Sugar Addict

M.,
I've had sugar addictions twice. The first time, 8 years ago, I got over it by doing without refined sugar for 2 weeks. Then I found I could indulge without it owning me.

The second time started a year ago, and it lasted for a year. I tried, numerous times, and could never get rid of it. The most stressful year of my life didn't help.

In visiting with a board-certified nutritionist, I found I am gluten intolerant. Since I wasn't digesting gluten properly, the partially digested gluten was getting into my blood stream--and my reading shows that the body views it as an opiate, hence the sugar cravings.

He took me off all grains (at least for a while). It sounds odd, but within 2 days all of my cravings were gone and my awful symptoms (from the gluten intolerance) were also gone within a week. I realize a high protein diet would be difficult as a vegetarian.

A few options might be clearing the house of refined sugar (and not buying it) for a couple of weeks, trying to increase the amount of protein (and decrease the carbs) you're eating, never snacking on just carbohydrate (add nuts or some kind of protein), or finding healthy foods you really like (maybe indulge in fresh berries) to eat when you crave the sugar.

Also, you might want to google candida . . . sometimes when folks have a systemic yeast/fungus they end up with sugar cravings.

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

You need to check out http://www.radiantrecovery.com/ . Most of the information on her sugar addict recovery program can be found on that site, as well as forums for support along the road. She has a couple of books out, including a recently updated version of "Potatoes not Prozac" (odd title; great book) that includes more of the scientific research that's come about since the original publication.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend you check it out!

1 mom found this helpful

I tend to think in terms of what your body is trying to tell you. If you sense a major craving for anything, then you're lacking something. The question is whether what you're lacking in your nutrition/diet is what your body is actually telling you it's craving or whether it might be misleading you (or getting the message confused somewhere along the path).

There is a lot of science to getting complete proteins as a vegetarian, and that could be one source of mixed messages within your body. Amino acid combination is critical to a vegetarian's health. I'm sure there're lots of library books on the topic, but make sure you pay special attention to the protein combinations (ie whole grain pasta combined with beans, or tofu eaten together with kale) so that you're sure to get complete proteins every day- it's not necessarily easy or intuitive.

Sugar is short term energy, pure carbohydrate, if you're craving that all the time, there could be a lack of long term energy input. Proteins burn (provide energy) lots longer than sugar and if you're not getting complete proteins your body will tell you it needs more. Also you need protein to build muscle.

Plenty of your own protein from your muscles and calcium from your bones has gone into building babies- so be sure you're extra cautious about replacing and replenishing your own calcium and protien stores during child-bearing years. Also for that reason be sure and do some weight bearing exercise regularly, to aid the process of bone and muscle regeneration after child birth.

I would say you need less sugar and more protein. I'd bet that if you focus on getting the optimum amounts of proteins, carbs, and fats, the your cravings will tend to sort themselves out.

Best of luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I know that it's sometimes difficult to eat healthy when you have kids. There are alot of snacks for children and adults that are loaded with sugar. On the weekends I (try) to cut up carrots, celery, apples, oranges basically any fruits or veggies and store them in conatiners. When I feel the urge to snack on something I can pull these out easily. Then you can have some healthy snacks for both you and the kiddies. It's easier said than done when you have kids to watch and take care of but honestly I sometimes find it therapeutic, lol I know it's weird.

1 mom found this helpful

I have insulin resistance. Which means my body actually craves sugar. So I know what your talking about. First thing I did was give up cold turkey. I would remind myself that this food was toxic to my body and was giving me no nutritional value what so ever. You might also want to do a protein diet with low carbs. As carbs turn to sugar quickly in your body and help to increase your sugar cravings. When ever I really really wanted some sugar and couldnt talk myself out of it I would pretend in my mind that I ate it and asked myself how I felt if I really had eaten it and it was always guilty. I have a seven month old now so its not so easy to do now. But I would also go for a quick walk or do some sit ups any type of exercise to rid my thinking of eating junk. Your kids are old enough that you should be able to slip away for a few min. Or you could just take them all outside and particapate with some good old fashion exercising with games. Best of luck. And its just as hard to quit an eating addiction as it is any addicition. your body has adjusted to this sugar rush.

