As we vow to be healthier in 2018, many of us are trying to eat less sugar. We know that means no more Snickers bars, but with sugar hiding in everything we eat, it can be tough to eliminate it all. And then there’s the whole willpower thing. According to holistic psychologist Dr. Ellen Voran sugar is 20 times more addictive than cocaine, so it’s tough to quit this white stuff. But these steps can help make it easier on you:
- Read labels - The first step to breaking a sugar addiction is knowing when you’re actually eating it. Even foods we think of as healthy can be packed with sugar.
- Limit artificial sweeteners - You have to reset your taste buds when you’re trying to cut back on sugar and artificial sweeteners don’t really help with that.
- Add more fat - Fat helps fill you up, turns off your hunger hormones, and satisfies you. So eating more healthy fats like hemp seeds and avocado can help you say no to that plate of cookies.
- Eat fermented food - It’ll balance your gut bacteria and that will help you crave less sugar later on, plus the tangy flavor helps reset your taste buds. Yogurt and fermented veggies are good to eat when you’re fighting off a sugar craving.
- Think in terms of adding rather than taking away - Fill up on healthy, fiber-packed veggies and good fat so you don’t have room for dessert.
- Drink more tea - Treat yourself to something other than sweets with tea or sparkling water. These will keep your mouth happy and get your mind off eating sugar.
- Get out of your regular habits - Switch up your routine to help break your sugar habit. Cook more at home, sit in a different place at work, and try new flavors, all of these can make it easier for you to eat less of the sweet stuff and not hate life.
Source: Mind Body Green