Overcome Your Sugar Addiction!
We are all programed to like sugar but that doesn't mean it's impossible to overcome your sugar addiction! New research shows some of us are genetically much more prone to crave sugar than others. The science demonstrating that people can be biologically addicted to sugar in the same way we can be addicted to heroin, cocaine or nicotine. Bingeing and addictive behaviors are eerily similar in alcoholics and sugar addicts.
It seems that we all vary a bit in our capacity for pleasure. Some us need a lot more stimulation to feel pleasure driving us to a range of addictive pleasures that stimulate our reward center in the brain – drug and alcohol addictions, compulsive gambling, sex addiction and, of course, sugar, food addiction and compulsive eating. We often see these as moral failures or results of character defects. In fact, it may be that addicts are simply born with unfortunate genetic variations in our reward and pleasure mechanisms.
Even if you are stuck with the sugar addiction gene (yes, there really is such a thing!) you may be able to modify its activity by modulating your brain chemistry with the use of specific nutrients that either improve gene expression, or modify the activity of these genes. Regulation of hormones and neurotransmitters that affect appetite and cravings is complex and involves many factors including how quickly food spikes our blood sugar, stress levels, getting enough sleep, nutritional deficiencies, chemicals such as artificial sweeteners, and food sensitivities which drive inflammation.
For those with personal struggles with food addiction, remember it is not always a lack of willpower. Here are a five suggestions to help patients break their food addictions…
Five Tips To Overcome Your Sugar Addiction
- Balance your blood sugar: Research studies say that low blood sugar levels are associated with LOWER overall blood flow to the brain, which means more BAD decisions. To keep your blood sugar stable eat a nutritious breakfast with some protein like eggs, protein shakes, or nut butters. Studies repeatedly show that eating a healthy breakfast helps people maintain weight loss. You may also need to eat smaller meals throughout the day. Eat every 3-4 hours and have some protein with each snack or meal (protein, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats).
- Eliminate all sugar and artificial sweeteners! Go cold turkey. You must stop for you brain to reset. Eliminate refined sugars, sodas, fruit juices, and artificial sweeteners from your diet. These are all drugs that will fuel cravings.
- Determine if hidden food allergies are triggering your cravings. We often crave the very foods that we have a hidden allergy to. Common allergens include: gluten, dairy, egg, corn, soy, yeast, sugar, peanut
- Be sure to get 7-8 hours of sleep. Research shows that lack of sleep increases cravings.
- Optimize your nutrient status with craving cutting supplements
- Vitamin D3: According to one study, when Vitamin D levels are low, the hormone that helps turn off your appetite doesn’t work and people feel hungry all the time, no matter how much they eat.
- Omega3 Fatty Acids: Low levels of omega three fatty acids are involved in normal brain cell function, insulin control and inflammation.
- Craving Control: glutamine, 5HTP and amino acids may help reduce cravings. Stress reducing herbs such as Rhodiola can help, too. Chromium prior to meals can also stabilize blood sugar.
- Control Cortisol: Try phosphatidyl serine or Relora to control cortisol levels which may also sabatage weight loss efforts.
More Reading: Articles on Food Addiction
- Which Foods May Be Addictive?
- Binge Eating Disorder and Food Addiction.
- Neural Correlates to Food Addiction.
- Food Addiction Associated with Dopaminergic Genetics.
- Overlap of Obesity and Addiction.
- Evidence for Food Addiction.
- Genetic and Environmental Contributors to Obesity.
14 Comments
This was On Time!!!!! Thanks jill
Ur the best!
Thanks for the good info Jill! I had just about licked my sugar cravings and was feeling great when I had to take an antibiotic for a persistent bladder infection that wasn’t healing. After that my sugar cravings came back full force!!!
You may have fungal dysbiosis, Lisa (Read more here)
Great article. I see that sugar or alcohol addiction runs in my husbands side of the family. How can you identify the sugar addiction gene? Would 23andme identify it? I really wish I could help my husband break his sugar addiction. He seems healthy but every evening he feasts on sweet snacks: ice cream, truffle, biscuits, chocolates, potato chips etc…. He knows it’s bad for him but feels it’s too hard to resist.
Where can I start in terms of testing to help him?
Hello,
My son has an autoimmune disease. He has major sensory issues and is unable to make the diet changes that from my understanding, are often necessary. My husband and I have tried everything and it’s not possible to get him to change his diet. We have tried taking away toys, timeouts, nothing works. He doesn’t have a whole lot of variety in his diet and gluten and dairy are part of his everyday diet. He won’t eat other foods because of sensory issues. We had a food sensitivity test done and he is allergic to everything he eats. Is there a way to heal what appears to be a leaky gut without cutting out these foods? I’ve done some research and discovered that some people can heal their gut and all their food allergies will go away. But I’ve also heard a lot of success stories from people who have had autoimmune diseases and reversed it and most of them did change their diet. If we can’t get him to eat healthy, is there nothing we can do? And he will always have an autoimmune disease and possibly get several others if he doesn’t make dietary changes? Please advise.
Thanks in advance,
Pam
Hi Pam,
I have not seen good results in healing leaky gut and autoimmune disease without removing at least gluten, dairy/casein and sugar. Regardless of sensory issues, there are ways to get him healthy delicious options the the will eat. Perhaps try working with a pediatric functional nutritionist, like Judy Converse?
warmly
Dr Jill
Hello,
My daughter has constant low blood sugar. She eats protein with every meal and lots of healthy fats but she still has chronically low blood sugar. Even after she eats a full meal, her blood sugar barely moves and she still feels hungry and shaky. Her Vitamin D levels are 40. She never used to have this issue. Please help!
Hi Julie
Try checking adrenal function and checking endocrine system
warmly
Dr Jill
When you say eliminate all sugars, do you also recommend eliminating all natural sugars like honey, maple syrup, and stevia?
yes, ma’am
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