We are publishing an excerpt from the book, in which the authors tell how sugar addicts are more effective in losing weight. We remind you that these tips are information for thought, and not a guide to action and will not replace the advice of a specialist who diagnoses your problem.
Sleep eight hours a night to curb your appetite
The opinion that the first hours of sleep are the sweetest is not without reason. If you don't get enough sleep, your body won't rest and your body weight may increase. Poor sleep causes changes in the levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which control appetite, which means that the person will feel more hungry, especially the desire to eat something sweet. Not getting enough sleep also lowers growth hormone levels. Growth hormone stimulates an increase in muscle mass (and muscle burns fat), and also improves insulin sensitivity, which reduces the tendency to store fat. If you don't get enough sleep, your risk of obesity increases by 30 percent and an average weight gain of 2.3 kilograms can be expected.<...>
Support your adrenal glands to reduce sugar cravings
Type 2 sugar addicts can gain weight in two ways: during stress and high cortisol levels and during sugar cravings during low cortisol and adrenaline depletion phases. If you have hypoglycemia, consider taking adrenal medications, which include licorice<...>
Treat hypothyroidism to prevent weight gain
More than 26 million Americans suffer from hypothyroidism (a condition caused by inadequate hormone levels in the body). thyroid gland- Marie Claire), but less than a third of them receive the correct diagnosis and treatment. This is due to the fact that in most cases routine blood tests do not show insufficient thyroid function. In the meantime, the function of the thyroid gland is insufficient, it is almost impossible to keep the body weight in the norm. Symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, low body temperature (below 37 ° C), pain, and mental disturbances. Even a few of these symptoms are enough to justify a trial course of natural thyroid hormones. If you have hypothyroidism, taking thyroid hormones can dramatically improve your well-being and help you lose unnecessary pounds.
Correct nutritional deficiencies to speed up metabolism
With vitamin deficiency and a lack of minerals, the body, trying to get what it needs, requires more food than usual, and the metabolism is inhibited. Many types of nutritional deficiencies can cause these food cravings, so overall body support works best. Getting the nutrients you need is convenient with a good vitamin powder.
Stop Yeast Overgrowth to Facilitate Weight Loss
As we discussed in Chapters 3 and 8, overgrowth of fungi (yeast, Candida) contributes significantly to sugar cravings and weight gain. Although we do not know the mechanisms behind this phenomenon, once the treatment stops the proliferation of excess yeast, excess weight is often reduced. The main causes of a yeast infection are excessive sugar intake and antibiotics.
Common problems caused by a yeast infection include chronic sinusitis and spastic colitis (gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation). If you have any of these symptoms, you are probably suffering from overgrowth of yeast.<...>
Cure insulin resistance to regulate blood sugar
The hormone insulin is used by the body to regulate blood sugar levels. It is the key that opens the doors from blood to cells so that fuel - sugar - gets into them. Through this we receive energy. Insulin helps you burn more calories by speeding up your metabolism and reducing body weight.
Unfortunately, many factors of modern life lead to the so-called insulin resistance. However, very high insulin levels are required to move sugar from the blood to the cell furnaces. One of the main causes of insulin resistance is excessive consumption of sugar, especially fructose, which is found in sodas and fruit drinks. High insulin levels cause the body to convert carbohydrates into fat, and this is one of the main reasons for reversible weight gain. Other factors are lack of physical activity and hormonal imbalances, which we discussed above.
Insulin resistance requires a simple fasting blood insulin test. Normal (that is, anything but the two highest and lowest percentages) is considered to be between 2 and 25 units / ml, but if the blood insulin level is above 10-14 in the morning on an empty stomach, I consider it elevated and indicative of insulin resistance.
If sugar-dependent women have abnormal facial hair growth, insulin resistance may be associated with elevated levels of the male hormone testosterone. This is indicated by high or simply elevated blood levels of testosterone, or DEAS. This situation can cause not only weight gain, but also another problem: polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This can be followed by fatigue bad dream, infertility and a host of other complications. PCOS is made worse by excess sugar intake, but often responds well to treatment with metformin (this is a prescription drug)<...>
Take Acetyl-L-Carnitine to Burn Fat
Another important cause of weight gain is carnitine deficiency. If you don't get enough of this substance, your body will convert calories into fat, which is almost impossible to remove. But the usual intake of supplements does not give the desired effect, because in this case, carnitine does not enter the cells in sufficient quantities. You should take 1000 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine (it penetrates the cells better) daily for four months. This will give you a burst of energy and make it possible to reduce body weight.
