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Are you addicted to sugar? Sugar addiction is far more common than most people are able to recognize. Because added sugar has infiltrated nearly every part of our diets, it can be very difficult to recognize when you have a problem. However, if you find yourself wanting to eat less sugar or fewer carbohydrates and you feel sick or upset when you try to cut down, this is a reliable indicator that you have a sugar addiction.

Having trouble reducing your sugar intake? Take these three tips to beat your sugar addiction today.

Up your exercise

If you're looking to cut back on sugar, you'll want to start by heading to the gym. One study showed that sugar activates the same “reward” pathways in the brain that are activated after a good workout.1 When you eat sugar, your brain receives the same feel-good bursts of endorphins as you do when you exercise; this is a reinforcing mechanism that can easily lead to a sugar addiction. The first step to breaking an addiction to sugar is to substitute the endorphin rush that you typically get from added sugar with the natural endorphins gained when you get your heart pumping.

Dreading spending hours slaving away on the treadmill? You don't have to become a cardio bunny overnight to stop craving sugar. Starting with an exercise that you love like Zumba, kickboxing, or swimming, can help you ease into a new workout routine while also reaping the benefits of cardio.

Say “no” to fat-free

Fat has gotten a bad rap. In the 1960's executives from the sugar lobby paid Harvard scientists to shift blame for the rising rates of obesity to dietary fat and minimize conclusions linked to sugar.2 This lead to the low-fat craze of the 1990's and early 2000's, which obviously did very little to slow the obesity crisis. In fact, research has also shown that increased intake of monounsaturated fats can increase your sense of satisfaction after eating, which can help you slowly move away from the sugar.3

Instead of avoiding fat like the plague, incorporating healthy fats like avocados, eggs, and olive oil can help you start to break your sugar addiction.

Improve your sleeping habits

Have you been counting fewer sheep than usual? If so, research says that you might be making it even harder to break your sugar habit. One study found that when subjects were sleep deprived, the reward centers in their brain were working on overdrive– meaning that it was harder for them to resist the immediate rush of endorphins that you would get munching on a bagel or a sweet treat.4 Another study found that when subjects did not get enough sleep, they had a harder time resisting the temptation to eat foods and snacks that were high in calories.5

The bottom line? If you're looking to eat less sugar, you'll want to spend more time snoozing. To improve your sleep cycle, set a regular bedtime and try to hit the sack at about the same time every day. You'll also want to turn off your electronics at least one hour before you go to sleep and avoid consuming caffeine after 5 pm.

NUTRITIONAL DISCLAIMER

The content on this website should not be taken as medical advice and you should ALWAYS consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. We provide nutritional data for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. We use Total Keto Diet app software to calculate the nutrition and we remove fiber and sugar alcohols, like erythritol, from the total carbohydrate count to get to the net carb count, as they do not affect your blood glucose levels. You should independently calculate nutritional information on your own and not rely on our data. The website or content herein is not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose or treat any disease. This website shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on the Website or actions you take as a result. Any action you take is strictly at your own risk.

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