1 mom found this helpful

I have a history with a huge sugar addiction. About four months ago I decided it was time to address this and asked my doc about it. I turned 40 a few yrs ago and my eating habits began to affect my weight and my health. She suggested a wonderful book written by a doctor about adrenal fatigue (forgot the name but Adrenal Fatigue is in the title when I googled it). Sugar addiction is one of the primary symptoms. It suggests reasons, diets, and the effects of stress. It offered solutions that are easy to do by yourself at home. It worked immediately so I knew I was on the right path. Currently, my sugar addiction is easily controlled, my weight is staying down and at my well woman check up, my numbers drastically improved. My only investment was the book. Good luck.

1 mom found this helpful

get on the mailing list for www.naturalepicurean.com
The Natural Epicurean is a Macrobiotic cooking school in So. Austin, on Toomey Road, down from the Zach Scott Theatre.
They run a weekend workshop called "Kicking the Sugar Habit".

Adjusting your diet will require making substitutions with sweet vegetables, learning new cooking techniques, satisfying cravings,... its a complex issue that takes time. But you will make a change towards long lasting good health habits for your family.

Good Macrobiotic cook books I recommend:
The Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics by J.Porter,
The Self-Healing Cookbook by K. Turner,
Cook your Way to the Life You Want by K. Pierello
my favorite dessert cookbook is called "Sweet and Natural" by M.McCarty. You will learn to use sweetners such brown rice syrup, barley malt, agave nectar, maple syrup, etc., that the body responds to better, recognizing them more as a whole food and not spiking the blood sugar so drastically.

I'm available if you have more questions, I'm also a student, working towards teaching cooking and becoming a health/macro. counselor.

1 mom found this helpful

do u exercise? i find that the more i exercise, the less i want sugar. even going for a walk after supper helps.

I too have craved sugar all of my life, I ate very unhealthy as a teenager and it went on into my adult years. I also have an Adrenal disorder, and I can tell you that they are related! I read all of the posts and agreed with some and disagreed with others. I believe that in order to give it up, it has to be "cold turkey". that is when I was most successful. And it is not good to exchange the real sugar for the artificial ones! It is ok to do the fruit, and someone mentioned brown rice syrup, and xlitol. Also you have to get away from processed flours, stick to whole grains. Make sure that you get your protien,(egg whites, beans and legumes, spinach and kale, how about peanut butter? Can you have that? Go for a natural one without added sugar). Stay away from aspartame,sacchrin,and especially anything that ends in "tol" sorbitol, malitol, etc. all artficial sweetners trick your body into thinking that you are eating sugar and makes you crave more of it, it is also a chemical and not healthy, sorbitol is not absorbed by the body and will give you intestinal problems (gas!). Aspartame will give you headaches, even Migraines! You can use stevia, and splenda. stay away from diet drinks they are poison! And no sugar added packages that say "sweetened with splenda" read the ingredients, it says splenda but they almost always also have malitol or sorbitol. Be careful where your starchs are coming from...Brown rice instead of white rice, 100% whole grain, not just "wheat", and many people think that potatoes are healthy because they are a vegtable, but potatoes matabolize into sugar in the blood steam faster than sugar does! You might think about a book on the Glycemic index of foods, the glycemic index is "how fast a food turns into sugar in the body." not all carbs are created equal! Best of luck to you, and if you have any questions for me feel free to ask.

And as a last little note I would like to address the post that you got from "Lanette" I dare to say that she is often quite rude or at least comes across that way. I would suggest to her that before she claims that "it shouldn't be too hard to figure out", that she re-read her post before she hits send, and corrects all her spelling and gramma, as it should not be too hard to figure out that she doesn't quite have it all together in the intelligence department either! Sorry everyone, but Lanette has just rubbed me the wrong way one too many times!!! This site is for friendly advice, and occaisionally some tough love, but it is not intended to be used to insult people that are asking for help! Come on Lanette, "play nice or don't play at all!"

Sugar cravings are common in people who are short of minerals and vitamins.
Are you taking supplements? If not, do so now. Don't forget calcium and magnesium, Omega 3 and Omega 6 oil and pro-biotics which take care of intestinal flora.
You may find after a week or so of supplementing your diet, your sugar cravings lessen and you can help them along then by drinking water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to help adapt your cravings away from sugars and onto fruit - apples, bananas, oranges, etc.