Photo: Getty Images, Press Services Archive
From Dr. Mercola
Sugar in moderation is essential for our body. As a carbohydrate, it helps provide you with the energy you need for your daily activities. All cells use it. But at the same time, sugar is calories and, if consumed in excess, there will be negative health consequences.
Massive sugar addiction can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart failure or failure, cancer cell formation, depletion of brain energy, and a shortened life span.
In this case, moderation is important. But it's certainly easier to recommend avoiding high-sugar foods these days than it is given the variety in stores. Common culprits tend to be energetic drinks, soda, candy, artificial sweeteners and more. They are available to everyone.
What lies behind sugar addiction
Sugar addiction begins when you crave everything that this sweet ingredient contains. Sugar consumption triggers the production of natural opioids in the brain. These hormones help relieve pain, and they act in the same way as when using drugs.
According to researchers, there are two sweet receptors in the tongue that evolved a long time ago, when our ancestors had very little sugar in their diet. Over the years, human languages have never been able to adapt to sweets.
This is why, with increased stimulation of the tongue receptors, your brain sends out excessive reward signals whenever you eat something that contains sugar, which ultimately overrides your self-control mechanism. This is addictive.
Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, writes in The Atlantic that:
“The brain's pleasure center, called the nucleus accumbens, is critical to our survival as a species ... When we abuse anything, including sugar, the nucleus accumbens receives a dopamine signal from which you experience pleasure. And you consume more. The problem is that with prolonged exposure, the signal fades, becomes weaker.
So you have to consume more to get the same effect - sustainability. And if you reduce your substance use, withdrawal occurs. Resilience and cancellation are addictions. "
Another important participant in the possible sugar addiction is the hormone leptin. Its task is to tell the brain how to use the energy gained from fat. Plus, it's linked to the taste buds on the tongue, which can increase or decrease your food cravings.
If you are deficient in leptin or your body has a problem with leptin receptors, then your chances of cravings for food increase and, more often than not, people choose sugar when trying to cope with these cravings.
76 Ways Sugar Destroys Health
Too much sugar can damage your health. I counted at least 76 ways (yes, you read that right!) That sugar can cause serious health risks. They fall into four categories: increased risk of disease, imbalance or deficiency of nutrients, physical impairment and behavioral changes.
Nutrient imbalance or deficiency
- Disruptions of mineral bonds in the body
- Chromium deficiency
- Interferes with the absorption of calcium, magnesium and protein
- Increased levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and bad cholesterol
- Reducing the level of good cholesterol
- Decreased vitamin E levels
- The body converts sugar two to five times more into blood fat than starch
Behavioral changes
- Addiction and intoxication, similar to alcoholic
- Rapid increase in adrenaline levels, hyperactivity and anxiety
- Leads to difficulty concentrating, sleepiness and eccentricities in children
- Leads to decreased activity in children
- Reduces learning ability and may cause learning disabilities that can affect student performance
- Increases the risk of antisocial behavior
- Decreased emotional stability
- Depression
- Alcoholism
Increased risk of disease
- Nourishes cancer cells
- May cause cell death
- Increases fasting blood glucose
- Increases systolic blood pressure
- Significantly increased platelet adhesion
- Leads to kidney and gallstones
- Rapid absorption of sugar contributes to excessive food intake
- Obesity
- Decreases insulin sensitivity, which increases insulin levels and ultimately
- eventually leads to diabetes
- Reactive hypoglycemia
- Headaches, including migraines
- Dizziness
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Food allergy
- Promotes the development of chronic degenerative diseases
- Causes atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease
- Causes cataracts and myopia
- May lead to autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, asthma, and multiple sclerosis
- Causes emphysema
- Promotes the development of osteoporosis
- Reduction of appendicitis, hemorrhoids and varicose veins
- Parkinson's disease (people with this condition eat a lot of sugar)
- Increases the risk of developing gout and Alzheimer's disease
- Acidity in saliva, caries, periodontal disease
- Gum disease
- Significantly contributes to uncontrolled growth Candida albicans(yeast infection)
- Toxicosis during pregnancy
- Promotes Eczema in Children
- Worsens symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Increases the risk of polio
- May lead to epileptic seizures
- May lead to high blood pressure in obese people
- Increased consumption in intensive care units can cause death
Physical impairment
