Are you a sugar addict?

I had to do some research today on sugar addiction and came across some great quizzes on the internet!

I like how these quizzes get at some of the way sugar can warp our behavior, for example:

– Eating sweets when alone
– Lying about the amount of sugar you eat
– Or going out late at night to buy sugary snacks

These quizzes will take you all of 5 minutes to complete and are quite eye-opening:

Quiz 1

Quiz 2

Quiz 3

3 tips for beating sugar addiction:

1. Eat protein for breakfast.  Having protein in the morning (such as eggs or a protein shake) will help keep your blood sugar balanced for the rest of the day. For myself, I definitely figured out that if I have carbs for breakfast (like muffin, bagel, toast), I have cravings all day long.

2. Winning Combo: Protein, Fat and Fiber. To take it to the next level, you really want to have protein, fat and fiber at each meal. So this means breakfast might be a protein shake, with some coconut oil added, plus some chia seeds or ground flaxseed for fiber. Lunch/dinner might be salmon (protein and fat) over salad and veggies (fiber) with avocado (fat). This will help to keep you full, satisfied, and keep your blood sugar steady.

3. Don’t Sneak Food. You’ll see this topic came up a lot in the quizzes, it comes up often with my patients, and even in my own life. Sneaking your sugar is just not a good habit to get into! If you think about it, it’s a form of dishonesty or lying.

In my work with patients, it’s often moms who sneak sweets after their kids go to bed. It’s their way of having a moment to themselves to fully relax. There are better ways to unwind without bringing guilt and shame into the equation.

Emotional eating expert Geneen Roth puts it this way in her eating guidelines:
Eat (with the intention of being) in full view of others.

If you’d like to learn more about how sugar works in the body and affects our health, watch this 60 Minutes piece with Sanjay Gupta called “Is Sugar Toxic?”

Please share in the comments – what did you learn from the quizzes? And have any of the tips for beating sugar addiction helped you?

Have a naturally sweet day!

Love,
Kerry