Sugar is now one of the most abundant ingredients in processed foods, from pasta sauces to cereals. Sugar is a known causative factor in many chronic diseases, from high blood pressure and heart disease to obesity, diabetes and liver disease.
Not only that, sugar is also known to produce addiction-like effects in the brain due to it's stimulating effects on the brain's reward system, however it is possible to kick the habit with the help of some amazing herbs I will share here.
Below are three steps to beat sugar addiction!
No. 1 - Natural Replacements For Processed Sugar
For those with a sweet tooth, using natural alternatives which are not loaded with artificial sweeteners is a good way to satisfy those nagging sugar cravings. Natural sugar alternatives that are similar enough to sugar to be exciting can be useful to break the habits associated with sugar.
Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana)
Extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia Rebaudiana and tastes a lot sweeter than sugar - plus it is totally calorie free. You will not have to use as much in weight as you would with sugar to get the same taste of sweetness. You can now enjoy sweetness totally guilt free, without having to worry about weight gain. Stevia has been found to significantly lower both blood sugar and blood pressure. The leaf or powder can be used to sweeten hot drinks or cereals and liquid Stevia extract is most suitable for baking.
Licorice (Glcyrrhiza Glabra)
A sweet herb which is great as a tea to help keep sugar cravings at bay, also a good aid for digestion as well as being beneficial for the adrenals.
Fennel Seed (Foeniculum Vulgare)
This sweet seed is awesome to suck on as an alternative to sweets, it can also be used as a tea to improve digestion.
Sugar Free Chocolate
If you are a chocolate lover, chocolate bar alternative brands such as Raw Organic chocolate by Loving Earth are not only vegan and sugar free, additionally they have a high cocoa content and are made from completely natural ingredients using coconut nectar as a natural chocolate sweetener.
No. 2 – Balance Blood Sugar To Reduce Cravings
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)
Regulates the metabolism of sugars, reducing the sugar spike following a meal. Cinnamon can be used as a tea and is easy to add to your diet by including it in your morning porridge or shake.
Ginseng (Panax ginseng)
Ginseng is known for increasing energy levels as well as helping to lower blood sugar levels when used long-term.
Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre)
Improves the ability of the pancreas to release insulin and regulates sugar metabolism. Gymnema has also been shown to be an effective appetite suppressant.
Myrhh (Commiphora myrrha)
Lowers blood sugar levels by increasing the uptake and use of sugar by the body's cells.
No. 3 – Nutrition & Hydration
A balanced diet is also key to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, balancing the body with good nutrition will help to resist temptation.
Chromium
A mineral that helps to reduce cravings and regulate appetite. Supporting insulin function, it balances blood sugar and metabolism. Good food sources include broccoli, grapes, potatoes, orange juice, tomatoes and green beans. It is also available as a supplement.
Protein
Protein helps us to stay fuller for longer and prevent those sugar highs and lows - eat a small amount of protein with every meal.
Complex Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates release sugars slowly during digestion, moderating appetite and preventing sugar spikes. Eating the right type of carbs is important, good sources include wholegrain choices such as brown rice, sweet potatoes and multigrain cereals.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Eat these regularly to help reduce sugar cravings. Omega 3s can be found in plant and marine oils. For non vegans, wild caught fish such as salmon and sardines or eggs are some of the best sources. For those on a vegan/vegetarian diet, good sources include nuts and seeds such as brazil nuts, walnuts, flaxseed and chia seeds (ideal for adding to breakfast cereals), sea vegetables/algae such as kale and oils (such as flax oil), hemp, olive and avocado oil. As the majority of people find it difficult to get sufficient amounts of omega 3s in their diet, it is worth considering a high quality supplement in some cases.
Water
Staying hydrated is crucial, when feeling low in energy and craving that sugar fix you can drink water! People often mistake thirst for hunger, eating when in actuality they are just dehydrated.
Comments & More Tips?
Have you tried these options already? How did you get on? What other natural ways to balance sugars in the body have you found?
Wishing you well,
Ura Soul
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I was with friends in a grocery store once, and we were comparing labels.
Cookies: flour, sugar...
Kids Cereal: sugar, flour...
We came away with the thought that cookies are better for you than breakfast cereal. This is tragic!
