This is a guest post from the fab Sara Bradford. You might remember her Success Sessions interview earlier this month. Some of you might know, I am planning a wedding in 6 months time, and really trying to get back on the healthier living train – I fell off with a bang after having the little guy, and haven’t managed to get back up since! Sugar is my biggest weakness… and is the topic of this post. I reckon if I am struggling as an entrepreneur and mama, then you may well be too! Take it away Sarah!
Sugar addiction.
Honestly, it’s brutal. I get it. I SO TOTALLY GET IT. And you know what? It’s painful to stop. Like coming off of a drug. In a fact, it IS regularly compared to drug addiction. So there you have it.
But you owe it to yourself and your business to figure this out.
Here’s the painful truth: The best way to get sugar out of your diet and get free of your addiction is to — JUST. STOP. EATING IT.
What?
So I am not going to pussy-foot around the issue. You can “ease” off if you like, or you can rip off the band-aid. Either way, you’ve gotta beat this thing. Because sugar is dangerous, bad-ass sh-t. Don’t believe me?
- does NOT do your business ANY favours…it’s just going to make you unproductive, moody, and in the end your business suffers a LOT
- significantly lowers immune system and the ability to fight viruses/infection — more time away from work
- destroys gut health — the gut health that should be keeping your immune system strong, serotonin levels up, protecting you from allergies
- sugar stores as fat
- your body has NO IDEA what to do with all that glucose business — and creates way of protecting you from it (disease)
- you lose the ability to enjoy food that doesn’t contain a pile of sugar
- inflammation causes skin issues and makes your body hurt (and mouth)
Need I go on?
But sugar is a quick fix. Something many of us crave when we are BUSY! And often when we are busy we are also stressed, which makes cravings for sugar more intense. That quick fix also comes in the form of bread — one of THE most convenient things to consume when we are constantly on-the-go.
The sad truth is, all this sugar and bread consumption is setting us up to be more UNPRODUCTIVE in the long run. That is why it’s worth getting rid of your addiction NOW, before you make things even worse. And I KNOW you can do it. You just need the right tools.
6 Ways To Beat Sugar Addiction Forever
1) Eat More Meat…And Fat…But Not TOO Much
If you think a vegan diet, with fruit-filled green smoothies, will be the way to beat sugar addiction, think again!!! Right now, while it’s winter, you need insulation AND protein AND fat to help stabilize your blood sugar. Nuts and seeds only go so far. And green smoothies are often and truly too high in fruit = sugar. That is the truth. And unless you are PACKING that thing will every high-protein superfood you can think of (hemp, chia, etc.) it is NOT supporting your blood sugar levels or keeping them EEEEVEN. (Even if they are convenient.)
BUT don’t eat TOO much meat or fat. If you replace sugar with a massive quantity of animal protein your body will begin to crave more sugar. It’s this balance thing our body is always going for. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, sugar is on one end of the spectrum, animal protein/fat on the other. So do yourself a (lifetime) favour — eat mostly vegetables — regardless of the type of diet you choose. Whether it’s a green smoothie diet in the summer or one filled with grass-fed meat in the winter. As your addiction to sugar decreases, you will begin to taste the sweetness in veggies, too, I promise.
If you’re looking for convenient, quick ways to get in more meat and fat — while trying to run a business — then try making up a big batch of stew, filled with yummy bone broth, lots of veggies, some grass-fed meat. (Or make a chili.) Throw it in the slow cooker or pressure cooker, and have it to eat throughout the week — especially at lunch when you need to grab something quick.
2) Use Natural Sugar or Dried Fruits AFTER You Get Yourself Off Sugar
No matter how much you convince yourself that maple syrup and raw honey will help get you free of your sugar addiction, it’s simply not true.
Stevia is really the only sweet substitute that will NOT continue to feed your addiction. Unfortunately, stevia tastes kind of gross (at least to me, but maybe that a good thing if you don’t want to be addicted to it) and doesn’t remove the psychological NEED for the TASTE of sugar. The taste of sweet is what most people are addicted to — not just the glucose. It’s the best alternative though.
The only way to remove that need for sweet is to find sweetness in your life (and remove the addiction). Or to figure out what that sweet flavour is giving you, other than a perceived rush. This isn’t easy. Sometimes that may mean you need to consider your work situation. And make sure it is everything it can be for your life.
If you are dealing with Candida your body will continue to crave sugar more intensely. In this case, your gut is overrun with bad bugs that CRAVE sugar. And you will have to address this at some point, if it’s a condition you suffer from.
3) Get Yourself To Bed
I know it is sometimes the most difficult thing for a busy entrepreneur to hear — slow down and get rest. But often our desire for sugar comes when we are run-down. The winter season means for us to take it easy — and often we do the opposite — especially during holiday season.
