I’ve been fighting a sugar addiction for all of my adult life. It comes and goes, but my sugar cravings increase exponentially when I’m under stress. I’m going to grad school, which I love, but it’s pretty intense and yes, quite stressful. And my sugar cravings have been surging. Fortunately, I have not gained any weight because I’ve been sticking to eating only during an eight-hour window every day and stopping eating when I’m full. But those two rules aren’t going to serve me well when I eat a lot of sweet, sugar-filled foods during that open window.
Sugar is a true addiction, I found, when I read this 2018 article in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. (Well, I sorta “read” it as I’m not a scientist and could only understand some of the article.) I did understand this sentence: “Sugar can be addictive and plays a key role in the broader construct of food addiction.” The authors compared sugar addition to addictions to caffeine or cigarettes, which makes sense to me. It’s a food addiction, not a drug addiction as powerful as an addiction to cocaine or heroin.
I was successful in quitting eating sugar for an entire year, but then I lost 20 pounds and that seemed to trigger my sugar cravings. Weird, huh? I read this article in an addiction website, and it made sense to me. Quitting sugar entirely isn’t going to work. The reason I made it through an entire year without eating gobs of sugar is because I allowed myself to eat one Kind bar every day and occasional sweet treats, but I tried very hard to limit, not eliminate all sugar.
I’m a sugar addict, and I have to admit that it’s not a moral failing, but a physical craving that is complicated and not entirely understood. Scientists debate whether sugar is a “true” addiction, but I’m convinced it’s an addiction the way nicotine and caffeine are true addictions.
In my search for cures, I read an old book, The Ultra Mind Solution by Mark Hyman, M.D. He’s the functional medicine doctor who helped Bill Clinton lose a lot of weight after he had a heart attack. (It’s not so much a “book” as it is an extended magazine article.)
Here’s my summary of the book’s basic advice:
- Eat a whole-food, natural, organic based diet, i.e. eat mostly meats, dairy, nuts, seeds, grains, fruits and vegetables.
- Eat a lot of colorful foods, like tomatoes, oranges, blueberries, greens, etc.
- Eat food with a lot of fiber like beans, lentils, psyllium husk, etc.
- Eat foods containing Omega-3 fats like fish, eggs, extra-virgin olive oil, unrefined sesame oil
- Take good quality supplements: multivitamin, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), folate, B6 and B12, probiotics.
- Exercise 30 minutes a day
- Get enough sleep
- R-E-L-A-X!!! (This is the one I find the most difficult to accomplish!)
There’s a lot more detail in Dr. Hyman’s book, but you get the idea. None of this is new to me, but it’s a reminder of the essential elements of maintaining good health especially as we age.
I’m sorry to report that I have not found a “cure” for sugar addiction aside from pushing myself to eat properly, take supplements and exercise regularly. In addition to taking the supplements Dr. Hyman recommends, I take additional supplements my nutritionist recommends. I wish I didn’t need them, but I do feel better when I take them. One of my best friends refuses to take supplements because she eats such a healthy diet. What works for me may not work for others.
Here’s a recipe for blueberry lemonade that uses the entire lemon (except the seeds) and contains no sugar. Depending on how sweet your blueberries are (some are quite tart), you can increase or decrease the amount of sweetener you use. I use stevia, but honey or even (gasp) refined sugar will work. I make a pitcherfull, keep it in the fridge, and then pour it over ice and dilute it with seltzer for a refreshing, sugar-free summer drink that’s delicious and satisfying. Fresh blueberries are still in stores for a few more weeks, so I’m making it as often as I can.
Sugar-Free Blueberry Lemonade
Blueberries and lemons and mint combine with ice and sweetener to create a refreshing not-too-sweet summer refresher!
Ingredients
- 2 whole lemons, washed
- 3 cups fresh blueberries, washed
- 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, washed
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered stevia (or other sweetener, to taste)
- 3 cups cold water
- ice and seltzer for serving
Instructions
Peel the lemons, slice them in half, and use the sharp end of a knife to pry out the seeds.
Place the peeled, seeded lemons, blueberries, mint leaves, stevia and water into a blender, and blend until smooth.
Pour into a pitcher and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Place ice cubes in a glass, fill the glass half full of the lemonade, fill to the brim with seltzer and stir.
Garnish with a few mint leaves or a lemon slice and enjoy!
Notes
I always try to find ways to use the entire lemon, not simply the juice. Lemons are so healthy and the pulp is full of nutrients. It's a shame to let all that lemony goodness go to waste. And the whole lemon (minus the seeds) is delicious in this lemonade, although you must use a blender to create the proper smooth texture.
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