sugar addiction

I eat lots of veggies and get my protein and stuff, but I am constantly craving sweet things---artificial fruit snacks , candies, etc. Can anyone turn me on to a way to curb my sugar cravings? Are there any herbs or supplements that would help to reduce cravings?

I've heard all sorts of people talk about this, best thing is self control, actively resist eating sweets or limiting your intake, after you break the habit you desire them less.

Don't think there's much supplement wise that does anything to help with it though, just good ol' fashioned self discipline/control

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Oh THAT'S how that works!

I'd try to first keep track of how much you intake a day.

Then, I'd set a modest goal of 20% less each week.

Look to supplement your diet with more natural sweetners like honey, ginger, cinnamon.

-hz

I've been a sugar freak all my life. What a wonderful addiction ... not...

Two extremely helpful ways to curb any kind of cravings, including sugar, is (1) drink enough water -- and if you have a sugar craving, drink a glass of water before doing anything else; and (2) regulate your metabolism throughout the day by eating 6 times.

Not necessarily 6 meals, but definitely breakfast, lunch & dinner, with a snack between breakfast & lunch, between lunch & dinner, and then a small one after dinner.

Make sure you have unsaturated fats in at least half those eating sessions, like nuts, avocado, etc. Fats and protein satisfy the body quickly and last longer than sugar.

A great midday snack is plain old GORP: Good Old Raisins & Peanuts or Granola, Raisins & Peanuts. Raisins provide a more complex sugar and peanuts have unsaturated fats.

When your body craves sugar it is basically looking for a fast fix to an extreme dip in energy caused by hunger/lack of nutrients. The trouble with sweets is, their simple sugars quickly provide relief for cravings and energy boost, but they process so quickly through the body that it rapidly needs more, and because you ate sweets with lots of sugar & no additional nutrients, then had a minor energy explosion, now your body needs more energy, and faster, so your cravings are worse!

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) processes even faster through the body, and IMO is about the worst sweetener in existence today.

An added problem is the stress that simple sugar binges put on the pancreas.

Long post, sorry -- but regulating the metabolism will help bring the body back in balance. I do this as much as possible, I am not cured of sugar cravings by any means, but I can control them and that is the most important thing.

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"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...

Water! Absolutely. Jasmine/green tea.
I did a 15 day yeast cleanse recently and that was amazing. No cravings.
Not even for a beer.

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"I say, if you want to find out where the road goes, get in the fast lane and hit the gas." Calvin and Hobbes

Thanks guys. I figured that there were probably more than a few others that have this kind of thing going on and thought that there would be some good replies to help out.

Mei Hua, to some extent you are right . Self control does play a big role. But I have had enough willpower to give them up for weeks at time and the cravings still persisted, though they were lessened.

Don't worry SammyG your post definitely was not too long. I found it very insightful. I have found that water does help out some. Occasionally, I'll put some honey in the water to battle the cravings because it is absorbed slower than say a lollipop. Though its only a small improvement. I've also been trying to use less refined flours and sugars--- raw sugar instead of white, multigrain breads etc. That HF corn syrup is a real drag too. Besides water and orange juice, you can't find a single drink in convenience stores without it.

Something to perhaps try would be dried fruits, they have natural sugars, are sweet and are good for you.

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Oh THAT'S how that works!

Get enough sleep. When you're tired you don't make decisions as clearly - even about what to eat - and your energy dips faster leaving you feeling like a sugar fix.

Measure your calorie intake and outgoings and check you aren't burning a lot more than you're eating without the sugar boosts.

IME you can cut the amount of sugar in most US recipe books by 1/2 to 2/3 and not really notice.

One option would be to eat a very little of what you crave - a square of quality chocolate with lunch and dinner, for example.

To change your tastes takes a long time - maybe for ever. Humans are programmed to like sweet tastes to some extent you are going to have to accept that.

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Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you
High mountains are a feeling
I don't need to sell my soul, he's already in me

I'm having oatmeal with raisins & bananas right now. Not a fan of oatmeal by any means, but I do get really good energy from this kinda breakfast. Took a couple weeks for me to not slather on brown sugar & maple syrup every time, and now I've realized that more sugar doesn't equal improved taste (still tastes like oatmeal under the sugar shell), I don't use any. The fruit is sweet enough.

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"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...

Mmmmmm Oatmeal, is good when made with a little milk or cream and some cinnamon, then like you did SG, add some fruit, apples are really good or raspberries

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Oh THAT'S how that works!

Yum

Another thing my mom always makes when I visit is what she calls "blender pancakes," because she grinds whole wheat in the blender (she has this high-powered uber-blender from Bosch) then adds the other ingredients. I don't know what it is about freshly ground wheat but ever since I was a kid, a stack of those at 6 a.m. and I wouldn't be hungry until about 2 p.m.

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"Pain can be a great teacher of compassion and humility."~ Unkotare-san

"Whatever the case, it proves that countless disasters can be prevented by simply assuming everyone you're working with is a moron." ~ Adam Brown, 5 Tiny Mistakes...

“	Originally Posted By: Mei Hua Mmmmmm Oatmeal, is good when made with a little milk or cream and some cinnamon, then like you did SG, add some fruit, apples are really good or raspberries	”

..and pure Canadian maple syrup.

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"I say, if you want to find out where the road goes, get in the fast lane and hit the gas." Calvin and Hobbes

I've struggled with the same thing my whole life, Rockyn - and it's TOUGH! On top of being unhealthy, sugar-addiction is hard on the wallet! Cheaper than smoking, but still... if you buy a candy bar and a sodie-pop from a machine every day, thats going to cost you at least 1.00 and nowadays more like 2 or even 3! Add that up over a year, AND all the other crap you buy for home snack-times and YIKES.
As MH said, self control is one of the biggest factors. I'm on about 2 weeks of not buying candy or Soda. It's been hard, but just REALLY making your mind up about it and it's easier (2 weeks is nothing though... I've got a long way to go) .
Almonds are something for me that, while not really sweet, make me feel good like sugar does. They are expensive though too.
Good luck!

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"You remind me of a poem that I can't remember!" - Grandpa Simpson

It's all relative

I ran across a good ol' skool thread on this subject, has some good links/info that might be worth checking out or helpful

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Oh THAT'S how that works!

I try to eat fruit. Like most it seems Im a sugar fend. I love chocolate and soda. But dont like the wieght i gain when this goes unchecked. I personally try and add Oranges, Bannana, Grapes, and Raisens to my diet to help deter the cravings. Grapefruit with some sugar on top is good too. Ok so its a cheat, still better than candy.