I feel ya, I too am an addict, or was. I "weaned" myself off the sweet stuff with fruit leather. Its usually in the health food aisle at the store and its basically an all natural sweet alternative to candy. I started by allowing 10 a day, any and every time I felt like grabbing a piece of candy, i went for my fruit leather, instead. And then the cravings became fewer and fewer. I still keep some around just in case the cravings get to bad, but tell you the truth, I haven't needed any since the weaning. =) Hope it helps

wow, and I thought I got married young (19 yo)...
Well all I can say is Water!!! Water is the best thing to flush out your system and clean it up. Drink lots of it, I always try to have a glass or bottle filled throughout the day.

you can get packets of emerency c at HEB take one every afternoon about the time you crave sugar. dump in water mix and drink. Vitamine c curves your craving for sugar
a good friend of mine that is a pharamicist told me this it works
good luck

www.ahealthierlifestyle.com is a natural approach to health and nutrition.

I would also say don't buy it. If you don't buy it, you can't eat it! Your body sounds like it is not only addicted, but minerally deficient as well. You will crave things when your body needs certain minerals.

You could also replace w/chewing gum-- the kind that is sweetened with xylitol, a natural sweetener. There is also Tic Tacs that are sugar free sweetened w/xylitol. They taste GREAT!!

Being a vegetarian, you need to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need that normally people are able to get from eating meat.

I also homeschool my FIVE kids. Remember that if you don't do something to rejuvenate yourself, you will be no good to anybody! It doesn't have to cost a lot! a bath by candlelight! Since you like to read, have you thought of joining a book club? Do you take time to meet up w/ other moms? There are homeschooling groups that get together to do different things, co-ops which may also help you. Investigate what is available in your area.

Make healthy choices today b/c your kids need a good example and will follow in your steps. You may not SEE the bad effects today, but that doesn't meant there aren't any and it WILL catch up to you eventually. We don't eat any sugar and eat fruit for dessert and we never get sick!! You won't regret your decision!!

Blessings,
M.
Mom to 5 Wonderful Kids
www.4MyChildrenSake.com

Hello Sugar!

I am also a sugar addict until I realized that with the stress of work, wife duties, and a mother of two boys. I also stoped excersing due to my busy schedule with school and t-ball practice I fell into a hole. I was hurting myself. I had an anxiety attach and realized that I had stress and was not doing so well inside.
I always take action when something is not right with me; I do have many responsibilities and I hate to not function. So I visit my husband's accupuncturist and she put me on some vitamins herbes and other herbs to relaxe and help me with my bad menstral cycles. I am starting a accupunture treatment; I wanted to seak natural healing; she also mentioned to keep a healthy diet and away from sugars and caffiene. Sugars are the worst and in many cases do not help with stress and anxeity and gave me bad headaches. I started running and eating healthy and so far I feel good inside. My recomendation is to start doing away with one sugar item that you normally consume. and start eating cuttup vegeables or fruits when you feel the cravings. With the stress at home and our kids, I tend to eat sugars and chips or any thing in sight; that is nervousness of stress. I work out or do something that you like; such as going out to a movie with a friend or barnes and noble to drink coffee and read a book etc. these private mommy only activies do help and you feel like you regain a peice of you back. I like to think I ware many hats such as ( not in order); employee, mommy, wife, lover, friend, student, and a household maid. This can put a toll on a women especially on your hormonal days. I even started to meditate and attend my church for a sense of peice of mind so I can target all my hats.
Good Luck and Great Job for all you do with your kids!

visit the website:

sugarsandflours.com

you will find it very interesting and helpful for a lot of things including your stress

This is not an easy substitution, but the best thing I have found is exercise. When you feel like reaching for that sugary food do something physical instead. The first weeks will be tough but the exercise releases endorphins to make you feel better and is a great stress reliever. It doesn't have to be the typical aerobics or treadmill either. Incorporate it into your day with the kids by dancing together, going for a walk or just running around playing tag in the backyard.

Good Luck,
K.

I'm in the same boat, but I'm addicted to diet cokes!
What do you do for fun? I love to exercise and so that is my relaxation techniques!

