7 Tips to Stop Sugar Cravings

OK. I admit it. I’m a little intense about the subject of sugar.

As a child I was practically raised on white sugar and feel that it had a part in my many health problems which took me decades to overcome. You can read some of my story here: Diana’s Story. It was a different time back then. There was not the awareness about nutrition that there is now.

I’m going to give you strategies to avoid sugar and the cravings, but first I must make a few points about why you would want to do such a thing. This was already dealt with briefly in my previous article on artificial sweeteners.

7 Reasons to Give Up Sugar:

1. Sugar is Not Food – It is empty calories with little nutritional value and actually causes your body to steal vitamins from other vital organs in attempt to process the sugar, leaving you undernourished.
2. Sugar Makes You Fat – It is filled with calories that are stored in your fat tissues.
3. Sugar Makes You Nervous – There is a clear link between excess sugar and disorders like anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia, because of extreme levels of insulin and adrenalin.
4. Sugar Causes Diabetes, Kidney and Heart Problems – Excess sugar can damage the pancreas’s ability to function properly.
5. Sugar Kills Your Teeth – Sugar increases the bacteria in your mouth that erodes enamel. The biggest crime is that many popular toothpastes contain sugar which is not required to be put the on the label.
6. Sugar Suppresses the Immune System - Sugar interferes with the body by overtaxing its defenses.
7. Sugar Causes Wrinkles – A high-sugar diet damages collagen.

The average American consumes 20 teaspoons of added sugar each day; that is 2-3 pounds of sugar per week! This is added sugar; not sugar naturally found in fruit, vegetables, grains and milk. The World Health Organization says no more than 10 percent of calories should come from added sweeteners; that is a maximum of 12 teaspoons of sugar for a 2,200-calorie diet. Twenty teaspoons may sound like a lot of sugar to get through in one day, but…

Consider the following:

Low-fat fruit yogurt (125ml) contains 4 1/2 tsp of sugar.
2 slices white bread contains 6 tsp of sugar.
Wheaties (1 bowl & 1/2 tsp sugar) contains 3-4 tsp sugar.
1 glazed donut contains 6 tsp of sugar.
A 12 ounce Pepsi contains 10 tsp of sugar.

That is a total of 29.5 teaspoons of sugar! It is easy to see why sugar consumption is on the rise when we look at how many foods have added sugar in them.

There is hope….

Next: How to get off sugar

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Marie Therese H.

2:40PM PDT on Apr 5, 2012

When I get cravings for sweets, no reasonable argument will take hold. It is overpowering and obsessive until I give in to it.

send a green star

Gerald M.

12:26PM PDT on Apr 5, 2012

Thank you...excellent advice.

Sarkku V.

4:57AM PST on Jan 14, 2012

Funny to read exercise makes one want to eat salty staff, not sugar. I tend to act the other way round. Perhaps my exercise takes too long.. I like long distance running, skiing cross country (15-30 km per time) and so on. And after being to Lapland on a hike for 14-15 days practically without sugar I ran so slow it was a disappointment but after a week when I had sweet stuff every now and again I could run a 16 km round for about 10 mins shorter time. Perhaps I should just eat a lot more fruit and berries.. I love blueberries - and picking them if it a good year - and fresh strawberries are good, apples, oranges, kiwi fruit... Hmm.

Jim R.

10:49PM PST on Jan 10, 2012

Man do I need this.. ha - thank you

Mel M.

7:12AM PST on Jan 10, 2012

Thanks!

Katherine H.

6:53AM PST on Jan 8, 2012

Yikes definitely don't want to be eating too much sugar! I found this very helpful, just looking at the reasons was about enough to convince me to avoid sugar cravings out of pure will-power :-) Anyway, thanks for sharing!

Nicole W.

4:10PM PST on Jan 7, 2012

I din't find this all that helpful, I guess I was hoping for a quick fix, or at the very least a more in depth description on how to wean yourself off of it.

Raluca A.

7:40AM PST on Jan 7, 2012

noted, thanks!

Lika S.

2:50AM PST on Jan 6, 2012

I love fresh fruit, especially strawberries and anything citrus. When I have to have the starchy foods, I stick to apple pies or cherry tortes (made with an oatmeal crust) because it's less bad than other desserts, and you still get the fruit benefit. Or just do a baked potato with low fat cheese, and even broccoli. This way, you're not feeling deprived, and when the potato feels like a mini meal, it's satisfying too.

Mary T.

7:48AM PST on Jan 5, 2012

thanks for the tips