Say Goodbye to Sugar Cravings: A 30-Day Guide

There is no denying that one of the best things you can do for both your body and brain is to cut down on your sugar intake.

Even though most people are aware that sugar has a variety of negative consequences for their health, it can still seem impossible to imagine a life without sugar.

After all, it is incredibly challenging to reduce sugar cravings as it is both physically and mentally addictive.

If you are looking to reduce your sugar cravings and live a happier and healthier life with some biohacks, then read on for a 30-day guide to saying goodbye to sugar cravings.

1. PRE-STARTING: Understand why you need to cut sugar from your diet.

 

Before you are able to kick your sugar habit for good, you need to know why you are doing this. Eating sugar is terrible for your health because it:

  • Can cause weight gain
  • Can increase your risk of heart disease
  • Has been linked to acne
  • Increases your risk of diabetes
  • Increases your risk of cancer
  • Increases your risk of depression
  • Accelerates the skin aging process
  • Increases cellular aging
  • Drains your energy
  • Leads to a fatty liver

In other words, excessive added sugar has many adverse health effects, and it is in your best interest to cut back on sugar as much as possible.

By following a healthy diet which is filled with whole foods, you will have an easier time kicking your sugar cravings to the curb.

Keep in mind that generally, your body needs two weeks to get over your regular sugar cravings as well as the withdrawal symptoms.

 

2. WEEK ONE: Cut out sugar from your diet.

 

During your first week, you want to concentrate on cutting out the sugar from your diet.

To prepare, make sure you remove any sugary or high-carb foods from your kitchen; these should include any foods with more than a couple grams of sugar or those that are high in carbs.

Unfortunately, this also includes natural sugar.

In total, it is critical that you stay under 20 grams of sugar a day for the next month, and don’t exceed more than 50-150 grams of overall carbs each day.

Some easy steps to reduce the amount of sugar you consume are to replace sodas, energy drinks, juices and sweetened teas for water and to drink your coffee black.

Say goodbye to candy and instead have homemade trail mixes of fruit and nuts, and whole fruits. In the morning, swap out your sugar-filled cereal for a Bulletproof Coffee.

Olive oil and vinegar should replace your sweet salad dressings, while your marinades, different kinds of butter, and other sauces should have zero added sugars.

Your best strategy when food shopping is to stick to the perimeter of the grocery store and concentrate on obtaining fresh, whole ingredients.  These include grass-fed beef and lamb, wild salmon, pasture-raised eggs, raw nuts, grass-fed butter, olive oil, avocados, broccoli, spinach, fennel, and other low-carb vegetables.

By concentrating on planning and making healthy meals at home (and therefore knowing the exact ingredients you use), you can limit the amount of sugar in your diet.

 

3. WEEK TWO: Find ways to deal with your sugar cravings.

 

Most people are unsuccessful with their goal to quit sugar because they aren’t prepared for ways to deal with their cravings.

Here’s the thing:

During the first few days and weeks after you stop consuming sugar, you are likely to experience low energy, mood swings, a strong desire for carbs/sweets, headaches, difficulty sleeping, and brain fog.

Luckily, these sugar cravings do disappear, and once they do, you will feel better than ever before.

That being said, during the sugar craving period, make sure you are eating lots of fat (don’t worry about the calories at the moment) and a combination of fat, protein and fiber until you are full.

Furthermore, keep high-fat, low-carb snacks nearby so that you can consume them when a craving hits.

Many people find Brain Octane Oil to be a miracle product both during this period and afterwards as it contains a kind of fat that your liver transforms to energy. It quells your hunger hormones and assists with cravings and feelings of low energy.

If you are serious about making healthy lifestyle changes, then you want to drizzle this on to your dishes to ensure you are maintaining an optimal diet.

 

4. WEEKS THREE & FOUR: Enjoy and expand your wellness practice.

 

By the halfway point, your sugar cravings should have subsided almost entirely, and you will be benefiting from exceptional mental clarity, steady energy, fat loss, reduced inflammation and better sleep (to name a few things).

This means that by week three and on to the final week, you can focus your energy to further experiment with your diet.

This may include adding intermittent fasting for increased mental focus and fat loss, contemplating going full keto, and fine-tuning your nutrition with the appropriate supplements.

It is all about finding the perfect balance for your body and lifestyle so that you can feel amazing every day for the rest of your life.

Have you ever tried quitting sugar?  What did you find were the most significant challenges? Have you been able to maintain it? Let us know your experiences in the comments below!

 

AUTHOR BIO
Dave Asprey is the creator of the widely popular Bulletproof Coffee, host of the #1 health podcast, Bulletproof Radio, and author of the New York Times bestselling book, “The Bulletproof Diet.” Through his work, the Silicon Valley investor and technology entrepreneur provides information, techniques and keys to taking control of and improving your biochemistry, your body and your mind so they work in unison, helping you execute at levels far beyond what you’d expect, without burning out, getting sick, or allowing stress to control your decisions.