Episode 005: How to Overcome Sugar Addiction & Cravings

Jan 8, 2015

On today’s episode, “How to Overcome Sugar Addiction & Cravings”, we’re talking about the truth behind sugar addiction, cravings & what you can do to overcome them! We even identify 5 ways to tell if you’re addicted to sugar! Changing your eating habits is very hard but it can feel nearly impossible when you’re legitimately addicted to sugar or constantly confronted with strong cravings for sweets.

Listen now!

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Common Obstacle: Trying to make any healthy dietary changes can be incredibly difficult when you’re battling intense cravings or sugar addiction. Even when we WANT to eat healthy and make better choices, sometimes the cravings and draw to sugary treats can be so strong that it almost feels like we don’t even have the power to deny them. Our best intentions can be overcome by cravings and a physiological NEED for sugar.

Primal Potential Solution: First we need to understand that sugar truly IS biologically addictive. In this episode we talk about research that proves the addictive qualities of sugar. In fact, some studies suggest that sugar may be as addictive as cocaine. We discuss how the brain responds to sugar and how those responses manifest in our bodies as cravings. We talk about how cravings create both a desire for pleasure AND a strong sense of urgency, making them very hard to ignore. Then we go into pratical steps you can take to break free from your sugar cravings and addiction and avoid ever falling into the trap again. Want to know if you’re addicted to sugar? Dr. Mark Heyman suggests evaluating the following 5 signs that you might be addicted to sugar:

  1. You consume certain foods even if you aren’t hungry because of strong cravings
  2. You worry about cutting down on certain foods
  3. You feel sluggish or fatigued from overeating
  4. You have health or social problems (affecting your work or school) because of food issues but you keep eating the way you do despite negative consequences
  5. You need more and more of the foods you crave to experience pleasure or reduce negative emotions.

Practical Implementation: This episode gives three different options for strategies that will allow you to overcome sugar addiction & cravings. We talk about specific strategies for reducing or removing sugar gradually as well as the pros and cons of jumpstart and detox programs.

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[ctt title=”All foods that spike blood sugar are biologically addictive” tweet=”All foods that spike blood sugar are biologically addictive” coverup=”00Cm2″]

Resources:

For detailed information on carbohydrate strategies for fat loss including more on fruit, wheat, oats, gluten plus strategies for improving your carbohydrate tolerance, check out the comprehensive carbs & fat loss ecourse! Follow the link below and use the coupon code Primal10 to get lifetime access for only $69 (including troubleshooting help from me on demand!)
https://www.udemy.com/carb-strategies/?couponCode=Primal10

The science behind addictive qualities of sugar (stronger than cocaine?!)

 More research on sugar addiction 

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