Sugar Detox Weeks 3 and 4: : Quell the Cravings and Create a Game Plan for Life

"A wise woman puts a grain of sugar into everthing she says to a man, and takes a grain of salt with everything he says to her." Helen Rowland--English/American writer, 1876-1950

Week 3: Quell the Cravings

In the first two weeks, you’ve swapped vastly sugared cereals and oatmeal with little or no added sugar “whole grain” varieties; Greek or plain yogurt has been sweetened with a teaspoon of honey, stevia, low sugar jam or fresh or frozen fruit; sugar loaded baked goods have been replaced with whole grain breads and muffins topped with a slice banana or low sugar jam. Still crave a sweet treat? Have a few dried fruit pieces with a smidgen of nuts and a couple dark chocolate pieces. Thirsty? Reach for no sugar drinks such as sparkling water with a splash of juice or slice of citrus, or a non-caloric liquid soda. The options are available and endless. It just depends on how much you want to change your habits.

When a sugar hankering hits, do something to take your mind off the cravings and if you are able to wait long enough, the urges will pass—drink a big glass of water, go for a walk, take up a non-food hobby, read an enthralling book. If you are actually hungry, grab a low cal healthy snack. But remember, just like kicking alcohol, even tiny taste of sugar during this time can lead to setbacks and binge eating.

By the first three sugar-free weeks, your sugar threshold will start to decrease, and eventually it will become routine to reach for a piece of fruit or a cup of tea instead of juice and a cookie.

Week 4: Game Plan for Life

Once you’ve passed the nagging “sweet tooth” phase, the sugar addiction is under control. It’s extremely crucial, though, to formulate a doable lifestyle plan to prevent a sugar relapse. But get real! It’s unreasonable to think that you’ll never eat sugar again.

Sugar isn't necessary for health and if you want to continue avoiding it all together, that’s great! However, it isn't realistic for most people to avoid all forms of sugar forever. We need to enjoy life, but we also should live healthy and eat smart.

So, if you want to allow a little sweetness back into your life, that's OK, but you’ve come to far to let sugar and sweets creep back in to being an overwhelming daily habit. Instead, consider sugary treats to be reserved for special occasions only. With your lowered threshold for sweetness, that shouldn't be too hard. But if you begin to indulge too often or overindulge over a short period of time (such as a weeklong vacation), you could find yourself back in trouble with sugar--déjà vu all over again!

If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up over it. Accept your actions and make a firm decision to make better choices next time, then move on. Continue to experiment with your new, healthy foods and recipes. You'll be surprised at how many ways you can make treats healthier and use far less sugar than a recipe suggests. Surf the internet for healthy recipes and ways to exchange added sugar with sweet, healthy alternatives.

As a reminder, it usually takes about 3-4 weeks for a new behavior to become habit. Stick with the game plan, look for hidden sugars, use diversions to take your mind off the cravings, and never give up the fight to get healthy and sugar free!

(Note: This is the final installment of a four-part series.)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Interested in Alameda's news, events, community bulletins, blogs and businesses? Sign up for the free Alameda Patch daily newsletter,"like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

______________________________________________________________________________________