- Potentially can cause pathological metabolic processes in a healthy person
- Suppression of the immune system, increasing the risk of contracting infectious diseases
- Loss of tissue elasticity and function
- Weakened vision
- Premature aging
- Increase in advanced glycolytic end products, in which sugar molecules attach to proteins and ultimately damage them
- Disruption of DNA structure
- May interrupt the supply of oxygen to the brain by the intravenous route
- Changes the structure of the protein and causes a permanent change in the actions of the protein in the body
- Collagen structure changes
- Aging skin
- Violates the physiological homeostasis of body systems
- Reduces the functional capacity of enzymes
- An increase in the size of the liver as a result of cell division, which increases the volume of liver fat
- An increase in the size of the kidney and the development of pathological changes
- Damage to the pancreas
- Increased fluid retention in the body
- Affects urinary electrolyte composition
- Slows down the functional capacity of the adrenal glands
- Disrupts capillary lining
- Fragile tendons
- May cause increased delta, alpha, and theta brain waves, which can affect the ability to think clearly
- Causes hormonal imbalances
- Increases free radicals and oxidative stress
- Leads to a significant reduction in the chance of getting pregnant, doubling the risk of having premature babies
- Dehydration in newborns
- Affects Carbon Dioxide Production in Premature Babies
How to get rid of sugar addiction
Don't panic - it's never too late to kick bad habits. I will give you some tips on how to consume sugar safely without compromising your health.
The first one is pay attention to your emotions... Sometimes when you're hungry for food, it's triggered by an emotional need, such as a desire to relieve stress or feel a little happier after a tiring day. Often times, people tend to ignore their emotions when choosing between healthy foods and others.
I highly recommend Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)- A simple and effective method of psychological acupressure that will help manage the emotional component of food cravings. It has been shown to be effective in relieving many emotional trauma, phobias, post-traumatic stress and food cravings, and reducing physical pain and discomfort.
For those who practice EFT, this method helps maintain the right mindset when switching to a diet or simply improving their health. If you're already curious, you can familiarize yourself with the basics of EFT here (in English only).
Another way to cut back on sugar is to reduce the amount you consume daily, to less than 25 grams, to be precise, including from whole fruits.
I also advise you Avoid high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) at all costs... It is a sweetener made from corn and is found in many of the foods we eat and drink today. It is now considered fatal not only because of the amount of sugar it contains, but also because of the health risks associated with it, most of which we have already covered.
It helps a lot choosing a well-balanced diet according to your body type, with an additional emphasis on foods rich in fiber, which helps slow the absorption of sugar, and high in high-quality omega-3 fats, which are also important in reducing the effects of excessive sugar intake. It is also recommended to avoid foods high in sugar and maintain water balance at all times by drinking fresh and clean water.
And finally do sports every day, optimize vitamin levelD, sleep enough and control your stress levels- this will also help to minimize the effects of excessive sugar consumption. Exercise is known to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce stress levels, suppress ghrelin (appetite hormone), speed up metabolism, strengthen bones, and improve mood.
It's hard to say no to sweets, especially if you've consumed them on a daily basis, but trust me, once you feel the effect of reducing your sugar intake, you can handle it - it's worth it.
Traditionally, it is believed that the main sweet tooth on earth are women, and a man has to wonder how to get rid of sugar addiction only in exceptional cases. It was not so! The stronger sex is no less often addicted to "sweet drugs". If you do not crunch chocolates from morning to night, but at the same time put at least 3 tablespoons of sugar in coffee, consume sweet soda and regularly finish your lunch with dessert, you too are under the gun of sugar addiction.
Not everyone can control their sugar cravings.
The bitter truth about a sweet product
It is almost impossible to live in a modern society and not face a “sweet killer” every minute. Sugar is everywhere! It helps the dough rise when making yeast bread, serves as a preservative in ready-made sauces and marinades, reveals new bright flavor notes of meat dishes and soups. If you learn to carefully read the labels of groceries in the store before you send them to your cart, you may be surprised to find that sugar, overtly or covertly, is present in the lion's share of them. And if you also have the habit of allowing yourself sweet bonuses at the end of a hard day's work or after a nervous shock, we are talking about a real sugar avalanche, under which the body will not drown for long!
