Turns out I’m a 10 of 10 on the Bright Lines Eating Susceptibility Scale (take the quiz developed by Susan Peirce Thompson Ph.D here: https://www.brightlineeating.com/susceptibility-quiz).
That means I’m very susceptible to addictive eating and addictive foods. For me, that translates as follows: I can’t have one piece of pizza without eating the whole pizza. I can’t have one scoop of ice cream without eating the whole pint. I’m a food addict. There, I said it. And because of that, two of my “bright lines” are NO (added) SUGAR and NO FLOUR, meaning I don’t cross those lines, EVER. Doing so has to be non-negotiable in order for me to stay on track.
Fortunately, I overcame my addiction almost 10 years ago when I switched my focus from losing weight to reclaiming my health, and the pounds I had tried to lose for decades just melted off like magic.
I went 270 pounds down to 130 pounds. That’s a size 24 to a size 4. And while there was no short cut or hack (sorry to burst your bubble), I found a sustainable result by turning to a heavily plant based diet (and these days, I’m trying to go vegan).
It all started by doing an intuitively guided detox and eliminating many highly processed, toxic and addictive foods from my diet, one of those being added and artificial sugars.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to trying to break a sugar (or any) addiction. One school of thought is to go cold turkey. The other school suggests slowly weaning yourself off of the addictive substance to help avoid severe withdrawals and/or intense cravings. Everybody is different, and either approach can work depending on your severity of your addiction.
But if you are a 10 out of 10 like me related to food, cold turkey is probably the best approach. If you are a 5 out of 10, then maybe weaning yourself off of sugar could work for you. What’s important is figuring out which approach is the right way for you.
On my journey, the approach that worked best for me was cutting “added” (processed) sugar out of my diet completely-cold turkey. No matter how you do it, there are a few things I learned on my journey that really helped me to find success in getting myself off of “added” sugar once and for all. This is my N of 1 study (meaning I was the only subject in this study). I share these strategies to help you in your quest to rid your body of the poison that is “added” sugar.
You’ll note that I keep referencing “added” sugar. So let me first explain the difference between natural sugar and “added” sugar? “Added” sugars are refined sugars (or processed sugar) and can be found both on the shelf and in many processed food. And by processed food, I mean anything that comes in a box, bag or can with a label.
Common examples of added sugars are: table sugar, sugars from syrups, honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit. On the other hand, natural sugars are naturally occurring sugars such as those found in nuts, fruits and vegetables and they behave differently in our bodies (better) than added sugars do.
In fact, added sugars (and sugar substitutes for that matter) are extremely addictive, mentally and physiologically and it’s their addictive nature that keeps us going back for more, which in turn makes us fat.
Just a quick word on sugar substitutes which are chemically manufactured sugars, if you haven’t read the blog about that, please find it HERE.
Our addiction to sugar it’s not our fault! The way our food is manufactured and marketed has changed in the past 50-100 years. “Big food” manufacturers count on us coming back, over and over and over again, because that’s how they make money! And processed food is really more “food like,” than actual food! It’s a bunch of crazy concoctions of chemically created ingredients that might help their products taste good, but are not only making us fat, but they are making us sick!
Which then leads us to “big pharma” to treat our fat related conditions such as IBS, diabetes, heart disease and the like. Like food companies want us coming back for more of their food, big pharma wants to keep us coming back for more drugs (how else will they make money?). So…the drugs keep us sick, forcing us to refill our prescriptions over and over and over again. And somehow, we never get cured. Weird right? Not really…but tat’s another story for another day.
Below are my best strategies, based on my own experience for kicking the “added” (and artificial) sugar habit:
1. Substitute whole fruits for sugary treats and processed foods. Fruit contains two types of sugar: fructose and glucose. The proportions of each vary, but most fruits are about half glucose and half fructose. Glucose raises blood sugar, so the body must use insulin to metabolize it. Fructose on the other hand does not raise blood sugar. So, eating lower sugar fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, lemon, lime, honey dew melon and grapefruit are good choices over the higher sugar fruits, such as cherries, pineapple, mango, grapes and banana. Note you don’t have to say goodbye to these higher sugar fruits forever. You just need to postpone eating those higher sugar fruits, while you are kicking the sugar habit. That said, any fruit is better than sugary treats and processed foods that include sugar. And while we are talking fruit, stay clear of fruit juices too as they are typically very high in sugar and they contain no fiber.
