Sugar addiction – i.e. the sweet tooth that just won’t quit – can feel impossible to change. For those of you who battle a sweet tooth and feel like it impacts your body and health goals, I can definitely empathize because I dealt with sugar addiction for years! After 6+ years of changing my eating habits, I can say that now my palate has drastically changed and while I still enjoy a sweet treat every now and then, I honestly don’t like things too sweet anymore.
If you struggle with sugar addiction, I’m going to share with you what has worked for me and 6 simple snack recipes that you can use to satisfy your sweet tooth.
But first, let’s look at the impacts of excessive sugar consumption on your body.
Sugar Impact on the Brain and Body
When it comes to sugar impacts on the brain, there appear to be at least a few areas to consider: insulin resistance and inflammation. Consuming too many added sugars in your diet regularly can lead to insulin resistance, and this can make it harder for the brain to access glucose, which it needs to function properly. In addition, excess dietary added sugar can promote inflammation, including by way of overinflation of fat cells. Inflammation has been linked to higher risk for conditions like depression and dementia. (Source)
Eating excessive sugar may actually trigger neuroadaptations that lead to compulsive overeating. (Source) Sugar appears to impact the reward system in the brain in ways that make you want more (but you likely already knew this!). (Source) It’s a vicious cycle, but I hope that this article in its entirety offers you hope because it is possible to break a sugar addiction!
Your brain does rely on glucose to survive, but this is best accomplished through a balanced diet of carbohydrates, fat and protein. Excess sugar consumption seems to throw this natural process out of balance. It can also lead to other problems like fatty liver disease, heart problems, diabetes, and higher blood pressure. (Source)
Where is all the sugar coming from?
It’s important to note that there is a different between natural sugars found in plants and added sugars that are usually found in:
- soft drinks,
- fruit drinks
- coffee drinks
- drink syrups (like chocolate or strawberry milk)
- flavored yogurts
- cereals (including granola)
- cookies
- muffins
- cakes
- candy
- and most processed foods
When you are eating a plant with natural sugars, like beets for example, they often contain fiber that will help your body to slow the absorption of the sugar. This can help prevent a blood sugar spike. These are called complex carbohydrates. When you consume simple sugars, either in a natural form like honey or maple syrup, or in a processed form like the list above, this can have a greater impact on your blood sugar.
Effect of Exercise on Blood Sugar
There is very good news, though, for those who struggle with sugar addiction. One thing you can do to combat insulin resistance is to strength train. Now, this doesn’t have to be going to the gym 5 days a week and lifting heavy. Maybe you’re able to do that, maybe not, but just know that strength training in general helps to increase insulin sensitivity. It really does pay to stay active!
If you feel very far off from the goal of strength training, I would suggest beginning to increase your activity by walking, then start to incorporate bodyweight exercises before you even touch a dumbbell. You can find plenty of YouTube videos to help you with whatever stage you’re at, but I do encourage you to move! Not only is it good for our mental and emotional health, but working out also does many amazing things in the body, helping to improve mood, increase strength, and elevate energy levels.
When you are active like this, the calories you eat will go towards helping to build muscle. When you are sedentary, it’s more likely that your body is going to store any excess calories as body fat.
A final note on this is that the best way to eat your “simple carb” items (i.e. banana, honey, maple syrup, etc) is around your workouts. For example, you may have a small serving of fruit before a workout and then have a protein shake afterwards using a frozen banana. Because you put this demand on your body through working out, it is more likely to put those simple carbs to use right away to repair muscle.
So, when you’re active, it’s not like you can eat whatever you want, but you will see less of an impact from these simple carbs.
The Role of Satiety When Dealing With Sugar Addiction
One area that has been a huge factor in my personal battle with a sugar addiction has been satiety (i.e. the feeling of satisfaction after eating). When you are more satiated, you are less likely to reach for that chocolate bar in a pinch.
