To succeed in eliminating sugar and sugar-cravings from your life (and most other cravings, too!), it helps to understand your personal chemistry and your digestive health.
For example, many sugar addicts have very low mineral levels that are perpetuated by the sugar intake. In order to break the vicious cycle, you need foods and supplements that help restore the minerals and reverse the tendency. I can tell if a client has low mineral levels by evaluating measures in the urine/saliva in the flow system, a service available by appointment in our office. We offer hair mineral analyses that can also be helpful.
Sometimes Candida or another parasite is at play in a sweet tooth. Candida may be identified with a Diagnostechs GI-panel which is a home test kit using stool and saliva samples that are mailed to the lab for evaluation. Then, I will suggest supplements and foods to help re-balance your gut.
It is very common for digestion to be poor. You may not be digesting fats well, may be eating on the run, or may have "leaky gut" and therefore are constantly lacking nutrients. This can be identified in the aforementioned flow system and addressed with supplement and dietary changes.
Here are a few tried and true techniques to kick sugar to the curb:
1. Eat and digest more protein and fat. Cravings are a sign of under-nourishment. You either need to stop skimping on breakfast and/or or lunch or you need to start eating what's right for you. A 2011 study indicated that eating more protein reduced cravings by 60% in weightloss trials. I have observed increasing protein to be crucial in helping clients stop cravings. Many times you need supplements to optimize digestion.
2. Take a daily high-quality probiotic. In practice, I find clients report a dramatic improvement in cravings when taking a probiotic suited to them. There are many available on the market. During a consultation, we can discuss the most appropriate dose, strain, and source of probiotics. A couple of the most popular (as in, people really can tell a benefit) are Prescript Assist and Pro 225 (225 billion units!). We carry both of these items in our office.
3. Plan your meals and snacks. The key to sticking with a successful eating or lifestyle program is being prepared. You typically cannot eat food that has been prepared outside of the home. Have healthy snacks like nuts, fresh vegetables and fruits with you throughout the day. Make enough food in your healthy dinner to take leftovers for lunch. Avoid extreme hunger as this is when cravings come on the strongest.