I remember the first time I decided to ditch sugar. I was in my final year of uni and along with my other lovely symptoms of depression, IBS, diarrhea and crazy hormones I also started to developed thrush. Nice (and so not sorry for the overshare!)
I had heard whispers that sugar was not doing my body any favours and although I was pretty skeptical I was pretty desperate to feel even marginally better than I did.
So I began the overwhelming journey of going sugar-free and I have to say I didn’t do an amazing job – I was alone and had no real clue what I was doing and zero support. I mainly ate vegetable crisps and natural yogurt and eventually snapped one day and binged on giant chocolate buttons (my old food nemesis). BUT despite this rather half-baked effort and amidst the confusing and overwhelm I did notice that I did feel better and the yeast infections went away.
I made that amazing discovery that food can be our medicine or it can be our poison. And there is nothing that spells this out more clearly than sugar addiction. And believe me, it can be an addiction.
And you know I don’t use this word lightly. I have worked with many people in the past with alcohol and opiate addictions and although obviously sugar does not have the nearly the same impact as these awful drugs – it has similar addictive properties.
This review from Princeton Univeristy – Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake, says:
The reviewed evidence supports the theory that, in some circumstances, intermittent access to sugar can lead to behavior and neurochemical changes that resemble the effects of a substance of abuse. According to the evidence in rats, intermittent access to sugar and chow is capable of producing a “dependency” (source)
So what the chuff can you do about it?
Thankfully lots. That is mainly why I created my Beat the Sweet: 21 Day Sugar Challenge to show you that you CAN do this. At the risk of tooting my own horn, this is a great space and community to join if you’re ready to take action.
But there is also many other things you can do right now which over the years of perfecting sugar detoxes I have found to be super helpful. So here is a round-up of my 5 Foods That Make Ditching Sugar SO Much Easier…
- Cinnamon – this simple space is fabulous at making things naturally sweeter. I use to add it to my natural yogurt, smoothies, in my Cinnamon Fudge from the Sweet Treat Collection or to plain cocoa to boost sweetness levels without adding any sweeteners. Plus it great at stabilising you blood sugar to boot. (Go with one like this)
- FAT – when you ditch sugar you may find that your blood sugar goes a wee bit hay-wire which can mean you find yourself hungry and irritable. Which is why you need yourself some fat. Go for natural saturated fats like coconut oil and organic raw butter. (Click here to read more about all the lies we have been told about FATS!)
- Stevia – if you really can’t handle the lack of sweetness then getting your hands on some liquid stevia could really help with the transition. Just 4 drops equals about tsp sugar but it does not impact your blood sugar at all – it is perfect if you can’t bear the idea of no sweetness in your tea or coffee (but only use in small amounts) or adding it to baked goods.
- Vanilla powder – I love vanilla not just for flavour but it is a great way to add some gentle sweetness to your foods. Add it to porridge, coffee and or homemade chocolate for a naturally sweet flavour and a small amount goes a long way. (Get it here)
- L’glutamine – now I am not sure if this technically counts as a food but it is my secret weapon that I give all my clients who are ditching the sugar. This amino acid is fabulous for gut healing but also seems to really help curb and squash the sugar cravings – you know those wild crazy ones that make you want to steal sweeties from a child. You can get it in powder or capsule form and as with all supplements and food – make sure you get high quality stuff. (This is what I use/recommend.
I know that ditching sugar can feel utterly terrifying and about as much fun as going for a smear BUT honestly it is the key to transformation and with the right help it can be so much simpler than you think.
Ditching an addiction is never going to be a walk in the park but your energy, skin, digestion, horns, fertility, weight and mental wellbeing with thank you.
Remember the Beat the Sweet: 21 Day Sugar Challenge is open but enrollment closes SOON!
Click here to join the sugar challenge!
Further reading and recipes:
- Signs you addicted to sugar
- Curb your cravings: lemon & coconut creams recipe
- Whats the problem with sugar anyway?
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