I’m convinced that when you are filling your nutrition overall with whole foods that are nutrient-dense, this helps with cravings a lot. One reason being that you are likely eating more fiber, protein, and healthy fats. These factors actually slow down digestion and prevent a sharp blood sugar spike. However, there are actually several foods that are known to best increase the feeling of satiety (source):
- Grass-fed beef
- Organic poultry
- Wild-caught salmon
- Leafy greens (spinach, kale, mustard greens and collard greens)
- Watermelon (and other water-dense fruits)
- Blueberries (and other nutrient-dense berries)
- Banana
- Avocado
- Root vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, winter squash and turnips)
- Beans and legumes (black beans, chickpeas, lentils and split peas)
- Nuts (almonds, walnuts and cashews)
- Seeds (flaxseeds, hemp seeds and chia seeds)
- Whole grains (quinoa, oats, farro, barley and brown rice)
- Herbs and spices (cilantro, parsley, cayenne pepper, turmeric and garlic)
- Coconut oil and olive oil
Focus on incorporating more of these foods into your day and watch your sugar addiction naturally shift. This will not happen overnight, but over time you will find that you reach for healthier options. You won’t need that intense excitement that comes with consuming sugar. I often say it “lights your brain up.”
What About Natural Sugars?
You will find that a lot of the recipes provided here include maple syrup or honey. This is simply to help the brain recognize that familiar feeling when consuming something sweet. The key here is serving size. We are not going overboard on the sugar, and over time I challenge you to use less and less until a little drizzle satisfies.
Also, these recipes are to help fight a sugar addiction, but honestly as your palate changes over time, you may be able to avoid the added honey or maple syrup all together and opt for something else to satisfy you. For me, currently I love having a bowl of blueberries and tart cherries after a meal. That pretty much does it for me when I’m craving something sweet. Of course, I still use honey and maple syrup but I try to use it sparingly.
One final note is to make sure you are drinking plenty of water every day! Sometimes when we are craving, we are actually thirsty.
6 Simple Recipes to Help with Sugar Addiction
- Soft apples and butter – for a while, this was one of my favorite snacks when I had a sweet tooth. The combination of sweet from the apples and the satisfying nature of butter did the trick. I prefer grass fed butter and organic apples, personally. All you need to do is chop up an apple and 1 TBSP of butter, then add both to a saucepan. I like to space the butter around the apples so it melts evenly. Cover and turn the stove to medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Yogurt with Maple Syrup and Berries – you can use Greek yogurt (more protein) or regular, but make sure it’s plain with no added sugar. Add anywhere from 1/2-1 TBSP of maple syrup and the berries on top. You just need 1 cup of yogurt, 1/2 cup of berries, and 1/2-1TBSP of maple syrup. You can also add a handful of nuts for added fat, especially if you’re just doing the regular yogurt because you won’t have as much protein.
- Nuts, Maple Syrup, and Cinnamon – This is such an easy combo, and the fats help you feel satisfied. Use about 1/2 cup of organic nuts, 1/2 TBSP maple syrup, and a dash of cinnamon.
- Sweet Potato Fries in Coconut Oil – this one takes a little bit longer, but if you have the time, cut a sweet potato into slices, rub some coconut oil on top, and pop them into the oven. They are ready when they are soft yet crispy like a french fry.
- Peanut Butter and Honey with an Apple – this one is so classic, but sometimes it really is the simple things. I would suggest only 1/2 TBSP honey or maple syrup to about 2 TBSP of peanut butter. I suggest using organic peanut butter to ensure that it’s non-GMO.
- Smoothie – There are so many combinations here, but I would suggest using low sugar fruits like berries along with a banana if you want one. I like to add protein to mine with whole fat milk (we like this brand of protein). This smoothie option would be best when you are about to be active or just finished being active.
There are so many possibilities, but the key is to just think whole foods. These recipes are very simple on purpose so that you don’t have to think too much when you’re in the middle of a craving. It’s hard to overeat on whole foods, and these different foods are very satisfying! Let me know which one you try in the comments. Also, I would love to hear where you are at in your sugar addiction journey to change your sweet tooth!
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