According to research by the World Health Organization, today a person consumes from 30 to 70 kg of sugar annually, while 100 years ago this figure did not exceed 17 kg, and 200 years ago - 2 kg. Feel the difference, as they say!
According to scientists, the daily consumption of sugar is 50 g for women and 60 g for men, including sweeteners hidden in food.
We eat 2-3 times more sweets than is allowed.
It is not surprising that in recent decades humanity has been swept by a wave of diseases associated with excessive consumption of sweets, and the search for a cure for sugar addiction has acquired almost global significance. Here is just a small list of the diseases that it provokes:
- diabetes;
- hypertension and other blood pressure problems;
- phlebeurysm;
- a whole bunch of various heart diseases;
- haemorrhoids;
- myopia or cataracts;
- eczema;
- tooth decay and gum disease;
- fungal infections of the urinary tract and digestive tract;
- general drop in immunity;
- chronic fatigue syndrome;
- depression, uncontrollable outbursts of aggressive behavior and other manifestations of emotional instability.
Sugar cravings increase a person's chances of developing cancer and becoming a victim of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's in old age. So the question "how to overcome sugar addiction" every year becomes relevant for an increasing number of people on the planet.
Baby treat is nowhere near as innocent as it might seem
Addiction test
But wait, maybe we shouldn't sound the alarm? Is a slice of cheesecake for dessert and a lump of sugar tossed in a cup of tea a reason to diagnose yourself with "sugar addiction"? How to understand that we are no longer talking about small harmless joys, but about an incipient addiction?
1. In your house there is always an open box of chocolates, a couple of boxes of chocolate or some other delicacy, and you know that it will not last long?
2. Passing the showcases with sweets, do you delay your step and gladly scan the shelves with your eyes?
3. Are there moments in your life when you urgently want something “to die” for something sweet? Does it act as a kind of sedative for you?
4. Can you answer “no” to the invitation to treat yourself to your favorite delicacy, or will you certainly taste a bite?
5. Should at least one of your meals end with dessert?
The answer "yes", sounded more than once, is a clear symptom of sugar addiction that deserves the closest attention.
Sugar works in the same way as a real drug, irritating the pleasure centers in our brain and making us want more and more of the forbidden substance.
The difference is not that great
Treatment methods
But no addiction, no matter how hard it is, is a sentence. In the end, everything is determined by your determination - if you are determined to put an end to the sweet mayhem, you can do it.
So how to beat sugar addiction?
Get into good habits
1. Switch from convenience foods to healthy foods made with whole foods.
2. Check the composition of everything that you are going to put in your mouth. If the list of ingredients includes not only sugar, but also its artificial substitutes - fructose, glucose, sucrose - this product is not suitable for you.
3. Reduce your caffeine intake: it reinforces sugar addiction. 1 cup of coffee in the morning will not do any harm, but 2-3 will significantly slow down progress.
Gradually reduce the number of spoons of sugar in drinks
4. Train yourself to drink plenty of water. It will remove toxins from the body and speed up detoxification.
5. Get enough sleep. Those who sleep at least 8 hours a day usually do not suffer from increased appetite and do not need additional sources of energy.
6. Don't try to turn your struggle into a diet or, worse, a hunger strike. Since sugar addiction will take at least 1-2 months to cure, refusing to eat full food will only increase your chances of failure.
Natural stevia can be a safe sweetener. However, it can be harmful if you are taking medications to lower your blood sugar.
Outsmart the subconscious
1. Do not tell yourself: "I will never touch sweets again!" This sounds too categorical and pre-sets you to fail. Introduce beneficial restrictions gradually, giving your body time to get comfortable with them.
2. Get rid of the sweet supplies, which are always found in the house of any gourmet, they will serve as an additional source of temptation.
What will not make a sweet tooth for the sake of a favorite delicacy
3. Try to exclude from your life the so-called rituals - actions during which you automatically reach for sweets. For example, until now you are used to browsing the news feed while sipping coffee with your favorite variety of sweets, and now you look at your favorite site exclusively from your tablet, standing in a traffic jam or on a park bench.
4. At first, try replacing the usual sweets with honey and dried fruits. But remember that their quantity should be limited - in fact, this is the same sugar, albeit natural.
5. Create distractions: start a new hobby, get out with friends on a barbecue, take on a challenging promising project. Keep your thoughts busy.
