10 Tips to Stop Sugar Cravings – A Candida Wellness Tip

Are you addicted to sugar? Do you want to get off the sugar and stop sugar cravings? If you have weight loss goals or want to try a low-carb diet, getting off processed sugar is the first step. Though, sugar is a hidden ingredient in many foods you may never have known even contained sugar so it can be hard to avoid it altogether.

If you are battling with symptoms associated with candida, you will want to eliminate sugar right away. These symptoms include frequent yeast infections, acne, hormonal imbalance, skin conditions, excess gas, and bloating. Though, even with these symptoms, it can be hard to get rid of sugar from the diet. I can totally relate! I battled with systemic candida for most of my childhood and young adult years. I was addicted to sugar too which just made the issue worse. Once I found out what my horrible symptoms were coming from I started implementing some of the tips I am giving you today.

Did you know sugar is in many seasonings and condiments you may use daily? From ketchup to pickles, even savory foods are not exempt. Now more than ever, we are being bombarded by sugar in almost everything we consume. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is even worse than sugar and is being used in cereals and many products on the grocery shelves. I actually just saw HFCS in a jar of salsa! What’s so bad about HFCS? Dr. Mark Hyman, an advocate of limiting sugar intake says in a recent blog:

• We are consuming HFCS and sugar in pharmacologic quantities never before experienced in human history–140 pounds a year versus 20 teaspoons a year 10,000 years ago.
• High fructose corn syrup is always found in very poor-quality foods that are nutritionally vacuous and filled with all sorts of other diseases promoting compounds, fats, salt, chemicals, and even mercury.

A recent study on rats showed that sugar cravings and sugar can be more addicting than cocaine and heroin! Isn’t it time to start taking a look at this super villain and finding ways to either cut way back or completely eliminate it from your diet?

10 Tips to Stop Sugar Cravings

Eat Whole Foods

• Go Fresh by buying organic eating delicious and colorful fruits, berries, zucchinis, avocados, sweet peppers, and mineral-rich greens
• Avoid produce that has been picked unripe and trucked across the world by shopping for your produce at your local farmers' market. Eating ripe and local gets your body in harmony with the area of the planet you are living on. This helps keep your core temperature and immune system stay more balanced.
• Avoid the middle of the grocery store where all the packaged foods live. Most cookies, chips, and other snacks are packed with hidden sugars and other harmful chemicals, even organic and natural snacks are often very high in sugar.
• Order online to avoid temptation. I get my dry items, spices, coconut aminos, oils, nuts, and seeds from Thrive Market which offers discounts on organic, non-GMO, whole foods.
• Focus on healthy fats which keep your cravings at bay - avocados, olives, olive oil, coconut, nuts and nut butter, ghee, seeds, tahini, etc.

Use low glycemic natural sweeteners in place of sugar

• Stevia is a natural plant that is 100x sweeter than sugar and is 100% sugar-free. It doesn’t raise blood sugar or insulin levels. It can be bitter if you use too much, but in moderation, it adds a beautiful sweetness to coffee, tea, desserts, and chocolate. So, if your goal is to lead a sugar-free life, definitely try stevia. Start with 1 or 2 drops in water or tea to try it out.
• Use Monk Fruit or Lakanto in desserts: As a 1:1 ratio to sugar. It is ultra low glycemic and does not spike insulin levels in diabetics. You can use this as a substitute in your baking and in raw dishes that call for honey, agave, or maple syrup. I’m not against honey and maple syrup in small amounts, however, they can be unsafe for those with candida, diabetes, or cancer patients who are determined to heal once and for all. Try this dairy-free ice cream recipe with one of the alternative sweeteners above.
• Avoid at all costs: Nutrasweet and Sweet and Low, aspartame, sorbitol, and maltitol as these products are damaging to the body and brain even though they are touted as sugar alternatives.

Use low glycemic fruit as dessert

• Low glycemic fruits like green apples, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries make a great snack. The fruits can be topped with coconut yogurt or nut cream and enjoyed as a dessert. Try to limit even low glycemic fruits if you are suffering from candida.

Make food at home

• Let your creativity loose in the kitchen! The best way to avoid added sugars and fake ingredients are to make food from scratch. It can be fun and easy once you get the hang of it! Learn how to cook through one of our online culinary courses or detox programs to learn more or check out some of our low glycemic ebooks. and free recipes

If you do go to a restaurant, ask questions

• Don’t be afraid to ask your waiter or the vendor what is in the food you are ordering. Say something like: “Can you tell me which items are gluten-free, dairy-free, have olive oil, are sugar-free?” If they don’t know they will usually go ask. Avoid anything fried or breaded. Sauces can contain large amounts of sugar too, so be careful with marinara, Thai sauces and Chinese foods, and even Caesar dressing.

Read food labels

• Even if you think you already know what is in a product, sometimes ingredients can change depending on the company (they may start adding sugar or agave to make more money).
• Added sugar is in 74% of packaged items. Even non-sweet items. If sugar is listed as one of the first 3 ingredients, put it down.
• I aim for items (if I am buying a drink or chocolate) that have between 0 and 5 grams of sugar per serving. Also, remember that the serving size is important. If the package says it has 4 servings, you need to multiply the amount of sugar listed by 4.
• Be aware of the many names for sugar:

Just say no!

• It might take 2-4 weeks but if you make a choice not to eat sugar or high glycemic foods, your palate will adjust. Take the sweets out and wait. It won’t take that long for foods to start tasting too sweet once you’ve eliminated sugar from your diet.

Lower sweet cravings naturally

• Believe it or not, fermented foods like sauerkraut and coconut kefir can stop your sugar cravings in their tracks! This is one of my favorite tricks for when I was in my worst candida days.
• Other foods like spirulina also provide some serious crave busting nutrients as well as these key nutrients:

• Magnesium - helps with balancing blood sugar and so many other metabolic functions in the body. If we are deficient in magnesium, sugar cravers are more likely to be harder to manage.

• Electrolytes - as we transition into ketosis, our body can dump a lot of water, leaving us feeling depleted. When the body is fatigued, we usually crave quick energy in the form of simple carbs and sugar. This will only lead to feeling more fatigued in the long run since the body still hasn't gotten the electrolyte balance it needs.

• Nopal Cactus - a powerful aid for the body to help the slow release of food sugars into the bloodstream, supporting blood sugar balance

Drink a green juice

• Even though it’s usually the last thing you would think of having when you are craving a sweet snack, green juice works! It makes your body more alkaline and has electrolytes, so it satisfies your body on a cellular level.
• Make 4 bottles of green juice with added lemon juice and store in the fridge. This way, you can always have a cold one right out of the fridge when sweet cravings sneak up on you.

Get more sleep!

• Getting enough sleep is a popular topic right now and for a good reason. One of the biggest reasons we tend to overeat and crave sugar is due to lack of sleep. When we are sleep-deprived, our blood sugar goes haywire, leading to more sweet cravings and overall more hunger.
• Also, most of us turn to caffeine or crave something sweet as the body attempts to look for energy. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night drastically helps with controlling sugar cravings.

Furthermore, have faith! Once you decide once and for all to eliminate sugar and stop sugar cravings, you are on your way to a healthier, happier you. Your mood, skin, weight, and well-being will begin to improve. If you slip up, just get right back on track at the next meal. Before you know it, sugar won’t be an issue for you.

If you need more guidance and support, be sure to check out my most popular low sugar, candida-friendly 30-Day Whole Food Detox