2. Learn to read food labels to discover hidden sugar. In 2016 the FDA changed the labeling and now it includes both total sugars and added sugars (not that I have a lot of faith in the FDA but at least even they recognize there is a difference). And while it’s not 100% accurate, it’s a start. “Added” sugar include sugars that are added during the processing of foods (such as sucrose or dextrose), foods packaged as sweeteners (such as table sugar), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. Using the label example below, this product has 15 total grams of sugar and 7 grams of “added” sugar per serving. Almost half of the sugar content in this serving for this product is “added” sugar. That’s just over 1-1/2 tsp of sugar (1.61 tsp to be exact)!
Added sugar is hiding in foods that many of us consider healthy such as yogurt and energy bars as well as ketchup, salad dressing, pasta sauce and even bread. In America, the US Food & Drug Administration requires food producers to list all ingredients in their foods. If you really want to know the sugar content in the items you choose, you need to look beyond the total and added sugar figures, and you also need to look at the ingredients list. But even that can be challenging because added sugar comes in many different forms. As an example, it’s said that there are roughly 61 different names for sugar listed on food labels (and it’s changing frequently). Some of the most common names are things like cane sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, maltose, fruit juice, coconut sugar, and so on. If you want to see more of the hidden names for sugar, see my blog post titled The Many Disguises of Sugar, dated 2/26/23. Needless to say, it’s very difficult to account for how much added sugar we’re actually consuming. But if you stick to tip #1 above, and eat fresh whole fruits instead of pre-packaged foods, it’s a great start!
3. Remove grains from your diet. Many refined grains turn to sugar in your body (that’s why I hade to kick my flour addiction too). This can also keep you going back for more. So even if you cut added sugar from your diet, you may not be achieving the weight loss or health you desire, and that MAY be because you are eating refined grains and those grains MAY be keeping you fat and/or unhealthy. I know this is a hard one, because it means not eating rice, bread, pizza, pasta, anything with flour (like crackers) or baked goods.
4. Be prepared for emergencies. When you decide to kick the sugar habit, you may find a drop in blood sugar can make you reach for any food possible to feel better. But, with a little planning, you will be prepared. I carried some easy to pack foods that I could grab when I was traveling or on the go and needed a boost. Small amounts of nuts and seeds (raw is best), apples, grapes, cherries and even a banana are some of my favorite choices. You’ll be surprised by just eating a handful of nuts, and/or an apple and washing it down with a 16 oz glass of water will fill you up and get you over that hump (BTW, eating and apple and a handful of nuts is a delicious pairing).
5. Completely avoid all artificial sweeteners. Not only do artificial sweeteners increase cravings thus leading you to eat more sugar, they also contribute to weight gain, migraines, and newer research is saying they potentially contribute to brain tumors and cancer. That means going black on your coffee or, you might try switching to tea. I found a fantastic cinnamon tea from Harney & Sons that is naturally sweet and delicious, hot or cold (no added sugar). And honestly, I don’t miss the coffee a bit (no, I’m not getting paid to mention Harney’s tea, it’s just really delicious and I didn’t want to keep the secret to myself).
6. Every time you eat (a meal or a snack), include a carb, protein and a fat. Combining carbs, protein and fat helps your body balance sugar, fuels your cells and helps overcome cravings. BUT (there’s always a but isn’t there?), make sure you are consuming high quality sources of carbs, protein and healthy fats. For example, for high quality carbs, choose fresh organic fruits and veggies. Fir healthy proteins, you might choose grass fed organic beef, pasture raised organic poultry and eggs and organic beans, legumes or tempeh. High quality fats would include things such asorganic avocado, wild caught salmon, organic coconut yogurt, organic extra virgin olive oil and organic nuts and seeds (preferably raw).