Unbearably hungry for a chocolate bar or cake? Eat. But only half, once a week and without haste. Savor the delicacy, feel every bite on your tongue, in a word, get the most out of it.
In order not to push yourself to extremes, you can occasionally relax.
Support the body
Although there are no pharmacological drugs for sugar dependence as such, vitamins can take on their role. For the period of "sugar detoxification", purchase a good complex at the pharmacy, which includes:
- magnesium (reduces sugar cravings);
- calcium - since sugar actively removes this element from the body;
- chromium, which has been called the "sugar pill" for its ability to help glucose enter the cells of the body and provide them with energy.
Video: How to get rid of sugar addiction
A few more practical tips to get rid of sugar cravings from the TV channel "I Want to Lose Weight":
If you carefully read the labels in stores, it becomes clear that sugar is now everywhere. And in large quantities. It is added to almost all ready-made drinks, to all types of industrially baked bread, to all sauces and semi-finished products. Sugar, by the way, is added to many dishes and in restaurants, as it improves the taste of the dish, makes it brighter, more memorable, rich. We expect a repetition of this taste over and over again. And we ourselves do not notice how sugar and sweets are beginning to make up a noticeable part of our daily diet.
An analysis of experts from the World Health Organization showed that the share of sugar in the average diet of a person from a developed country is about 15%. And it is necessary that sugar does not exceed 5% of the total diet.American physician Jacob Teitelbaum in his book "Sugar Free" says that the average annual consumption of sugar in the United States is 63.5-68 kilograms per year. And this is for one person. Imagine a 50-kilogram bag and about a third of it - that's how much sugar gets into the body. In Russia, this figure is less - about 39 kg per year per person. Now let's go back to the past. In Europe at the beginning of the 19th century, sugar consumption was only 2 kilograms per year per person! At the beginning of the XX century, the figure has already grown noticeably - 17 kg, and at the beginning of the XXI century - 37 kilograms. So gradually sugar from a delicacy became a very big problem.
Dr. Teitelbaum believes that such excessive consumption of sugar causes a huge number of health problems. It can be the cause or one of the reasons for such phenomena as:- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Deterioration of immunity
- Chronic sinusitis
- Metabolic syndrome with high cholesterol and hypertension
- Heart diseases
- Hormonal Disorders
- Infection with Candida and other yeasts
After all, the huge amount of sugar and white flour in our diets leads to obesity and related health problems. When sugar is consumed, blood glucose rises, insulin soars, and fat stores are stored throughout the body.
But limiting sugar in your diet isn't easy. Especially when the entire food industry uses it so intensively. To get off the sweet tooth and normalize the consumption of sweets, Dr. Teitelbaum recommends the following steps and various tricks to help part with the "white killer" without too many problems.
Read labels. Do not use products on the label of which sugar in any form (sugar, sucrose, glucose, fructose, corn syrup) is listed among the first three ingredients. You should also avoid white flour, which is found in many types of bread and pasta, because the body will quickly convert it into sugar and give you sugar euphoria, followed by withdrawal.
Phasing out products containing sugar. Start by removing high sugar foods from your diet, including fast food, processed foods, soda, and fruit drinks.Withstand 7-10 days without sugar... This is enough to overcome addiction. If in the process of refusal you feel unwell, you can support yourself with fruit and 1-2 squares of dark chocolate.
If you really want something sweet, you need to eat it. But not all the cake, but just a little. Very slow and savoring.
After the insistent need for sweets leaves you, you can introduce a little dark chocolate and fruit into the diet.
Remove excess caffeine. Too much caffeine will aggravate the symptoms of sugar dependence, so start limiting yourself to 1 cup of coffee a day, or rather switch to tea altogether.
Take vitamins. Poor nutrients food induces cravings in general and cravings for sweets in particular. Therefore, you should not neglect multivitamin complexes. In the treatment of sugar dependence, the following are especially important: magnesium, iodine, chromium, vitamin C, B6, D. It is useful to supplement vitamin complex taking fish oil.
Choose whole foods... These are unprocessed fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats. Most are low on the glycemic index and do not fuel the desire for sweets.
Monitor the glycemic index of foods. A food with a glycemic index above 85 raises blood sugar very quickly, and if the glycemic index is below 30, the sugar level hardly rises.Drink water. Water helps the body eliminate toxins. How much water should you drink per day? Check your mouth and lips from time to time. If they are dry, it means that there is not enough moisture and you need to drink more.
