5 Steps to Kick Your Sugar Habit - For Good

Sugar addict seeking help! Ok, well, some days it’s chips that I can't stop thinking about and can't stop at just a hand-full. I feel the guilt and shame but somehow I rationalize that the day was just so busy, and this is my time to relax and recharge and tonight I will just have a couple. Ha! Like that ever happens!

When this happens, I know I’m out of balance. I am irritable, and I get frustrated easier than I would like. Everything seems like a lot of work and I can't seem to have as much fun as I would like. I stress about everything, and even though certain things are indeed stressful, I also become stressed about things that aren't significant, in hind sight.

Here’s where my training as a naturopath should kick in. In the past, when I start feeling this way, my plan has been:

1. Take a vitamin B complex and an herbal support for stress. Guess what: if you’re low in B vitamins, you crave sugar! You can help stop this by supplementing with a high quality B vitamin. One of my favourites is  AOR's B complex.
2. Eat protein with every meal. I know breakfast is hard, but try a protein smoothie, some eggs, raw cheese or nuts.
3. Then when I feel a little better, I have to get outside, even just my toes in the grass to recharge. No, literally, get some energy from Mother Earth! I'm not sure how it works but it is my first step before exercising!
4. If I still can’t stop eating sugar, I try a trick I learned in school over 10 years ago. Gymnema the herb makes sugar taste like dirt and curbs sugar cravings for most people. 2 tablets twice a day is amazing!
5. Ok, last thing. I take out dairy and grains from my diet. Why, you ask? Because grains break down into sugar and I am stuck in a slump so I need a fast rev up to burn fat and feel better.

I feel that I shouldn't have to "take" anything to get back in balance, but I have just listed a couple things to "take". I feel strongly that the food I get addicted to is not natural and has been manipulated to addict me, so I have decided to take aggressive action and "take" stuff until their hold on me is over. Once you start to feel better, you may be able to cut back on the supplements.

This works for me. Good luck on the sugar train!

 Dr. Carissa Natural Care Clinic, Burlington, ON