FOOD
Five Ways to Beat Sugar Addiction
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Do you find yourself craving a sweet treat throughout the day? You keep trying to cut out sugar but end up relapsing? It’s no surprise given that researchers have found sugar is as addictive as cocaine in rats.
The average American consumes approximately half a cup of refined sugar each day and sugar addiction is turning into a chronic problem in America. However, there are ways in which you can beat your sugar addiction. According to drhyman.com there are five things we can do to modulate our brain chemistry and fight the urge to consume sugar. Mark Hyman M.D suggests:
Balance Your Blood Sugar
Dr. Hyman reports that we can avoid making “bad” decisions by keeping our blood sugar stable. That means eating a healthy, nutritious breakfast with some protein, eating smaller meals throughout the day every 3 to 4 hours, and avoid eating 3 hours before bedtime.
Go Cold Turkey
Dr. Hyman suggests going cold turkey and eliminating sugar and artificial sweeteners from your diet. Although, initially it will be tough, it will curb cravings. By cutting them from your diet completely, you allow your brain to reset. Eliminate refined sugars, sodas, fruit juices, and artificial sweeteners.
Check for Food Allergies
It may seem strange, but according to Dr. Hyman sometimes we crave the very foods we are allergic to. He suggests determining if hidden food allergies are causing your cravings by participating in an allergy elimination program.
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Time and time again we are told to get a good 7 to 8 hours of sleep in order to feel healthy and that correlates to food cravings as well. When we suffer from lack of sleep we are more likely to crave bad foods – and that includes sugar.
Take Supplements
Dr. Hyman recommends taking supplements that help curb cravings, in particular vitamin D and Omega 3’s. Glutamine, tyrosine, and 5-HTP are amino acids that can also help reduce cravings.