Sleep. Adequate sleep optimizes energy levels in the body, reduces appetite and hits sugar cravings.
How to replace sugar
Stevia
The substance stevioside, obtained from the leaves of the sweet herb stevia, is 200 times sweeter than sugar, and contains only 0.2 Kcal per 1 g (sugar contains 4 Kcal per 1 gram). There is one thing: stevioside should not be used with drugs that lower blood sugar levels.
Erythritol
It is found in melon, plums, pears, and grapes. In industrial conditions, erythritol is obtained from starch-containing raw materials, for example, corn or tapioca. This substance is also low in calories, and tastes very similar to sugar.
Cleansing the body of sugar is the best way to get rid of addiction to sweets, which is 8 times stronger than cocaine. WHO recommends eating no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day, but most adults eat more than 22 spoons a day, and children eat even more - about 34.
It is for this reason that adults, young people and children are increasingly faced with obesity, prediabetes, diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, etc. Sugar is the true embodiment of sweet poison. This article explains why cleansing sugar is so important, how to get rid of sugar addiction, and how to eat to achieve this. Read on!
What does sugar removal mean?
Clearing sugar from your body is a strategic plan that will help you get rid of this addiction. With its help, you can reduce blood glucose levels, restore the previous perception of food, improve the lipid profile of the blood, the work of the brain and muscular system, and also stop cravings for harmful foods.
The food will look more attractive, tastier and will fully satisfy physical and emotional hunger. To do this, you just need to take control of the amount of sugar consumed per day. Sounds good, right? Until you have confidence and motivation, it will be difficult to get rid of the addiction. Let's find out about the dangers that sugar is fraught with in order to give it up once and for all.
How excess sugar affects the body
Immediately after you eat something sweet (ice cream, chocolate, muffin or waffles), your soul feels good. However, the effects of sugar on the body are not all that harmless. Scientists have found that sugar affects the same nerve endings as psychotropic or addictive drugs.
Dr. James Dinicolantonio told The Guardian that "sugar is the most commonly consumed drug in the world, causing irreparable harm to the human body."
Why is sugar so harmful? What does it do or what does excess amount of it lead to? Here are the main risk factors for sweet tooth lovers:
- Obesity - This is the first thing that all sweets lovers will have to face. When a lot of sugar enters the body, and the lifestyle remains inactive or even sedentary, then sugar begins to accumulate in the body in the form of fat. First in the form of subcutaneous, and then visceral, that is, around the internal organs. This moment is considered the beginning of the end of health and wellness.
- Prediabetes / Diabetes - High sugar levels lead to insulin resistance. This in turn prevents the cells in the body from using the available glucose. A person wants more sweets, and the blood sugar level rises very much. As a result, the person faces prediabetes and diabetes.
- Raised LDL Cholesterol - Excessive sugar consumption leads to obesity, in which the level of bad cholesterol is constantly on the rise. LDL cholesterol is deposited on the walls of blood vessels in the form of plaques, which increases the risk of heart attacks at times.
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Infertility - Polycystic Ovary Syndrome has become the norm for women of reproductive age. The main causes of this disease are poor lifestyle choices, including excessive consumption of sugars. This leads to obesity and insulin resistance, which in turn leads to hormonal imbalances in the body and the formation of cysts in the ovaries. Irregular periods, facial hair, and male-patterned abdominal fat accumulation are symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome. If you do not start treatment on time, then it will lead to infertility.
- Depression - Think sugar makes life sweeter ?! It turns out that this is not the case. Scientists have shown that excessive consumption of sweets leads to depression. The feeling of satisfaction does not last long, and the problems, as they were real, will remain so. In addition to them, excess weight will come, which is one of the main causes of depression and complexes in most women.
Temporary relief and satisfaction will not solve the problem, but only add to a range of physical and mental health problems.
It is not so easy to give up sweets forever. Let's find out why quitting sugar is just as difficult as quitting smoking.
Why is it difficult to give up sugar?
If you are addicted to sugar, it will be difficult to get rid of it. A person becomes addicted to him emotionally, as well as from cigarettes, alcohol and drugs, only in our case from chocolate, cupcake, candy or ice cream.
Suffering will be both physically and emotionally, especially at those moments when the body will demand the next portion of the sweet. In an attempt to eliminate sugar from the diet, “rejection” symptoms such as headache, anger, physical pain, and mood swings may be present. All this can lead to the failure of the intended goal and return to square one. How to force yourself not to eat sweets and starchy foods?
