How to break sugar addiction for GOOD

Good morning, lovely dreamers, and welcome to another article filled with healthy lifestyle tips here on the Dreaming of Butterflies blog. 

Today we're focusing on creating good habits, replacing the bad ones, by learning to break the addiction and getting healthier, and happier. Yes, it's a process that requires time and some sacrifices on your behalf, but it's definitely manageable.

This article is here to inspire you to let go of those cookies that you have secretly stashed away, and make you focus on the healthier ( and sometimes cheaper) alternatives. Yes, there are alternatives, but I'm not talking about artificial sweeteners, those actually do you more harm than good. I'm talking all-natural.

The inspiration behind this article, I am ashamed to say it's my one and only, Andy. There was a time when he was going crazy for sweets, chocolate, gummy anything, and begged me to bake him something extra sweet every week. I must say the craving was out of control!

He joined the Dark Side, they told him they had cookies!

Related:

5 Must-Have Ingredients of your Daily Self-Care Routine

The Ultimate Detox Cheatsheet for newbies

5 Strange Benefits of Drinking Water

5+ Awesome health benefits of dark chocolate

But enough with the chit-chatting! Let's get to it!

5+ Easy Steps to Break Sugar Addiction Forever

1: Face your problem

You need to admit that this is a problem, and you need to be open to fixing it. You don't need to go all the way to group therapy, but you need to see how bad sugar really is for you. The word addiction is the perfect word to describe the Dark Side of Star Wars.

It looks like fun, the easy way out. It sounds tempting, it makes you want more and more. But it also consumes you from the inside out. And when you try to stop, you go through all the nasty stages of quitting, and that scares you a bit. That's why you never even try to quit anymore.

What you need to understand is how sugar really affects your body. From fat deposits all over your body, it affects the inside as well: the liver and your gut are only the start. It may lead to diabetes and certain types of cancer as well! That is scary!

Source: Dr. Axe

2: Find the enemy

You might think that sugar is only present in everything sweet, but you need to become a detector if you really want to quit your sugar addiction.

The funny thing is that sugar is actually found in almost everything you normally eat. From sodas, yoghurt, protein bars, to bread and pasta as well. Yep, you heard me - spaghetti!

Sugar is everywhere.

Source: That Sugar Film

3: Finding your cure

The best way to cure your sugar addiction is to, first and foremost, to want to do so. Good stuff doesn't come easy. I'm not saying that is so hard that is borderline unbearable because it's not.

Let's be serious, I'm not saying you literally walk through the fire, even though if you decide to do this it will feel like you are Frodo and sugar addiction is the ring that you must destroy. It's not gonna be an easy journey, but it will be an adventure!

Instead of boring you, I better let the Health Nerd speak. After all, he's the nerd in charge of keeping us healthy, isn't he?

Source: The Health Nerd

4. Try naturally sweet foods

Of course, your sweet tooth will need a substitute for all the unhealthy crap you will get rid of. It's normal to want to eat something sweet now and then, but instead of a doughnut, why don't you try something with carrots? Or some sweet potatoes?

Fruits are also a great idea, but did you know that even almonds can help you with this battle?

Source: One Green Planet

5. Learn how to make your own treats

I am a big fan of DIY and cooking, everyone knows that. So you need to learn how to make your own delicious recipes, healthier.

When I first found the healthier version of my favourite treats from when I was a sugar addict I was so happy! You need to try them and trust me, you will not want to go back to needing the original.

Source: Fablunch

6. Drink water

We've already talked about some strange, and true, benefits you get from drinking water. You need to make sure that you drink enough water each day so that you keep your body hydrated and functioning properly.

A simple way o do this is to have a small water bottle near you everywhere you go. Drinking at least 2 litres per day ( that's about 4 small bottles), keeps you away from sugar cravings.

5. Don't forget about exercise ( even in flu season)!

Yes. Exercise. Yoga, walking, pilates. They are all great in your battle with addiction. Why? you release the "happy hormone" when you exercise and you don't feel that need to stuff your face with sugars.

There was a study I read about a while back, that shows that a short 15 to 30 minutes exercise can actually lower sugar cravings. 

QOTD: How sugar-addicted are you?