Consuming sugar carries many risks for our health. First of all, sugar is considered harmful to our teeth and is responsible for weight gain. Avoiding consumption can help reduce the chances of developing diabetes, weight loss, and significantly improve the appearance of our skin.
However, eliminating sugar from our daily diet is not as easy as it sounds, because sugar exacerbates the feeling of addiction. For this reason, withdrawal symptoms, such as irritability, fatigue, headaches and lethargy, often afflict people who are addicted to sugar.
Nevertheless, there are some effective methods that help significantly in the “detoxification” of the body from sugar, contributing to the gradual cessation of this habit and subsequently to the increase of energy levels and well-being.
1.Increase your protein, fiber and good fats intake
There is a high probability of a drop in energy levels and a decrease in mood as a reaction of the body to the cessation of sugar intake. Eating protein-rich foods intensifies the feeling of fullness, helping us to keep our appetite under control.
Furthermore, eating foods high in fiber and good fats, such as celery and avocado, can significantly reduce the chances of cravings. In addition, they are foods with a lower glycemic index, which do not increase blood glucose levels sharply.
2.Include natural sweeteners and spices in your daily diet
Replacing sugar with natural sweeteners, such as honey or dried fruit, can help significantly. Some people add spices to their food, such as onion, garlic, pepper and cinnamon, which have a strong taste, making the food tastier.
3.Avoid eating foods that contain “hidden” amounts of sugar
It is very important to read food labels carefully to see if there is any sugar in corresponding foods. Foods such as salad dressing, tomato sauce, sausage and packaged bread contain significant amounts of sugar.
4.Drink enough water
Sometimes, the desire to eat sweets can be a sign of dehydration. It is not uncommon to confuse thirst with hunger and end up consuming either sweets or food, while all our body needs is to hydrate.
Water also plays an important role in activating various vital metabolic processes. Larger molecules, such as proteins, are synthesized in order to create building materials and / or store biofuels to meet the needs of our body. Correspondingly, through the contribution of water, these larger molecules are broken down into smaller ones, such as amino acids, which are used as raw material for energy production.
Therefore, water is the most important nutrient that allows the processes of digestion and absorption of various valuable micronutrients.
5.Get enough sleep
It is very important to get enough sleep because, due to lack of sleep, the hormones controlling appetite and satiety (ghrelin and leptin) are disturbed. This condition stimulates the appetite and leads to increased food consumption, in an effort of the body to maintain energy production.
In fact, there is a tendency to consume foods rich in carbohydrates, which contain increased amounts of sugar. Insufficient sleep has been associated with an 20% increase in daily calorie intake.
In fact, it has been recognized that sleep is causally related to the regulation of glucose homeostasis and that sleep disorders can lead to an increase in the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
6.Include exercise in your life, under medical supervision and guidance
Exercise helps to balance blood sugar levels, ensure our hormonal balance, reduce stress, improve sleep and speed up the metabolic rate. So, it is possible to deal with all the causes mentioned above and are blamed for the strong desire to consume sugar. It also helps to improve a person’s psychology, which helps significantly in not being dependent on food consumption.
Today, there are exercise programs that are formulated, under medical guidance and supervision. Based on the needs of the body, the type of exercise is determined, the degree of intensity, its duration, as well as how many times a week the person needs to exercise.
7.Eliminate stress and adrenal glands fatigue and take care of the restoration of the hormonal and metabolic balance of the organism
The most important of all is to detect the real causes that push us to the strong desire to consume sugar. For example, hormonal imbalance, adrenal fatigue, everyone’s genetic background, metabolic disorders and lack of micro- and macronutrients are factors that can be blamed for the increased need to consume sugar.
In particular, the desire to eat sweets can be expressed as a sign of hormonal imbalance. Excessively high cortisol levels stimulate the production of high levels of insulin. In turn, it affects blood sugar levels, which often increases the desire to eat food, especially rich in carbohydrates and sugar.
In addition to insulin resistance, adrenal fatigue may be responsible for an excessive appetite for unhealthy foods. In cases of chronic stress, people experience adrenal fatigue, which results from increased cortisol levels.
In addition, metabolic imbalances, lack of enzymes, micro- and macronutrients, which are required for the proper function of the body, play an important role in increasing the need for sugar.
The Modern therapeutic approach
The clinical context that is based on the investigation and elimination of the real causes that cause the respective problem is the Modern Medical Reality. Thus, the detection at a cellular level of the underlying causes of the intense desire to consume sugar helps the doctor, so that he can take all the necessary steps in order to find and then address the causes of the problem.
Specialized diagnostic tests exist that investigate the function of the adrenal glands, the hormonal and metabolic state of the body and identify deficiencies that the cell may have in nutrients. Furthermore, genetic tests can be performed, which analyze genetic variants, in order to better understand the human body and how to provide the nutrients it really needs.
Based on the diagnostic findings, personalized treatment protocols are formulated, which may include micronutrient protocols and hormonal rehabilitation. These are treatments based on restoring the balance of the hormonal system and correcting any nutrient deficiencies.
Based on the individual genetic background, test scores, lifestyle and above all the diversity of each, a fully personalized diet plan is provided, tailored to the needs of each individual that helps significantly in reducing the desire to consume sugar.
In addition, due to the fact that stress levels, sleep quality and living environment in general have a two-way effect on our diet, the treating physician aims to eliminate stress and restore normal sleep, proposing the inclusion of various foods or nutritional supplements in the daily diet. With these methods, the greatest possible benefits for the patient’s health can be achieved.
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References:
- “Guideline: Sugar intake for adults and children” (PDF). Geneva: World Health Organization. 2015. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2018.
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- Steardo, Luca; de Filippis, Renato; Carbone, Elvira Anna; Segura-Garcia, Cristina; Verkhratsky, Alexei; De Fazio, Pasquale (2019-07-18). “Sleep Disturbance in Bipolar Disorder: Neuroglia and Circadian Rhythms”. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 10: 501. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00501. ISSN 1664-0640. PMC 6656854. PMID 31379620.
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