To support our channel and level up your health, check out: Our Fast Weight Loss Course: http://thehealthnerds.com/the-science-of-fast-weight-loss-course Our Better Health Basics Course: http://thehealthnerds.com/food-health-happiness Hey, nerd family! In this video, we’re going to be talking about how to break sugar addiction and the 7 steps to help you stop eating sugar! At the end, we will also discuss honey, agave, and artificial sweeteners. Sugar is a substance extracted from plants like cane and sugar beet which is refined into a white crystalline substance. Since their effect on the blood stream, insulin, and brain are virtually the same, they are both considered sugar in the context of this video. http://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods? Sugars are addictive because they cause a supernatural release of dopamine in the brain. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763407000589 Dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter involved in addiction. In fact, multiple studies have now revealed that sugar and sweet rewards can not only substitute to addictive drugs, like cocaine but can even be more rewarding and attractive https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23719144 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/ The brain chemistry of those addicted to drugs and those addicted to sugar are virtually identical. 7-Step Process to Breaking Sugar Addiction: #1. Realize what’s going on with your brain your body, sugar, and flour. People often stop consuming obvious sugar culprits like sodas and candy bars and trade them for bread and pasta. As previously discussed, those breads and pastas cause the same problems as sugar. #2. Understand levels of addiction Not everyone who drinks becomes an alcoholic. The same way not everyone who eats dessert becomes a sugar addict. We are individuals with different brain chemistry and the important thing is recognizing your own personal level of addiction. If just thinking about giving up sugar seems like a bleak, dark, and unhappy world, understand this is uniquely similar to how addicts feel about substances they abuse. You may be VERY addicted to sugar. #3. Detox You need to spend a period of time completely away from sugar and those dopamine spikes to break the addiction. This will often lead to an initial period of headaches, hormonal fluctuations, and just feeling like poop for a little while. The detox process can last from anywhere from 3 to 21 days. However, on the other side of breaking any addiction is a much healthier place. #4. Become a nutrition label ninja. Sugar is often hiding in places you don’t expect. Yogurt, pasta sauce, are protein bars often have TONS of added sugar You need to become a PRO a reading nutrition labels and feel free to check out my older video on the topic. #5. Balance blood sugar levels by eating balanced meals During the detox process, you need to focus on having balanced meals to keep your blood sugar levels steady to prevent crashes. You do this by eating meals that combine protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Whole egg omelets with lots of veggies, Chicken salads with olive oil dressing, and a grass fed beef stew are great examples of this. Protein, fiber, and healthy fat at every meal. #6. Heal you gut In an interesting study in Switzerland, men who were separated into two group based on chocolate cravings. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/12/AR2007101200019.html You do this by eating balanced meals as listed above, avoiding sugar and processed foods, and getting healthy probiotics into your diet. What about honey and agave nectar? Because of how the brain works the more you eat sugar, the more you crave. The more you stimulate supernatural sensations in the brain and taste buds, the more it’s going to want and need. While these sugars do have mild health benefits, if you are struggling with even a mild sugar addiction, you need to cut these things out. Sooooo what about artificial sweeteners like Stevia? While previous correlated evidence told us that artificial sweeteners caused additional sugar cravings and even cancer, better studies have shown us otherwise. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/ Randomized double blind studies — aka the gold standard in scientific research — report that artificial sweeteners help us becomes less hungry, consume fewer calories, and don’t stimulate additional sugar consumption. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24862170 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23364015 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12324283 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2008866 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22093544 The conclusion on the research as of now points to these sweeteners being ok in mild doses when trying to break a sugar addiction.