7. Manage Stress. When you are stressed, your cortisol hormones increase. And when that happens, you may feel more hungry, you have more cravings, you make more bad choices and your body automatically stores more body fat than when you have low cortisol levels.
One of the techniques I found super helpful in managing my stress is deep breathing. When you practice intentional deep breathing, it stimulates the vagas nerve and activates the relaxation response of the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to lower your cortisol levels, and I found it to reduce my hunger. It also provides the body’s cells with oxygen which can help you absorb nutrients, and it stimulates your lymphatic system to get rid of toxins.
Along with deep breathing, I also find meditation an excellent way to tune into the body and tune out all the noise around me, which helps me manage stress. I meditate first thing in the morning to set the tone for my day and I meditate just before falling asleep each night, non-negotiable. It’s a must for managing my stress level. I look forward to my daily meditation practices almost as much as I look forward to my daily workouts.
8. Go for a walk. Anytime I had a sugar craving, instead of reaching for that sweet treat or potato chip, I’d put on my magic sneakers and take my dog for a walk. I discovered that moving my body was just as effective to help me manage cravings as any of these other tips. And it provided other added benefits, such as toning my muscles, reducing body fat, increasing my energy levels, being more in tune with mother earth, appreciating nice sunny days, being grateful that I’m able to walk, and giving my heart and lungs a good cardio workout. My daily walks started with 15 minutes on the treadmill. For you I might be a quick walk around the block. And once you start walking, even if it’s hard at first, over time you’ll learn to love it as it’s great for the mind, body and soul. And because it feels good, you will keep doing it!
9. Manage magnesium. Did you know that most chocolate cravings are linked to low magnesium levels in the body? You can manage your magnesium levels by increasing your intake of magnesium rich foods such as spinach, chard, black beans and walnuts.
Unfortunately, while you are kicking the sugar habit, you want to avoid chocolate (even dark chocolate). But not forever. Once you get the “added” sugar out of your system, you’ll find that your taste buds will have changed, and you will become more open to the darker (80% cacao) chocolates, and less interested in the higher sugar (70% or less, milk chocolate) options.
I have learned how to make the most yummy dark chocolate brownies that contain no added sugar, and they really satisfy my cravings for chocolate (although, those cravings are few and far between these days). Check out the recipe section of that website HERE for some no added sugar desserts (brownies, cookies, cakes and more).
10. Ditch the soda. Sodas contain empty calories and toxic ingredients, by way of “added” sugar or artificial sweeteners. There is zero nutritional value in any soda. If you are a big soda drinker, you will notice just eliminating soda from your diet will have a very significant positive impact in your results in kicking your sugar habit. The best substitute is water, and you can add flavors to it to make it taste better, such as lemon, lime or cucumber.
As you embark on your journey to kick the sugar habit once and for all, remember that every adjustment you make, no matter how small, is a victory. Whether you choose to go cold turkey or gradually reduce your sugar intake, know that it’s a step in the right direction and you have the power to reclaim control over your health and well-being.
From substituting sugary treats with whole fruits to being mindful of hidden sugars in packaged foods, each tip shared here is a tool in your arsenal against the sugar trap. Embrace the journey, celebrate your successes, and be gentle with yourself during moments of struggle. And breathe!
To learn more about the different names for sugar check out my post HERE.
The journey to a healthier, happier you is worth it, you are worth it! And as you take that journey, I hope you find what I found, a beautiful future filled with vitality, energy, and freedom from the grip of sugar. You’ve got this!
Full disclosure, while I did not fully adopt the Bright Line Eating methodology, but there are several aspects of the program that I found extremely helpful on my journey. If you want more information about Bright Line Eating, and the science around food addiction, click over to their website: https://www.brightlineeating.com (No, I am not paid for referring you, I just share it with you because I found it to be useful information.)
To further support you on your path, consider exploring my new book The Awakened Body coming out fall 2025. For more information click HERE.
Together, we can overcome the challenges of sugar addiction and embrace a life of vibrant health and wellness. Here’s to your journey of transformation and the limitless possibilities ahead!
These strategies are not meant to be a guarantee, rather they are meant to offer suggestions to help you along your way. Every body is different and your results may vary.