Is sugar addiction a sign of a bigger problem?

How do I get rid of sugar cravings...

Are you someone dealing with sugar addiction? Let us understand the cause of such an addiction while also knowing about few ways to overcome it too.

What causes sugar addiction?

We all know about the trillions of bacteria that make their home in our gut.

Our gut represents our physical and mental health. Everything from obesity to depression can be treated if we start healing the gut first. Read the below blog to understand more:

Probiotic Vs. Prebiotic Vs. POSTbiotics!

Your cravings arise from your gut too. Sugar cravings are a sign of the growing inflammation and diseases causing bacteria in your gut.

Moreover, every time you consume sugar, you are only growing their population. And the only way to get rid of these bad bacteria is by stopping your sugar consumption in order to shrivel and shrink their population. In less that 21 days, you can change the gut population.

The idea is not to ‘fight your cravings’ all your life, but to reach a point where you just do not have the cravings- trust me, it’s possible!

What does science say?

According to the American Dietetic and Diabetic Association, increased sugar consumption is the leading cause of degenerative diseases like hypertension, alzhimers’s, IBS, cancer, and diabetes.

Studies have also been conducted that prove sugar to be as addictive as opioids.

A particular study published in 2007 named ‘Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake’ dealt with this very same question. It had concluded with strong evidence that excessive intake of sugar can lead to addictive behavior impacting your body and mind.

Wellness tip of the day

A strategic method to get rid of your sugar addiction is giving it up for a few days.

Make sure that for the next 21 days, you stay away from all kinds of sugar. But also make sure to include one serving of fruit with every meal (this is important). The phytonutrients in the fruit attack the inflammatory bad bacteria in your gut and kill them. Not only this, the natural sweetness of the fruits will help you ease the cravings.

NO JUICES, WHOLE FRUITS.

Apart from the regular table sugar, also avoid jaggery, maple syrup, honey, and other artificial sweeteners. Any form of sugar or sugar alternatives has the potential to start feeding the bad bacteria. This will again only land you with a sugar addiction.

The only exception allowed is homemade date syrup (soak dates overnight and blend them with water. Retain the fiber, do not strain them).

Commit yourself to this 21 day challenge and you will see these changes reset your body and brain automatically. Cutting out sugar will not only break your addiction but also reduce other probable issues like anxiety, stress, fatigue, migraine, etc.

Trust this helps!

Roshni Sanghvi.