PREPARE FOR BATTLE AGAINST SUGAR

In this article I am going to tell you some ways to kick the sugar cravings to the curb. Before I get to that I am going to explain why we have these craving and how the cravings are a big issue for us psychologically. Feel free to skip down to the big bold letters for the tips. Here we go!

By now we understand that refined sugar is NOT a health promoting nutrient. Taken in medium or large (and in some cases small) quantities, it can have serious adverse health affects. Yet when the craving hits, despite these facts, we still sometimes succumb to the little white devil. I am here to tell you that it is okay! Do not feel shameful - giving in is normal. Do not suppress the shame of giving in. Instead share it with yourself or someone you trust. New studies have show that suppressing shame leads to a cycle of us doing even more shameful things in order to cover up our old shame. Do you see how detrimental suppressing shame can be? In my most recent post I explained how new research released at the Canadian Association for Neuroscience Meeting reveled how processed sugar causes addictive dependancies in the brain that are similar to what cocaine dependent users feel. Yes, sugar causes an addiction similar to that of cocaine. These are the facts. 

You may ask, what about the FDA, the USDA and other trusted government organizations that we give our precious tax dollars to to protect us from dangerous foods and chemicals. Well, perhaps our tax dollars are not enough. The FDA and USDA regularly hold health conferences to educated doctors, dietitians and the like. Guess who sponsors these conferences? Companies like Pepsi and Kraft (think oreos) who have vested interests and aim to promote their new products. They give bucket loads of money annually and in turn their products are spoke of in a positive, "ground breaking" manner while they withhold negative truths.

We live in a world where we are only told what big companies want us to hear. Many of us buy into it. The companies profit margins increase and investors receive their dividends while the bosses get their generous bonuses. These companies continue to advance and enhance their strategic marketing techniques year after year. Our totalitarian government argues that humans have the ability to make their own educated decisions about what products they should consume. In a way it is true. If we have to right to vote for politicians to run our country we should have the know how to choose what we put in our bodies. Sadly this is not always the case. Most of the time marketing tactics used in advertisements (ie. TV commercials) "pulls the wool over our eyes" so to speak. I mean after all, McDonalds slyly markets Happy Meals to young, growing children by offering them a toy every time they chose to eat a meal.

I digress. I could go on for days about this topic, hoping to write a few sentences that would shed some light on the matter or have a positive influence on just one persons health. I wish I could help more people see and understand our ass-backwards, bias system for what it really is but for now I will stick to my original purpose of this post. Fighting sugar.

The best thing advice I can give you is this: acknowledge your cravings. Your body is the smartest bio-computer on the planet as far as I am concerned. If you are craving something, it is for a reason! It is necessary to deconstruct these cravings and find the reasons why you are craving what it is your are craving. Tap into your mind and body and find out what it is you are truly craving. Have you skipped a meal on accident? What else will satisfy the urge for sugar? Is it a nice session at the gym? A hug from a loved one? A little prayer or some meditation? Spending time with someone you care for? Maybe, maybe not. This is for you to decide. It helps to write it down.

HOW TO OVER COME SUGAR CRAVINGS - TRIED AND TESTED BY YOURS TRULY

1) EAT REGULARLY

If you are taking in enough healthy carbs (think cous cous and quina) fats (avocados or nuts) and proteins (fish or chicken) into your body you will feel satiated and you will be less likely to feel a crash or have an urge to indulge on sugary junk. Cravings naturally happen around 2 PM to 4 PM when our blood sugar levels are at their lowest. How to prevent it: plan ahead. Have options in your fridge or at your work station and think, "When I feel like (this), I am going to combat it with (this)." Maybe you will plan ahead and prepare a fresh salad with fish, chicken, raw unsalted nuts, or eggs. Maybe you have the other half of your lunch or a couple pieces of fresh fruit near by.

2) KEEP A FOOD JOURNAL

I love this! And it is one of my favorite things. You can keep a food journal either with a simple pen and paper or choose to go with a free online/smartphone app such as MyFitnessPal. With the latter you can link up with your friends and encourage them to log their food turning it into a bit of a game. Share your diaries with them and keep up with their progress. Hold each other accountable. You are less likely to have a sugary treat or over indulge when you have to log it. Encourage each other with meal ideas. Programs like MyFitnessPal also show you exactly how many calories your taking in and break down the nutritional content by macro and micro nutrients. Again, I love this program! In fact, add me as a friend. I need more people holding me accountable - CJRichardsNYC.

