Sugars

Question
My wife is going through sugar withdrawals. She wants to know what are the physical and emotional reactions to sugar and what can be done about it? How long is the process and can anything be taken to combat the symptons?

Answer
Hello Travis!

   Here are our my top suggestions for helping your wife get through her sugar withdrawals.

1. Know your triggers

Often it抯 mood that provokes sugary desires. Stress and boredom are two common links. 揧ou抮e worried, so you resort to sweets for comfort, and you go for 慺eel-good?foods like chocolate,?explains George Rapitis, a high-school nutrition counselor in Michigan. Increasing your awareness of what provokes your wanting is the first step towards control.

2. Stabilize your blood sugars

Glucose, the main sugar created by digestion, is an essential fuel source for your body and brain. Without a constant supply you feel sluggish. When sugar levels in the blood drop too sharply, people often feel desperate to restore them with the fast-acting sugars found in junk food. Eat breakfast and healthy protein and fiber snacks throughout the day to avoid this pitfall.

3. Eat more complex carbs

Along the same lines, the theory goes that if you improve your overall diet, your cravings for sugar will subside. Replace simple sugary carbs with carbs that break down more slowly, usually complex carbohydrates such as wholegrains and vegetables. You抣l be better satiated for a longer time. The glycemic index, which classifies various carbohydrates by how quickly they抮e converted into glucose and released into the bloodstream, is an increasingly popular guide to eating.

4. Substitute with fructose

Fruit contains fructose, a naturally occurring sugar several times sweeter than sucrose (the refined kind). Fructose also contains fewer calories. Try some dried fruit or frozen grapes, berries or peaches next time you feel the urge for sugar.

5. Stock your kitchen wisely

To seriously limit you sugar intake, practice conscious shopping, says registered dietician Christopher Mohr, of Pittsburgh, Penn. 揑f it抯 not around, you can抰 eat it,?Mohr reasons. 揇on抰 buy the stuff!?More moderately, organize your cake or cookies into appropriate portions and put them out of sight. Keep a variety of fruit, nuts and other healthy foods close by instead.

6. Exercise

You抮e aware that exercise is an essential component of good health. Do you know it抯 also a great antidote for sugar cravings? That抯 because when you exercise your body breaks down glycogen and releases glucose molecules into your bloodstream, effectively giving you a sugar boost. Exercise also relieves stress (one of the triggers mentioned above), and it produces serotonin, which improves mood, adds Rapitis.

7. Try sugar-free

The artificial sweeteners in sugar-free candy, hot chocolate, chewing gum and other foods satisfy the taste buds of many people without adding calories.

8. Set a timer

This idea belongs to Michigan weight-loss coach Julie Beyer. 揙ne way to assess whether or not you really need something sweet is to put some time and space between you and the decision,?Beyer says. 揜evisit if you really need that cookie in 15 minutes ?often you don抰.?In other words, realize you don抰 have to act impulsively for instant gratification ?you have a choice.

9. Distract yourself

Distraction works for kids, it can work for you, too! When faced with the longing for sugar, try reading a book, calling a friend, or putting some energy into a favorite hobby.

10. Practice portion control

OK, it抯 a genuinely special occasion and you抳e made the mature decision to allow yourself a dessert laden with refined, white, cane sugar and all its trappings. Obviously you don抰 need to indulge in the whole carton of ice cream or the entire sheet cake to enjoy the event. But go ahead, serve yourself a fair-sized helping and enjoy every guilt-free moment of it!

For more answers to your nutrition questions I would recommend checking out "Ask the Nutritionists: Answers to Your Nutrition Questions" available at www.authorhouse.com, online, or your favorite bookstore.

Happy New Year
George Rapitis, BSc. Nutritonist
www.juiceblend.com

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