The following are 8 simple ways to overcome your sweet tooth and say goodbye to sugar…
1. Don’t keep sugary foods in your home.
As we learned before, sugar has all the characteristics of an addictive substance. We believe that the best way to avoid sugar in your diet is to simply keep it out of your home completely. Just as an alcoholic would be unwise to keep alcohol in the home, it’s just as reckless to keep sugary snacks in the cupboard if you are fighting a sugar addiction. Take the time to clear all the junk out of your freezer, pantry, or snack drawer now. It’s easier to say no when there’s nothing to say no to!
2. Eat more protein and fat.
If you find you’ve got an insatiable sweet tooth, it could be that those cravings are your body’s way of saying it’s not getting enough nutrients at mealtime. Protein and fat work together to keep your blood sugar stable, which leads to fewer cravings between meals.
One supplement that I recommend to my patients who can’t seem to fight the sugar cravings is MCT Powder. By taking a scoop of this each day, you’re giving your body what it needs to suppress your hunger hormone, ghrelin, helping to curb perceived hunger.
3. Limit fruit intake.
While it is true that the sugar found in fruit, called fructose, is natural and a better choice than the sugar found in snack packs or other packaged foods, fruit sugar is still sugar and has the same effect on the body as processed sugars do. Try to limit your fruit intake to one piece per day, and don’t eat it at breakfast. It’s also best to avoid bananas and other tropical fruits, which have high sugar content. Instead, stick to berries and green apples.
4. Focus on breakfast.
American consumption of sugar is particularly high at breakfast, especially because we rush through the meal and often don’t take time to think about what we’re eating. Try to sit down at breakfast, chew slowly, and make time to cook a breakfast that will set you up for the rest of your day. Avoid processed foods and most typical breakfast items like cereal, muffins, doughnuts, smoothies, fruit, and pancakes. Instead, focus on protein, fat, homemade yogurt, and organic super greens, and be sure to check the labels of bacon, sauces, and nut butter for any added sugars.
There’s a popular morning ritual within the NativePath Community: Adding a scoop of Collagen + MCT Creamer to your cup of coffee. With just one scoop of this, you’re starting your day off with 5 grams of energizing MCTs and 2 grams of grass-fed collagen protein.
5. Avoid sugar in your coffee.
If you prefer a latte or cappuccino instead of a regular cup of joe, try adding a scoop of collagen creamer and a spoonful of coconut oil or coconut milk to your coffee. You’ll get the same creamy effect without the added sugar or associated coffee creamer weight gain. Here at NativePath, we love mixing up our morning caffeine with drinks like the Matcha Collagen Latte—it comes together in just a few minutes and gives you jitter-free energy all morning.
6. Experiment with allowing occasional sweets.
Transitioning from a high sugar diet to a Paleo-type diet can be difficult. You may experience some of the symptoms of withdrawal that we discussed earlier, and it can be hard to break long-time habits like eating doughnuts at your Monday morning meeting or stopping for a Frappuccino on your way to work.
Instead of giving in to these cravings completely, try allowing yourself a sweet treat once or twice a week, especially at the beginning of this new diet. A great way to make this happen is by making homemade treats that you know are healthy, like our Paleo Matcha Collagen Cookies. Knowing that you have a treat waiting for you might make it easier to say “no” to other sugary foods throughout the day.
For some of us, though, it’s better just to abstain altogether. If you know that you won’t be able to just eat one of those gluten-free cookies you have hidden in your desk drawer, just get rid of them altogether.
7. Cook at home.
Research has found that households who consume the most sugar were least likely to cook their meals at home, leading to an increase in pre-packaged foods and ready-to-eat meals (9). If you’re used to eating out or having take-out delivered, start slowly. Try to learn one or two healthy, no-sugar recipes each week. This can be a great time to get the whole family involved as you try new foods!
Here are a few healthy snacks you can quickly make at home to stop that sugar craving in its tracks:
- Sauté apples in coconut oil and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Spoon coconut milk over fresh blueberries or raspberries, which have a lower sugar content than other fruit.
- Spread nut butter on a small piece of dark chocolate.
Each of these options is full of healthy fat, which should help to satisfy your cravings and keep you satiated until the next meal.
8. Commit to a whole-body and lifestyle reset.
Feeling overwhelmed? The process of eliminating sugar from your diet, while simultaneously fighting your own cravings, can seem daunting.
While it’s possible to implement diet changes on your own, we’ve created the NativeBody Reset to make the transition smoother, simpler, and more fun. It’s not a diet either—it’s a full lifestyle reset program that will give you the exact recipes and step-by-step strategies you need to beat your sweet tooth and recognize your full health potential.
Here’s what you’ll get in the NativeBody Reset:
- A food journal to track what you eat so that you can get key insights as to how your body physically reacts to certain things (i.e. rash, bloating, indigestion, breakouts).
- A 30-day meal plan full of delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes that have been carefully curated to serve both your enjoyment in the kitchen and your health.
- A done-for-you grocery list so that you can stay focused at the grocery store and not swerve off to the chips and candy aisles.
