5 Tips to Get Rid of Your Sugar Cravings For Good
Sugar is the number one craving in our society. There is a big difference between just liking sweets and craving sweets, and if you are one of them, you know what I mean!! If you are hooked, then it can be hard to stop, but not impossible. Sugar contributes to serious short- and long-term health problems like obesity, hormonal imbalances, yeast infections, bloating, diabetes, and even cancer. There can be some real physical imbalances that can make you crave the sugar such as insulin resistance, candida overgrowth, different hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, stress, or fatigue. Once you find out the root cause of why you are hooked on sugar, then you can determine which of the following tips will best help you.
1. Eat more protein. Most of my patients are not eating an adequate amount of good quality lean protein--don’t skip it! Skimping on protein will have detrimental effects on your health. For those of you who exercise, then your requirement increases even more. Examples of lean protein include: chicken/turkey breast, fish, legumes, lentils, plain Greek yogurt, etc.
2. Do a yeast cleanse. An anti-fungal regimen is especially beneficial if you have the history of taking a lot of antibiotics, steroids, synthetic hormones, or antacids in the past; you may also suffer from yeast overgrowth if you have a history of yeast or bladder infections, nail fungus, athlete’s foot, jock itch, unexplained itching, bloating, or bowel irregularity.
3. Balance your hormones. I recommend professional guidance with hormone testing. My favorite method is Dutch urinary hormone testing. It checks your estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, melatonin, and cortisol along with their metabolites and a mini organic acid test. An imbalance with any of these hormones can cause sugar cravings. Hormone imbalance might be the cause of your sugar cravings if you notice that your cravings are cyclical or worse when you are tired or stressed.
4. Drink your water. Yes, you need 8 glasses of water. Clinically we see patients benefit from adequate hydration all the time. No, your pop or coffee is not considered part of your water intake. You can include your broth and herbal teas as part of it (if you are not adding sugar to it). Our bodies can misinterpret thirst for hunger.
5. Go to sleep earlier. This recommendation is especially important if you crave sweets in the evening. There is an overwhelming body of research that has established that there is a link between lack of sleep and sweet cravings. Humans need 7 to 8 hours, and most people are getting approximately 6 hours.
My recommendation to you is to refrain from sugar for 3 days only. I have seen so many patients be able to significantly improve their cravings by just doing that. One patient comes to mind who conquered his sugar addiction by eliminating sugar cubes from his coffee and quitting Red Bull and Clif bars.
Most importantly, keep busy with fun activities because that will balance your biochemistry. If you are lacking positive energy and happiness, you will look to fill that void with sugar. Remember that we are not striving for perfection but for progress. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon!
In Health,
Rachel Oppitz, ND
