I had a request to discuss sugar and/or refined carb addiction and how to work through it and kick the stuff for good. I’m going to share my own experience, give some tips on how you can begin to work through this addiction if you think you might have it, and, next week, we’ll talk directly about how to deal with emotional eating.

This is a HUGE topic with so many facets. My biggest interest is in helping you. Please, ask questions, share your experience, and let me know what you want to know as we move forward in this series.

Not only do I speak to numerous clients about this, but, it’s a subject that is near and dear to my heart.

I’m an emotional eater.

I eat when I’m depressed or stressed or anxious – which up until a year ago was almost all the time. My “drug” of choice was sugar and refined carbs. Eating this anti-food is/was what calmed me, dulled my pain, and helped me go numb.

When I’m feeling particularly low, I’ll go into the kitchen and eat. And not just eat – but mindlessly, numbingly shovel in sugar and refined carbs until it dulls the pain.

And not only that, but I will actually CRAVE this stuff. And not just your typical run-of-the-mill “oh I could go for some chocolate right now…”

No.

My craving for refined carbs and sugar is vicious.

To the point where I’m completely and utterly distracted by whatever it is that I want… whether it be bread, pasta, chocolate, caramel – whatever. I have to have it. And not just a little bit. I have to overdose on it. And I have to overdose on it because usually, my craving is proceeded by some stress or anxiety… or simply by my not thinking I’m good enough.

This addiction held unhealthy weight on my body. It made my skin look aged and caused break-outs. It threw me into uncontrollable crying jags, it exacerbated my PMDD and depression. It  caused chronic insomnia and middle-of-the-night horrific anxiety attacks. It made me to-the-bone tired, and mindless. It sucked.

Notice that I’m going in and out of past and present tense here… that’s not grammatical error… that is reality. I still deal with this addiction – it’s not a daily habit like it used to be, but it’s definitely still with me and something I’m overcoming one day at a time.

Did you know…

– Scientific research actually shows that these anti-foods are, in fact, addicting. In some cases as addicting or MORE addicting that drugs, cigarette’s or alcohol.

– Certain foods (palmitic oil is a biggie) can actually turn OFF the physiological signal in your brain that turns off your “I’m full” response causing you to eat more… and the big food companies know this – and use it when creating recipes (YIKES).

You might be addicted if…

You consume refined carbs and/or sugar on a daily basis and:

– You have insatiable cravings for refined carbs and sugar – you MUST have them at certain times of the day, the thoughts of these foods drive you to distraction, etc…
– Eating sugar and refined carbs feels soothing.
– You have powerful mood swings seemingly from nowhere.
– You suffer from depression, or PMS or both.
– You have a mid-afternoon slump and immediately reach for refined carbs or sugar.
– You must have caffeine in the morning to get going.
– You have bouts of unexplainable insomnia.
– You have deep fatigue and there’s not a medical explanation.

This list just scratches the surface on the myriad of symptoms… but these are the biggies.

If you identified with any or all of those symptoms I invite you to come along with us as we explore these cravings and what to do about them.

Become aware of your pattern.

The first step to coming through this is to become aware of how much sugar and what refined carbs you’re eating.

And – please please please do not mis-understand me here – I’m not talking about ALL carbs. We need carbs… but we need the complex kind. Your body HAS to have good carbs to function.

When I say “refined” I mean, sugar, white bread, white pasta, white rice, etc…

Over these next few days, take note of what you’re eating, when you’re eating these foods, what’s going on around you/inside you when you eat this stuff, and most importantly – how you feel AFTER you’ve consumed these foods (not just right after, but hours later as well).

If you notice any patterns and you want to start getting these things out of your diet, I suggest replacing your refined carbs with “clean” desserts, and whole grain versions.

Whole grain pasta and rice are fantastic – way more flavorful than the refined stuff.

And, to find some delicious and wonderful dessert options, I invite you to check out these resources:

The Gracious Pantry
The Eat Clean Cookbook
Eat Clean Diet Community

Personally, I have found that cutting out refined carbs and sugar makes me feel better, more vibrant, more focused, more energized… it’s made my skin look healthier, I’m sleeping better, and it’s actually helped cut the depressive and anxiety-ridden feelings I was plagued with.

And, I’ve also found that substituting the dessert and carb ideas I’ve found in the places above helps kill the cravings.

But, as I said earlier – I’m still dealing with this issue. I’m not perfect. But, what I’m striving for is the ability to have ONE SMALL slice of cake… or ONE caramel filled Ghiradelli square… what I’m striving for is to not let the stress and anxiety get the better of me, so that I can make conscious choices and not go into that mindless “I just need to feel better and this is the only way I know how” mode.

Next week, we’ll talk more about how to recognize when the cravings are going to start, and strategies to help you stay mindful and conscious so that you can begin to break this addiction.

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**The scientific reserach I’m siting in this series has been gleaned from the following books:

The End of Overeating by David A. Kessler
Sugar Shock! by Connie Bennett

Also, if you would like even more info on healthy living so that you can live your best life, I invite you to check out Prevention not Prescriptions. The contributing experts talk about numerous topics including dealing with stress, anxiety, the big food and big pharma companies, and how to live your best life.