Strategies that clearly helped you quit sugar?

[Human Mint]

It is difficult and to painful. I know that following my passion will help because I am looking for pleasure in sugar and having a purpose resolves a lot of this pain.

But I mean more body-related things that you know help with this problem. Like incorporing more fiber. I'm doing that, but generally, after a delicious fibrous meal, I still crave sugar or refined carbs. Cold turkey doesn't serves either.

 

[Michael569]

I found in my life I crave sugar the most when I'm either bored, trying to procrastinate, fresh after an exhausting workout or haven't eaten enough. 

So it helps to identify the motive and once you do you'll often be surprised that quite often it is simply being bored or running away from some tasks/duties. Once you identify those cravings they are easily suppressed by not giving in. This also trains your brain to stop making connection between mild craving and immediate reward. 

If the craving is from hunger, such as not having eaten enough, not eating enough carbs or protein then eating a bit more helps. It may also be that you got a reactive hypoglycemia from a very sugary food and your blood sugar dipped too low after being too high and now you crave a quick stabiliser. In those cases, eating more carbohydrates with lower glycemic load and more protein is helpful

Step number one is not to have any sweets and chocolates at home maybe with exception of high-quality dark chocolate. This will naturally present an obstacle "want sugar need to go out and buy it". At the same time make sure you have alternatives available such as sweeter fruit or dried fruit. 

If the craving gets too powerful have something like 80-90% dark chocolate at home and use that. 

There is also a habitual element such as needing to have desert that is always familial or cultural (e.g. in Italy desert is often the last meal or in UK there is a habit of snacking straight after meals quite often). So if habit is the main driver think about how you could unwire those patterns. 

 

[Human Mint]

Thank you.

14 hours ago, Michael569 said:

So it helps to identify the motive and once you do you'll often be surprised that quite often it is simply being bored or running away from some tasks/duties. Once you identify those cravings they are easily suppressed by not giving in. This also trains your brain to stop making connection between mild craving and immediate reward. 

This sounds what I need to focus on

[EugeneTheSage]

In my case instead of focusing of not eating sugar I focused to add lot of green vegetables. I've started to read "150 healthiest foods on earth" from Leo's booklist. Also Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya meditation by Sadhguru helped me to develop energetic skeleton so I less influenced by any external thing: pleasure and pain ar e not that important

[Human Mint]

Nice, gonna check that book

[Osaid]

fasting, and eating things that aren't sugar

[impulse9]

Just seeing that it's disgusting and often taken in overwhelming quantities (especially with many store-bought sweet products) goes a long way.

[DIDego]

To change your self and going towards a healthier life overall, are much about how to strengthen yourself to handle external "mainstream" issues overall.

Where is "sugar" used today and why?

@Michael569 Can dopamine be a trigger and related to what you wrote?

 

 

[KennedyCarter]

Eat fruit! Lots of it. Nature’s candy