How to Quit Sugar

Most of us by now know of the destructive tendencies of highly processed and refined sugars. Now the question becomes this:

How do I distance myself from sugar? We'll explore three ways to do so today in this post.

Let's start off by revisiting the fact that sugar is an addictive substance. It tastes good while being chock full of energy, which our monkey brains have evolved to seek out since food used to be a lot harder to come by. Keeping this in mind, there will be a short period of dealing with withdrawal symptoms. Don't worry though, they only last for a week or two.

Method 1: Mindfulness

Once you've decided to quit, go ahead and write down some of the harmful effects that sugar has on the body. This will simply serve as a reminder as to why you really want to quit when cravings get a little tough to deal with. You'll also want to get rid of anything that may tempt you during your "healing" phase, replacing it with healthier options. After you've replenished your refrigerator, just try to be very aware of your cravings. What triggered your sweet tooth? What physical reactions are you experiencing? What emotions are you feeling? Identifying these things will help you to let the moment pass. Remember, dealing with these urges will soon become easier and easier in as little as one or two weeks, so just hang in there.

Here's my last post on how processed sugar affects the body to help with your list.

Method 2: Develop new habits.

Let's be clear—not all sugar is bad. Sugars that are present in fruits and vegetables are indeed the same sugars found in most peoples' cabinets, but the difference is in the amount of sugar you would consume. Fiber and other vitamins also help provide the body with long lasting energy with no crash. So this tip is simple: when you have the urge to bite into something sweet, grab a piece of fruit. My personal favorites are oranges and bananas.

Method 3: Penalize/Reward

Now this one is going to take honesty and commitment to the cause. If you relapse, penalize yourself in a way that makes sense and doesn't cause any harm to anyone. It could be anything as simple as dropping a quarter into the candy jar, to not allowing yourself to watch that one show you really like on the day it's scheduled to air. You can get creative with it, but make sure it stings in a way that matters to you. There's no real point in doing it, otherwise. On the flip side, you can also reward yourself for your accomplishments. You saw a table of brownies in the common area this morning and walked right by? You did five push-ups when that craving popped back up at lunch? You made it the whole day drinking only water or tea? That sounds like a three pointer to me. Treat yourself to a nice shrimp and steak dinner. You deserve it.

All in all, trying to trade your unhealthy lifestyle in for a healthier one is a respectable move. Change can be challenging, but if you persist in the right direction, you will achieve what you set out to do. Thanks for taking the time to read. Let's all get better one day at a time.