If there is a strong desire and motivation, nothing will stop you. The following 10 ways can help you cleanse your body of sugar and sugar addiction.
10 ways to stop eating sugar
1. Get rid of unnecessary food in the kitchen
As long as there are sweet temptations in kitchen cabinets, the refrigerator, and other hidden places in the kitchen, the chances of reducing sugar cravings are nil. Out of sight everything sweet from home, especially pure sugar, this is the only way to cleanse your body of sugar, stop wanting it and lose weight.
After that, there is no choice but to switch to a low-calorie, low-sugar diet. And that will be the first step. Distribute unwanted food to those in need. Fill the empty space with fresh vegetables, fruits (low GI), nuts, legumes, lean meats, fish, eggs, skim milk and yogurt.
2. Watch what you drink
When trying to get rid of sugar addiction, watch what you drink. Packaged vegetable and fruit juices, sports drinks and sodas are full of sugar.
It only seems to you that you are drinking " fruit juice". Have you read on the packaging how much sugar it contains ?! Instead, it's best to drink water, freshly squeezed vegetable / fruit juices, coconut water, buttermilk, and smoothies.
3. Eat protein with every meal
Proteins are difficult to digest, so it takes longer to digest them. This in turn saturates the stomach for a long time, so try to eat any source of lean protein with every meal.
For breakfast, you can eat eggs, yogurt or drink milk. You can have a snack with several pistachios. For lunch, eat chicken breast, fish, mushrooms, lentils, or beans. Staying full longer will make you less likely to go to the kitchen looking for something sweet.
4. Healthy carbohydrates should be a mandatory part of the diet.
Complex carbohydrates are considered beneficial. Fiber is a source of complex carbohydrates. It is found in vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts. Just like protein, complex carbohydrates should be present in all meals.
Dietary fiber saturates, serves as food for beneficial bacteria in the intestines, interferes with the absorption of fat, enveloping it and removing it from the body. If you want something sweet, you can eat a fruit or 4 nuts of almonds and pistachios. This will help take your mind off the sugar.
5. Healthy fats for body health
Healthy fats fight inflammatory processes in the body, help the body lose weight, improve the appearance of the skin and brain function. They saturate the body and satisfy hunger, preventing uncontrolled attempts to find and eat something sweet.
Healthy sources of fats include olive oil, fish fat, sunflower seed oil, peanut oil, coconut and flaxseed oil, avocado, chia seed oil and rice bran. Try to consume these foods in moderation. Avoid canola oil, animal fats, butter, margarine, hemp oil.
6. Snack right
Snacks are extremely important. They support metabolism and prevent feelings of weakness and fatigue.
Snacks include low glycemic fruits, carrots or hummus, green tea, coffee, bran biscuits, yogurt with berries, or homemade healthy bars.
7. Less stress - more rest
Usually stress is seized. This means that if there is anxiety, irritation, depression, then the body will require sweets to improve well-being.
The problem will not be solved on its own, or at least not with sugar. Weight gain will begin, which will add a bunch of complexes and health problems. You need to understand what is the source of negative emotions and experiences. Could it be related to work, boyfriend or girlfriend, or change of residence? If there is a source of stress, the problem will be eliminated, and with it the desire to eat sweets.
8. Get enough sleep
Poor sleep quality or lack of sleep leads to obesity and increased stress levels. You need to sleep at least 6 hours a day. Sleep helps flush toxins from the body, prevents stress seizing and improves overall health.
9. Do blended workouts
Emotional stress seizure will go away once you start exercising. Exercise is important not only to reduce stress levels, but also to get rid of excess sugar stored in your body as fat.
Train 3 times a week with cardio and leave on twice a week. power training... This will help you shed fat and gain muscle mass, as well as look slimmer, toned, and kick out sweets.
10. Avoid foods that cause allergies
Foods that cause an allergic reaction or to which you have an intolerance increase the stress and stress levels in the body. There is an urgent desire to chew something or eat something sweet. Therefore, try to quit eating everything that comes to hand.
These were proven ways to get rid of sugar addiction. It remains only to bring them to life and wean yourself off sweet. Don't worry, there is a meal plan below that will make it easier to get rid of sugar. All you need to do for this is to complete step 1 (get rid of unnecessary foods in the kitchen) and follow this plan.