Just to continue another reply.
All these sugar substitutes are really bad for my body.
However, i do not eat much sugar. Almost all that i consume was added during baking.
And i put applesauce on my pancakes. I find it much better than syrup. Even real maple syrup.
or "cereals" are better described as cookies. Porridge is cereal, cornflakes is cereal. Trix are cookies.
Flour and sugar are both so totally toxic, it's hard to choose! How about avoid both like the plague?
Wheat flour is one of my staples. However, i grind it fresh myself.
Whole wheat flour is an abomination!
With a name like that, you would think it included the whole wheat, but it doesn't.
Whole wheat flour is white flour with SOME of the bran and germ added back into it.
Real whole wheat flour, or entire wheat flour has many more nutrients including wheat oil. (it would go rancid if left in the flour).
I believe that many people have problems with gluten, because like with milk, they took all the living out of it and made it a dead food. And then they added more gluten and none of the naturally occurring balancers to bread. And then they added tons of yeast to make it raise faster, but this doesn't low the glutens to be broken down, and thus... gluten intolerance.
Very important, most people don't know about that. The way that bread used to be fermented over a day or two, now most bread is only fermented for an hour or two. Eating the bread on the grocery store shelf is bad and most people don't realize this. I feel like absolute crap whenever I would have that stuff.
But a good old fashioned sourdough bread that was fermented properly was perfect. Its hard to find that stuff, only some places have a small selection of it.
Better off making it yourself :)
Sounds like you know how to do it properly - not many people do!
We are a drop off point for raw organic A2 milk - but I wouldn't drink supermarket milk...
Arguably some cookies might be marginally better than some kids cereal, yes.. Also better than many sauces too - they all tend to have sugar as the #1 ingredient!
I am not aware of any issues I have personally with substitutes - though I aim to avoid ones with high glycemic load (in general). Fruit sugars, in my opinion, are fine - yes.
Aspartame hurts when i ingest it. But, we both know how bad it is.
All the other artificial sweeteners play hell on my energy levels.
Stevia... i don't die from it, but i do not feel right after eating something with it.
And fruit sugars have to be balanced out. Small portions over long time periods.
I really like molasses.
And something that really is good for me, but you might never think it, sugar cane juice. (you take the sugar cane and run it through a roller mashing the juice out of it)
I am aware of the benefits of natural sugar cane and juice - yes; though we don't really get it here in Britain at all.
I have found that a Keto type diet, while tough to start, has helped me keep my cravings low as the insulin feel more stable throughout the day. I have also tried intermittent fasting which also was great but difficult to sustain for me given how variable my days are typically. Stevia is great for my coffee!
A great post. They put sugar (usually high fructose corn syrup) is most everything now. You have to pay a premium (like the old mob protection racket) for them not to poison your food. I had heard of stevia, but had assumed it was another substitute like saccharin and never looked into it. Will now be looking into it, thank you.
Stevia I think is one of the best. If maybe widely cultivated and processed and used for many products that people use or consume everyday it will solve the diabetes problem in the world @ura-soul
Great post, with some really new information for me - especially fennel seed and licorice sound intriguing as sugar alternative!
I am fortunately off any sugar for some time now, but I recently heard a talk about sugar addiction and can add the tip to include lots of greens into your diet if someone struggles with that (no matter if as kale or spinach in smoothies or different lettuces in big salads). It should also reduce the cravings. 😉
Great, thanks! Some people find they have issues with sugar cravings after eating salads and greens. I am not 100% of the causes for that, but some have said it is due to bacteria in the gut looking for sugars to help them survive in the face of being expunged from the system by so much healthy greens! I really don't know whether that is true or not :)
Interesting perspective - in the end as often the right measure can be pretty individual, so I am happy to see that you listed so many different options for people craving sugar but looking for more healthy stuff in their diet. 😉
I was on a vegetarian diet for around seven years. After going back to eating eggs and fish, and increasing my omega 3 intake, I really started enjoying sweet foods less. I don't know whether other factors were involved too, but my personal experience definitely seems to fall in line with what you presented here. Great post, reducing sugar intake is such a massive contribution to healthy living!!
You forgot 3 important ingredients to lower blood sugar and help overcome insulin resistance:
potassium, magnesium, saturated fats.
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