3) DRINK LEMON WATER

In a previous article I wrote about the benefits of lemon water. I have found that drinking fresh, purified, natural lemon water helps control cravings. I see reasoning in this because the lemon juice provides natural sugars, minerals and essential nutrients that could curb these cravings. That and the fact that water fills you up of course. Next time you're feeling like eating some sweets, drink some lemon water.

4) GO FOR A WALK

Sometimes we crave these foods for reasons such as boredom, stress, a sensory response, the list is long and varies person to person. The best way to get your mind off the craving it is to go for a nice 20 minute walk. It may be difficult and you might feel like the walk is not going to work but give your brain time to decompress. Think about some other topic such as a goal or desire. Envision it being finished now. Think of how good you feel having completed that goal.

5) CALL OR MEET UP WITH A FRIEND

If you feel like indulging call a friend. If possible plan to meet up with them. If the craving is bad and you really want to abstain talk to them about how you are feeling and why. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to let those feelings out by talking through it with a good friend who is willing to listen.

6) GET RID OF TEMPTATION NOW

If you really want to kick the habit find your trigger foods and remove them from your home. Less temptation equals better success. I love peanut butter. I love it too much so I don't but it. When I do, I get a small amount from a health food store or purchase PB2 a healthier version of the real thing. Be real, be honest with yourself just as you would be honest with others. Treat yourself when it's called for only on special occasions. 

7) NO THANK YOU. NOT RIGHT NOW

It is okay to pass on sweets if a friend offers it to you. If they are your friend they will understand. They might poke fun but it's only because they are not strong enough to do what you are doing and they may feel discouraged by that. Recognize where your friends are coming from and give them some love and encouragement. They might need it!

8) CROWD OUT CRAVINGS! HAVE PLENTY OF FRESH FRUIT

This is my favorite because you still have your cake (sugar) and eat it too! When it is in a natural, unprocessed form there are numerous benefits. Maybe the fruit contains antioxidants. The skin usually is high in fiber which slows the absorption of sugar into the blood causing your insulin levels to gradually increase rather than spike. Fruit also caintains a lot of water. Chances are you will become full on the water and it will feel satiated. Studies show that that how much we eat is more important that what we eat. Meaning you could either eat a an entire box of cookies or have an enormous fresh green salad. Either way it's a shmogishborg. One has extreme benefits while the other has extreme repercussions.

Tips for your fruit:

A) Keep it in a cool, dry place. Arrange it in a nice fruit bowl so that you always see you have a nice healthy option waiting for you.

B) Keep things like pineapple and melon in the fridge. When you are ready cut it up and enjoy nice chilled fruit. It's delicious!

C) For things like berries, cherries, grapes: In the warmer months it is especially nice to freeze them. Think of it as a natural pop sickle. Hold it on your tongue first to warm it up, then slowly bite into it like you would a pop sickle. The taste is heavenly.

Now I am going to give you some tips of what not to do!

Do not eat zero calorie artificial sweeteners like Splenda or sweet-n-low (or any other chemical sweeteners). If sugar is cocaine, Splenda is meth. Yes, I said it. I will not get into too the dangers or artificial sweeteners but I will say that eating these makes you 1) retain fat and 2) give you intense sugar cravings later on.

Avoid chewing gum. It often contains these sweeteners or sugar itself which obviously does nothing beneficial for you and the battle against sugar.

Avoid sports drinks, pop and fruit juices. These juices I speak of are not the fresh pressed juices you find in the hippy, organic stores made from that big, silver juicing machine that make tons of ungodly noise. I love those juices and highly recommend them. I am talking about Tropicana orange juice or Naked. These pre-packaged juices should not be consumed. If you must have them then pour it into a glass and add water to it. Yes, dilute it. Water it down. It does not compromise the taste that much, I promise. Consumed by themselves the prepackaged juices causes your insulin levels to spike. Soon after the spike you will face a crash or a low which sends a signal to your brain telling it to find whatever it can to bring your levels back up. It's a vicious cycle. High, low, high, low. Think of a car. A cars fuel economy is best when it is on the highway. They have even created a measurement aptly named "Highway Fuel Economy". Why? Because there is less stop and go or high and low (stop and go) speed. When you keep your foot pressed on the gas at a constant pressure everything runs better. The brakes, the engine, the tires everything get less wear and tear thus running at its optimal performance. Your body is the same!