Shun Processed Sugar! Ways to Fight Sugar Addiction and Cravings for a Healthier, Abundant Life
Shun Processed Sugar!
Let me “paint you a picture”: Towards the end of 2019, I met a friend’s daughter, husband and their two kids at a restaurant for a celebration. I was astonished at how fit and petite (size 2) she was, especially since she had just had her second child not that long ago.
Curious, I asked her how she managed to keep in such great shape, and she replied that both she and her husband proactively had cut consuming processed sugar from their diets (“light bulb” moment!).
Mind you; she stated that ridding your eating of all sugar – especially processed sugar – is very difficult, BUT, cutting drastically back on sugar holistically benefits your whole life!
Knowing that I was overweight, I got on the scales, and was dismayed to see that I was the heaviest I had been in my life. I resolved right then and there that I wanted to not only lose the excess weight, but also to cut as much sugar – especially processed sugar – out of my eating to be healthier for my continued goal of balanced, abundant living.
A helpful infographic put out by the American Heart Association called, “How Too Much Sugar Affects Your Health” states that:
“Too much added sugar may put you at a higher risk of: cardiovascular disease, cognitive problems including dementia and Alzheimer’s, colon cancer, diabetes, High blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, kidney disease, liver disease, obesity, pancreatic cancer, retina, muscle and nerve damage”
Sugar cravings and addiction is truly a vicious cycle!
But, you can break the cycle! A great article by the website, WebMD, called “Curb Sugar & Cravings: 13 Ways to Fight Sugar Cravings” will start you on your way. An excerpt from the article says that:
“Does that morning Danish pastry leave you craving another treat 2 hours later? Do you grab a candy bar to cope with your afternoon slump — and then reach for a cola to get out of your post-slump slump?
If you’ve found that munching sugary snacks just makes you crave more of them, you’re not alone. Eating lots of simple carbohydrates — without the backup of proteins or fats — can quickly satisfy hunger and give your body a short-term energy boost. But they almost as quickly leave you famished again and wanting more.”
Their article then gives you helpful advice, such as:
- Why Do We Crave Sugar
- How to Stop Sugar Cravings: 8 Tips to Use Right Now”
- How to Stop Sugar Cravings: 5 Tips for the Long Term
Eating whole foods can definitely start satisfying sugar cravings! Fruits do contain traces of sugar, but its natural and not processed (like white sugar).
Fast Forward: By my 64th birthday in August of 2020 (my goal date), I had lost 30 pounds (my goal weight loss).
Drastically cutting processed sugar, exercising (hint: start walking!), and drinking water (NOT sodas!), eating non-fatty, no red meat protein in 4 to 5 oz. portions, and focusing on being grateful for the positive aspects of my life worked wonders. Since then, I’ve being very conscious of my sugar intake, and have made it a lifestyle change.
So please start your own journey to a more physically balanced, healthy, and abundant life!