It’s also common to crave sugar when you’re about to get sick. And this is because we are feeling run-down. Instead of loading up on cake, hit the Epsom salt bath, apply a couple of needed essential oils, and head to bed. Because getting proper rest is the ONLY thing you must do when you’re not well. Consuming stimulants will only feed your addiction of them and make things worse (because sugar does suppress white blood cells and immune fighters).
So sleep. Rest. Nap. It’s winter. It doesn’t mean you need to sleep 14 hours a day. But a good 7 to 8 is really necessary. Have a deadline? Schedule in naps if you have to. But try and take it easy.
4) Drink More Water (or Herbal Tea or Whatever)
Our desire to consume often gets perceived as hunger (or cravings) — when likely you are actually dehydrated. Especially in the wintertime — we tend to drink less of the good stuff, and more of the sugar-filled stuff (juice, lattes, hot chocolate, cocktails, red wine, etc.)
Sometimes getting a blast of water into your system can do wonders. And yes, it’s boring. But not with a piece of lemon in it. Or with the creation of Spa Water. Or fizzing it up with the Soda Stream. Stick a giant water bottle at your desk and plan to consume it twice a day. First by lunchtime, next by end-of-day.
For me, herbal tea is where it’s at. When I want chocolate before bed I drink hibiscus tea instead. I’m always happy I did. It removes any desire I have for sugar in that moment. And the choices are pretty endless. You can also steam some nut or coconut milk with spices. Delicious! Tea is also a nice mid-day item to look forward to — especially if you’re experiencing that mid-day slump.
5) Reduce Stress A LOT
This goes back to finding sweetness in your life. And stress brings on this horrible endless cycle. You experience stress. You crave sugar (or caffeine or booze) to help reduce stress. The result is often an emotional roller coaster ride, a regular drop in blood sugar, and a complete lack of energy. Leading back to stress. Leading back to sugar. And so it goes!
Work can be stressful. But it’s more stressful when you’re not taking care of yourself.
Your blood sugar drops when you experience stress — when your body enters a “fight or flight” state — because your muscles need the sugar to run from the bear that is chasing you. Obviously, we aren’t getting chased by bears too often. But it feels like we are. Or at least our body THINKS we are. It doesn’t know that the constant buzzing of life and the stress we experience day-to-day is any different than being chased by a bear. So finding a way to manage it is key. That might mean learning to meditate, or changing your job, or asking for help. Perhaps incorporating more exercise is key to stress reduction for you. But eating like shit is only going to make things worse — believe me.
5) Join the Winter Community Dump
The whaaaaat?
It’s called this because it’s not a typical “cleanse” (and I also have an odd sense of humour). The Community Dump is about DUMPING YOUR SUGAR ADDICTION, as well as a pile of other crap (literally AND figuratively), you may be carrying. And it will get you off sugar, using a variety of methods necessary to do so.
- Unbelievable amounts of support — from a group (and me) who aren’t going to sabotage your efforts (you know, unlike the types that want to get you off the wagon so they feel okay about their own issue with sugar)
- Accountability from same said group — and when you fall off the wagon we all nudge you gently to jump back on, which is darn nice
- So many DELICIOUS, do-able, not-weird recipes that you’ll fall in love with — and will hopefully continue to use from the Cookbook you get — because you can’t substitute sugar with what you don’t know
- A giant Guidebook you get to keep forever, and can keep referring to anytime you need it
- Resources for everything from Dealing With Candida to Finding Your Food Desire
- Guides on everything from Kicking Coffee Protocol to Filling Your Spice Cupboard and loads more — all related to sugar addiction
- Daily Emails that keep you inspired — and fill you with the education you need to beat this sugar thing
- It’s only 10-days and has helped hundreds of women kick sugar and dump other stuff
- AND a whole lot more — Look here: Winter Community Dump {affiliate link}
Also, there is a 6-Week ADDITION to the Winter Dump — it’s called the Real Food UnCleanse — and it’s there for those who want to get serious, SERIOUS about their addiction and beat it for good. It takes about 8-weeks to really break ANY addiction. The entire 8-week program is kind of the V.I.P. version of the Dump.
The main reason the Winter Dump works is because it’s designed for THIS SEASON, and it’s full of people who are experiencing, or who have experienced, the same thing. Everybody knows what you’re going through and everybody is there to help and be helped.
It’s an amazing community.
The Winter Community Dump — MORE INFO
So that’s it. Six incredibly helpful ways to get you ready to kick this thing, and rock out your business like you never have before. It doesn’t HAVE to be so difficult. But you need to do it. And if you run out of reasons contact me personally. Because I have at LEAST a dozen more reasons I can give you immediately.
xo
What are you doing to break you sugar addiction?