Can I be transparent with you? Sugar calls my name too! I wish I could tell you that after X amount of time it stops, but it doesn’t – what does is my reaction when I hear (or see it).
In my opinion, the number one cause of “falling off diet” is sugar cravings so here are some powerful techniques to overcome these tempting cravings. (BONUS: If you have hit a plateau – these can help you break that too)
Remove All Processed Foods and Sugar From Your Home “Out of sight, out of mind” – you will soon forget things that are no longer present. I hope you can see how simple, yet powerful this first step can be. You won’t find yourself cookies calling you if they aren’t there in the first place. You can significantly increase your success when you re- move ALL foods that contain sugar. Open your cupboards and cabinets and toss any white sugar, drinks with sugar, cereals, breads, baked goods etc.
Switch to A Real Substitute As you withdraw from sugar its normal to want something sweet – but like any “addiction” we can’t use what you are craving. Conventional sugar alternatives are, in my opinion, even more toxic and dangerous than sugar so avoid Splenda (Sucralose), Equal (Aspartame), Sweet N’Low (Saccharin) and even the majority of Stevia
A note about stevia: While 100% extracted stevia is considered a “safe” sweetener, the majority of brands available are not 100% stevia (many of them are sugars with stevia added). The brand “Sweet Leaf” is by far the safest as its ingredients are only organic stevia extract plus inulin soluble fiber, a natural fiber food in chicory root, which is known to act as a pre-biotic and supportive digestive bacteria health.
Watch Your Protein Intake
While protein is a necessary macronutrient in your diet, the average American consumes too many portions in a day activating an inflammatory metabolic pathway called mTOR, which can trigger rapid aging and Cancer. If you are following the RDA intake of protein (Your body weight / 2.2) = grams per day, then you are running a risk for encouraging sugar cravings.
These recommendations are assuming you are working out 3-4x weekly, 30 min per session on a regular basis. Lets face it, most of us rarely do that amount of exercise in a month. My recommendation would be to decrease your protein intake 10-15 grams per day and replace those calories with healthy fats.
When proteins are consumed in the correct amounts they can help balance your blood sugar which is important because as your blood sugars drop throughout the day this signals your brain to increase sugar consumption. Some of the best sources of protein come directly from the foods you are eating: grass fed beef, protein supplements (ideally grass fed whey, goat or pea based plant proteins), wild caught fish, chicken, eggs, and beans.
Drink Fresh Pressed Vegetable Juices
The majority of cravings are because of a nutritional deficiency. Cravings for something sweet have been connected to deficiencies in Zinc, B-Vitamins, Magnesium and Chromium. One of the best ways to increase your nutrimental density is to eat, and drink, nutrient dense foods. Green vegetables are packet with these essential vitamins/minerals and juicing them is a great way to introduce their benefits into your diet.
One of my favorite “sugar craving busting” juices is made as follows: 2 cups Kale, 1 Green apple, 1/2 cup parsley, 1 medium cucumber, 2-3 stalks celery, 1” piece of ginger and the juice of 1 lemon. Simply run the greens, apple and ginger through a juicer and add the lemon juice. Not only does it taste great, but it replenishes all vitamins linked to sugar cravings and alkalinizes the body.
Drink More Water Chances are you have heard that that hunger can be disguised as thirst. The same goes for sugar cravings and given the fact that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Sadly the 8 glasses of water per day just won’t cut it anymore – 8 glasses of water is only ~64 ounces of water – the sufficient amount of water for a 128lb male or female. What about 1/2 your body weight in ounces – well that works too but that’s for healthy longevity (aka maintenance of a well hydrated body). To re-hydrate you have to go beyond that. My recommendation 3 to 4 liters daily with minerals and salts added to help your body retain the water you are drinking. Water has the ability to not only fill your stomach but provide the necessary ingredients for energy conversion – which is lacking for so many of us, which is why we crave sugar as a quick source of energy.
Increase Your Healthy Fats Yes, Fats can help you silence your sugar cravings once and for all. What do I do when sugar calls my name? Swallow a Tablespoon of coconut oil (I actually find it quite sweet myself). Pop a fat only fat bomb with raw cacao, cinnamon and stevia. Fat is the preferred fuel source for your body – not only because it helps you to eliminate unwanted fat but because it has more energy per gram than sugar.
Follow these simple steps and you will soon see your cravings for sugar, processed foods and sweet treats are a thing of the past, and, as crazy as this sounds, you will begin craving each of the items we mentioned above!