Have you realised you actually “need” that mid-morning muffin break to stop you turning into the Hulk by lunchtime?
Or that post-dinner chocolate is less of a “treat” and more a nightly necessity? Sounds like the time has come to break your sugar addiction for good!
What the science says on sugar addiction.
While it’s still very hard for scientists to compare different types of human physiological experience, there’s definitely evidence that sugar can be as rewarding and attractive to us as addictive drugs like cocaine (and perhaps even more so).
This is because when we eat sugary foods, the sweet stuff rushes to our brain’s pleasure centre, releasing our feel-good chemicals dopamine and serotonin (the same area that’s triggered by the other type of white stuff).
We eventually build up a tolerance to its warm and fuzzy effects, much like an addict builds tolerance to their drug of choice. So we eat more and more to get the same high, and the sugar addiction cycle takes hold.
The psychology of sugar addiction.
And sugar addiction isn’t just physical, either. Many of us have a deep emotional attachment to the stuff, which makes it even harder to break our dependence on it.
We often see sugary foods as a reward, or a way to get through something challenging. So when we remove sugar from the equation, it can trigger serious anxiety: ”How will I ever get by without that sweet treat!?”
How to break your sugar addiction for good!
The good news is we are stronger than any addiction or attachment happening in our bodies or our minds. And with a little guidance, we can make changes and break that sugar addiction long-term.
- Just JERF: Focus on eating nutrient-dense, real food that nourishes your mind and body.
- Crowd it out: Fill up your plate with heaps of veg, proteins and healthy fats. That way you won’t even have room for that Snickers bar!
- Plan ahead: Always have healthy meals and snacks ready and waiting to go at home or in the office, so you’re less tempted to nick down to the café for a slice of banana bread.
- Don’t beat yourself up: If you have a sugary lapse, that is totally okay (it happens to us all!). Just accept it and get straight back to healthy eating, rather than diving face first into another block of Cadbury.
- Try our I Quit Sugar: 8-Week Program! The ultimate “how to” for breaking your sugar addiction! In eight weeks you’ll be gently guided through the detox process and given all the tools you need to kick the sweet stuff for life!
We originally published this post in September 2016. We updated it in January 2017.
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