How to Step Off the Runaway Sugar Train

As the holiday season draws to a close, we might notice that somewhere along the way, we boarded a Sugar Train. We likely entered the train innocently enough; at the beginning it might have resembled a subway with frequent opportunities to disembark. But for some, it now feels more like a high-speed train traveling through an underwater tunnel with no exit stations in sight.
 
The cookies are calling.  The chocolate stash has grown exponentially. Dessert happens…regularly; perhaps daily. Maybe we’ve won more sugar standoffs in the past, but now sugar clearly has taken the lead. We can no longer find it within ourselves to say no. 

Before we go any further, I want to acknowledge something. Sugar acts upon the opiod receptors, or pleasure centers of our brains, just like recreational drugs such as cocaine do. Studies have shown it to be as addictive as cocaine, if not more so. Plus, if we’re pre-diabetic or diabetic, eating more sugar is especially apt to make us crave more sugar due to poor insulin handling. And, if you happen to have yeast overgrowth (dysbiosis) in your gut, the “bad bacteria” can cause you to madly crave sugar. 
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So, while it is possible to exit the Sugar Train rather than circling the globe until the end of your days, it is important to work with your biochemistry – and to be gentle with yourself -- to once again gain some control over sugar cravings. Here are some tips to get you started:

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1. Eat Protein. Regularly. Often we hear sugar cravings as our bodies’ misinterpreted calls for protein. Yes, I realize that chicken, nuts, beans and fish do not even come close to resembling the taste or texture of sugar and carbs. I get that it sounds counterintuitive. But protein satisfies our bodies AND helps balance blood sugar, as blood sugar swings can be one of the reason we’re craving sugar anyway. For a great way to reset your metabolism and practice eating more protein, consider my Real-Food Detox, beginning Feb. 2 in San Ramon.  
2. Sleep. Get about 7 hours per night regularly. Studies have shown that insomnia causes us to crave junk food. Plus lack of sleep is associated with increased levels of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates hunger, and reduced levels of leptin, which signals that we’re full. So, less sleep = more cravings and greater likelihood to overeat. Need tips for getting and staying asleep? Let’s talk.
3. Do Something Else. Walk, call someone, or wash some dishes. You’ll usually only need about 3-5 minutes of distraction until the craving passes. 
4. Breathe. We’re all stressed out, and the season often heightens that stress. Cortisol surges and blood sugar instability that results from high stress make us crave sweets. But the good news is that just a minute of deep, mindful breathing kicks in the Relaxation Response. Breathing counters our stress response, calms us down and keeps us from reaching for the cake.
5. Go cold turkey. After we’ve gotten into the habit of regularly eating a greater abundance of sugar and carbs, the body needs to reset itself. It must learn to preferentially feed on protein and fat rather than carbs and sugar. We also need to “withdraw” from sugar and allow our brain chemistry to re-balance itself. This transition takes a few weeks, and the best way I’ve seen to go about it is to go cold-turkey. Choose a date and then go. If you’d like the support of a group in going cold turkey, consider joining my upcoming Real-Food Detox in San Ramon. Special resolution pricing ends Jan. 1, so check it out now.

Resources:
Short Sleep Duration Is Associated with Reduced Leptin, Elevated Ghrelin, and Increased Body Mass Index: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC535701/
Insomnia Increases Junk Food Cravings: Sleep deprivation blunts brain function linked to eating healthy foods.: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201308/insomnia-increases-junk-food-cravings
Evidence That Intermittent, Excessive Sugar Intake Causes Endogenous Opioid Dependence: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2002.66/full
Sugar addiction: pushing the drug-sugar analogy to the limit: http://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2013/07000/Sugar_addiction___pushing_the_drug_sugar_analogy.11.aspx