, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, slice of fresh ginger root, ¼ cup unsweetened quality yoghurt (eg Vaalia), 1 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar, handful blueberries
- Avoid all refined carbohydrates ie sugary and starchy foods eg sugar, white
flours, sweets, cakes, pastries, bread, pasta, packet cereals etc; these will keep your palate very sweet - Cook from scratch – only then will you know what you are really eating
- Avoid processed and takeaway foods, soft drinks, diet soft drinks, fruit juice, flavoured milk and sweetened yoghurt
- Don’t eat/drink sugar substitutes as these will help to maintain your sweet tooth
- Avoid sweet fruits eg bananas, mangos; ok to eat blueberries, lemons, limes and kiwifruit in moderation
- Eat a wide range of coloured, strongly flavoured and non-starchy vegetables for vitamins, m
inerals and polyphenols which help reduce insulin resistance eg alfalfa & bean sprouts, asparagus, green beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, fennel, garlic, mushrooms, capsicum, radish, shallots, snow peas, turnips, zucchini - Each lots of seasonal leafy green vegetables eg kale, spinach, beetroot leaves, bok choy, tatsoi, silverbeet and especially bitter greens eg rocket, watercress, chicory, endive
- Eat lots of fresh, soft herbs – add to salads and savoury dishes at the end of cooking (by the handful) eg parsley, coriander, basil, oregano, marjoram, sage; and woody herbs eg rosemary, thyme
- Eat sea vegetables – see your nearest health food store for arame, nori,
kombu, wakame; rich source of vitamins and minerals which can be depleted by a high sugar diet- Take 1 teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar in ½ glass filtered water before each meal whenever you are at home to aid digestion
- Drink plenty of filtered water every day & add a pinch of Himalayan or sea salt to each litre of water to help balance your electrolytes; drink at least 1.5-3L/day depending upon your size, physical activity and climate
- Start fermenting – kimchi, kvass (fermented beetroot juice), sauerkraut, kefir
- Boost your serotonin (the happiness hormone) through exercise, good diet and restful sleep; serotonin helps to improve mood and reduce sweet cravings
- Meditate, relax, chill to reduce stress, this helps to stave off cravings; stress increases
cortisol level which in turn increases blood glucose level
- Maintain a stable blood glucose level by employing as many of the above tips as possible, or better still, employ them all and go cold turkey without sugar and starch.
References:
Body Ecology n.d., 10 secrets for ending your sugar cravings for good.
DiNicolantonio, JJ, O’Keefe, JH & Wilson, WL 2017, ‘Sugar addiction: is it real? a narrative review.’, British Journal of Sports Medicine, BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine, p. bjsports-2017-097971, <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28835408>.