It’s as addictive as cocaine.
Really.
It has been proven that SUGAR causes the same exact stimulation of dopamine (your happy neurotransmitter).
It can be as dangerous, too, as it feeds inflammation, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disease, depression, anxiety and even cancer and more.
The problem is that it tastes so gooooooood. Who can resist?
Especially now, with some “sweets-centered” holidays coming up, we create all the excuses in the world to justify satisfying our sweet tooth.
What if I told you that maybe it’s not really you that’s craving that sweetness, but perhaps due to some deficiencies and even little critters that live inside your gut?
Let’s talk about the critters, most commonly known as yeast or candida.
These guys are like little pac men screaming out with their mouths wide open, “Feed me!”
Your body is brilliant. These buggers are strategically the “troops” sent in to clean up all of the undigested sugar, and starches that turned into sugar, sitting in the gut lining. Normally, there isn’t that much to clean up. However, when eating too much sugar or carbs, those bugs eat more than they are meant.
Then, they can and do multiply. So now you have more of these critter all begging to be fed. So perhaps it’s the buggers and not you, who really has the cravings!
I’ve had client after client who have managed to starve these little buggers so they die off. “Strangely,” my clients’ sugar cravings begin to dissipate as the population of the yeast in their gut diminishes.
Funny how that works…
You can simply resist eating sugar or foods that turn into sugar by sheer will power for a few weeks to see what an incredible shift your brain seems to take.
All it takes is a week or two for your cravings to shrink as you kill off those bad boys by starving them. They are no longer around begging you to feed them.
You can also add the following to make it a little easier:
Probiotics
Probiotics are the “good bacteria” that you can add that will help “crowd out” those bad boys that have been taking up space in your gut. Time to move them out by the good guys. My clients have shown great improvement with these general probiotics such as MegaSporebiotic, Dr. O’Hhira’s or Pure Encapsulations Probiotic GI.
Probiotic-rich foods
Sauerkraut and kefir are great sour foods that dull those “sweet” taste buds. They also naturally add good bacteria to the gut so the gut can kick out the bad ones and help heal the gut lining.
Lemon juice in water is also very helpful. (That’s how I start my day every morning!) This acid based juice can actually keep the sugar from flooding into the body as it slows the digestion process. The body is then triggered with milder fluctuations in blood sugar (cravings can be a reaction to big swings in blood sugar). The sour also blunts the taste buds which may make sweets less desirable.
Chromium
This important mineral has unfortunately been depleted from our soil making it more and more difficult to get from our food. Chromium is key as it helps regulate blood sugar and even promotes fat burning and can help decrease high cholesterol levels. I take 1,000 mcg daily.
L-Glutamine
This amino acid seems to work like a charm when you sprinkle some on the tongue which can make sugar cravings disappear. When taken regularly, it also helps mend a thin gut lining that has been damaged by the thinning effects of food and starchy/processed food that are not readily absorbed.
I prefer the powder form as it is more absorbable (and economical) and use 4g 2 x day in water.
Stevia
This is a great substitute as you begin to get off the blood sugar rollercoaster. However, I find so many that end up not even needing the “sweet added” to things as cravings diminish.
Stevia can be tricky, though, as some brands leave a bitter aftertaste. I like Sweet Leaf (LOVE vanilla) and NutraMedix.
Happy Passover or Easter or whatever you may be celebrating. And remember above all, good health is the sweetest treat:)
Please check out my free personal shopping list and guide to see how I stave off my sweet tooth and stay at my optimal weight and feel amazing.
“It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities.”
Live well and love more,
Jill Gordon
CHHC, HHC, CNHP, Digestive Health Specialist
www.JilltheHealthCoach.com
All material in this newsletter is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this publication;instead readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information provided has not been approved the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or disease.