Hi
I hope this information will be helpful to you. My daughters have all had issues with diet and sugar cravings. When they left home, one by one they each cleaned up their own food choices. They told me they had glutin issues. Daughter number two, had blood work done with a nutritionist in Austin, named Deirdre Earls ###-###-#### ____@____.com ). She actually takes you on a tour of Whole Foods and makes recommendations. Doing the blood work before you start experimenting with your diet is essential to getting a good diagnosis. If you start changing and eliminating the glutens before the blood work is done you will alter the results.
Also, if anyone is interested in gluten free non dairy/no sugar ice cream, then Nada Moo (http://nadamoo.com )is your frozen “Ice Cream” choice. Only the Mint Chocolate Chip has a small amount of gluten in the chips. Nada Moo is made by a local Austin based company and is available at Whole Foods. It comes in several delicious kid pleasing flavors. My husband is a diabetic and it is one he can eat.
Good luck, L.

I totally understand and relate to loving sugar. What I've found that works to control this is not to completely avoid sugar, but to eat natural ones and not refined sugars. For me, the combination of bananas and milk really helps to give me a dessert fix when I need something sweet. Skim milk even works. Try it you might be surprise at how satisfying of a sugar fix it is. Good luck.

I too am a sugar addict. In fact, right now I am reading the Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Program, which is by the same author as Potatoes Not Prozac, which was recommended by another responder. Reading this book helps me to understand why I crave what I crave and to avoid it. I run to reduce the stress in my life. Running makes the day all better and also helps to reduce the sugar cravings I have. Eating lots of fruit also helps. Not to mention eating fruit is a good example for your kids. Good luck.

M.,,,

buy fruit indtear of sweet stuff dos'nt seem that big of a deal to a home schooler ,vegetarian to figure that 1 out
L.

WELL LET ME MAKE A SUGGESTION. I CANH RELATE WITH YOUR PROBLEM, BUT I AM AN INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETIC. GET YOU SOME RUSSEL STOVER & BASKIN & ROBBINS SUGAR FREE CANDY & YOU WILL BE AMAZED @ THEIR TASTE. TASTE LIKE REAL CHOCOLATE & CANDY. EVEN MY GRANDKIDS & KIDS LIKE IT REALLY WELL. THINK THIS WILL HELP YOU IF YOU TRY THIS.
GOOD LUCK,
D.

I have a sugar addiction, too!

I'm not overweight either, but I have found that when I crave sugar it's because I haven't had enough protein. Try eating some nuts and drinking some juice or water before you dive into the sweets. It has really helped me, and protein is good for ya :) If you try this, I would be very interested to hear back from you whether or not it worked for you, too.

So when you feel like you need to eat something sweet, drink a glass of water, pause, and write in your journal. Write whatever you are feeling, both physical and emotional, without self-editing your thoughts because this is just for you to see. You actually don't even have to ever go back and read what you write, it's more a tool to diffuse your stress than your next novel. :)
If you find you are really hungry after your pause you can eat fruit as your something sweet. It is re-training your brain to do this, whatever method you decide that works for you, so know that it will take about a month to really turn off that urge for sweets.
Good luck!

Send the kids to school. I know parents want to control everything about their childrens life, but believe it or not its not good for the kids. My sister was home schooled and graduated and even though it was an accredided school she has problems getting a job. Alot of employers DO NOT recognize home schools as a source of education! Why would you want to put your self through all of that. I mean really look for warning signs you are writing beacuse you cant kick a sweet tooth habit because your kids stress you out. You never get a break.....it dosent take a rocket scientist to figure out what you need is alone time so send them to school!

Understand your dillemma. Loved sweets and cokes! Doctor friend recommended Nutrimeal shakes, they come in chocolate, strawberry, vanilla. Also using chocolate peanut butter bars that are low in sugar but taste like a candy bar. These snacks are low-glycemic so they regulate sugar level and curved my sweet addiction! Ordered off their website: www.healthrep.usana.com
Shipped directly to my house so don't have to leave -great for busy mothers!! I know they'll help you, so just give it a try!

M. :)

chewing gum and having lots of fruit ready and cut up are the only things that helps me!

Chromium supplements help. Also L-Glutamine. Ween yourself off sugar slowly. Take what you eat in a day and try cutting that in half. Then work your way up to cutting that in half and so on. Try to subsitute junk sugar for "good" sugar like those found in fruits. Stay away from the artificial junk too. Good luck!

