Want to give up sugar?
Sugar. It’s everywhere. As a society, we have a love-hate relationship with sugar. We love to eat it (it tastes so good!) but we don’t like the results of eating sugar. We want to give up sugar, but don’t know how.
Lately, I’ve heard a lot of people talking about wanting to give up sugar. Maybe its the new year’s resolutions or maybe people are just becoming more aware of how they feel when they eat sugar. I gave up sugar years ago after dealing with hypoglycemia, PCOS, migraines, IBS. I couldn’t believe how much better I felt! Don’t get me wrong, I have a sweet tooth and have always craved sugar- but a few years ago when it came to my boys both being very sensitive to sugar (one had anger outbursts and the other had more physical problems), then I knew I would give up sugar.
Finally- I was ready.
So I read, and read, and tried looootttss of things and came up a system that worked. I knew it wasn’t just willpower that would help me finally kick sugar- I had to use my awareness, check in with my emotions, and use good nutritional strategies to work. Now, I want to share tips about how eliminate sugar, without the cravings. Not only have I worked to eliminate sugar in my life, I also have worked with clients with great success. One client lost 10 pounds just from eliminating sugar! For me it isn’t about weight, but about feeling more energized and less irritable.
How?
There are lots of foods that help eliminate cravings, help you feel full longer, and tweaks to your lifestyle that will help get rid of sugar. Here are 8 tips I used myself and often offer my clients:
- Make it Easy. Have easy to grab snacks available. Snacks such as pumpkin seeds with high protein combined with no sugar-added raisins offer protein with a little sweet to kick cravings to the curb.
- Fat for the Win! Nuts are great sources of protein + fat which can also help to stop cravings. Keep a bag handy with you for when your blood sugar crashes- often we grab for sweets when we are hungry and the candy bar is the easy answer.
- Fiber helps. Beans or lentils are great to decrease sugar cravings due to their high fiber content. Having something like hummus with carrots and celery is a double boost due to the fiber in the veggies, and the protein + fat in the hummus. This is also easy to make and easy to find ready made, fast and easy.
- Frozen bananas + blender = ice cream! No sugar solutions can still satisfy your sweet tooth. Freeze pieces of banana to blend for sweet tooth emergencies.
- Chocoholics don’t despair. In a real pinch (um, like everyday), I like 100% cacao (no sugar added) with no sugar added almond butter. No sugar, but definitely the reward of a dessert!
- Find Balance. Taking a supplement such as Chromium Picolinate can help in balance blood sugar, lead to fewer cravings. This is a huge help for those with hypoglycemia (like me).
- Explore the emotional connection. I also encourage my clients to look at how when we crave sugar it might really be a message that we are tired or need some ‘sweetness’ in our lives. When I crave sugar it is usually late afternoon or evening, and when I check in with my body, I’m usually exhausted!
- Try mindfulness. Using a skill such as mindfulness can help us notice what arises. Do you crave sugar you feeling stressed? Watching how our feelings often drive our actions can be so helpful in rewiring our eating habits.
Find Support
Giving up sugar can be challenging- and for some people it really is an addiction and trying to do it alone just leads to a cycle of beating yourself up. Getting support can be a key ingredient to finally being able to give up sugar and finally feel better. Find a friend or hire a coach- just make sure you give yourself support.
Peace + Sweetness,
Rebecca
p.s.- I love talking about healthy living and wellness! If you need more support, schedule a free call with me to learn more about my Vibrant Health Program, and how I can help you eliminate sugar and have energy again. And who doesn’t want a little more energy, right?!