Wow, you were very young when you got married, and you got it all together.....way to go! I had to lay off the sugar completely because of gest. diabetes. Which was so hard for me. I found alternatives like sweet, ripe fruits. Also, those Wyler's drinks and Coke Zero or anything "zero". The wyler's (or store brand) tastes like kool aid, but without the sugar (it may take a few drinks to get used to it but it really does eventually work). The coke zero tastes a little different than real coke, but waaaaaay better than diet coke. You could also start eating dark chocolate, which is a little better than milk choc. Have you ever tried "moo magic?" It is a substitute for choc. syrup for your milk and it is yuuuummy. Good luck! Oh, and don't worry about people dogging you for homeschooling. You work very hard and it is very important that you are spending quality time with your kids. I personally believe that your kids are getting more attention than those in daycare or being sent to a babysitter.

try a yeast cleanse, a yeast buildup in the body causes sugar cravings but be sure to back it up with a good probiotic, also try supplementing with chromium picolinate

Well, dont know too much here, but I also have been having a sugar problem, and since I startes working out and watching how much water I am drinking (to get enough) they are almost gone. The yeast cleanse sounds like a good idea too, because I have had a few real yeast infections recently anyways. Good luck I am sure you can do it. A couple of the repsonses seemed a bit rude to me. Sorry about that, dont let it get to you.

Sugar does not make a person diabetic. The only thing you need to worry about maybe is your teeth, unless you brush often. Just last week they had on TV that the medical scientist beleive they have linked sugar free drinks and food could be causing the raise in diabetic, because it is tricking your liver etc. So, your sugar addiction should not harm you. Just hope your kids do not follow your habit.
Good luck.

Some fruits have lots of sugar in them and that would be a more natural way to get the sugar. However be careful. To much fruit can add to you problems. Sugar can also add a big problem later on. Good luck been there.

My boss has been doing research on Camdida (yeast infection). http://nationalcandidacenter.com/
Since he stopped eating sugars and carbs he has been feeling better besides losiong weight. I adopted this practice about 2 weeks ago and I have noticed a tremendous improvement in my overall health. When you eat sugar, all you are doing is feeding the yeast that lives inside you. The toxins that the yeats produce have adverse affects on your body.

Also, look at the labels of the food you buy. Though they may lacking in trans fats, they are loaded with high fructose corn syrup - way bad for the body!!! Artifical sweetners are also bad because they cause the body to actually crave the real stuff.

Good Luck!!

Oh my goodness I hear you sister! I have always had a sweet tooth. I am currently working hard to lose my baby weight so I just have no choice but to keep it in check, but when I was skinny I was the worst!! Anyway, a couple things that might help are to get a little hard candy. I like those brach's cinnamon discs and butterscotch candies. When you feel like a sweet a hard candy can really help and it isn't too many calories or too much sugar. Also honey is a natural sweet that can really satisy. A piece of toast lightly buttered with a little honey is a healthy sweet treat. Yogurt is good too. And of course as we all know, but sometimes fail to do, fruit is a great natural sweet. As far as the stress goes, it isn't good for you regardless of diet. I know being with kids all day is awesome but can really take it's toll on your sanity! I have a toddler so I am not quite where you are yet but I have heard of a lot of moms who say that they have "quiet time" everyday. The kids go in their rooms and can read or play quietly or relax in their beds but it has to be quiet. Then mom can take a few minutes to breathe, read a magazine, whatever. I fully plan to institute this practice!! :) Even if it is only for half an hour, I think it sounds like such a restorative time to have daily. Best wishes to you~!!

Take up a hobby! Something you can do to relax. I personally do cross stitch. Some moms like scrap booking, or knitting... whatever it is, you need some thing you can do to get away and have some relaxation time. You will feel SO much better, and be a MUCH better Mom for your kids if you get a time of refreshment at least once a week!

M.,
Hi, my name is J., and I homeschool also my sons are 5 and 10 years old. It is not easy sometime but over all you are doing a great thing for your kids. Try a tea call Wulong for some reason it does not make you have the taste for sweets at all. But it is not bad for you either. That my help you can get it at Whole Foods.
Then my question is I would love to be a vegetarian but for meals I just can't think of every day something to make so I go back to fish or chicken, do you have any ideas?
My email is ____@____.com thanks , J.