• Identify the enemy, or where is the sugar lurking?
• Make a difficult decision
• Avoid sugar completely
• Replace sugar with healthier alternatives
• Eat protein-rich and healthy fats
• Get enough sleep and reduce stress

To say sugar is like a drug seems like an exaggeration, but any sweet tooth knows that "just one cube" often leads to eating an entire bar of chocolate, and "just a slice of cheesecake" usually doesn't end before three. And that it's really hard to say no to sweets when we're sad, hungry, at work, or... when they're readily available.

Compared to other addictions, sugar cravings seem relatively harmless. After all, it's not smoking, is it? In fact, most industrialized countries consume far more sugar than recommended daily, leading to a host of problems, from overweight and obesity to tooth decay, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and an increased risk of diabetes. And these unpleasantnesses could be avoided or significantly reduced by eliminating unnecessary sugar from the diet!

Is sugar lurking?

Sugar isn't just the white crystals in a sugar bowl. It's also heavily added to a large number—perhaps most—of processed foods: from sweets and baked goods to canned tomatoes and salads. For this reason, while the consumption of pure sugar in Poland is systematically declining (in 2014, it was "only" 14.28 kg per person per year), overall consumption is increasing.

Therefore, the first step towards reducing sugar should be to check the labels of the most commonly consumed products and see how many contain sugar, even though—at least in theory—they shouldn't. It may suddenly turn out that giving up sweetening coffee and tea is just the tip of the (sugar?) iceberg... It's also worth remembering that sugar isn't always known by its proper name: most malts and sweeteners (glucose-fructose syrup, golden syrup, concentrated fruit, glucose, maltose, sugar alcohols with names ending in -ol, and many others, and even honey) are essentially sugar in disguise.

Make a difficult decision

Limiting or completely eliminating refined sugar consumption must be your own firm resolution. No one can force another person to quit smoking, and no one can force someone to stop consuming sugar. Make a difficult decision and... be prepared for the fact that it probably won't be easy.

Not only are we evolutionarily adapted to liking sweet flavors (sweets mean energy source!), but we also culturally associate sweets with pleasure and reward: just think of the boxes of chocolates given on various occasions, birthday cakes, party cakes, and candies we received as rewards for good behavior... It won't be easy, but remember: each day will get more bearable.

Avoid sugar completely

Yes, absolutely. Some people prefer a gradual reduction, but it's easier—and faster!—to overcome sugar cravings if you decisively and completely resist them. Remember, this doesn't just mean giving up sweetened drinks and eating sweets, but also various sweetened products, which we wrote about above.

Replace sugar with healthier alternatives

The truth is, if you're craving cheesecake, there's no way an apple can satisfy that craving. That's what we meant when we said you'd have to be patient and persevere. Well, no one said it would be easy! However, by properly increasing the presence of other nutrients in your diet, you can make these types of "sugar cravings" less frequent and less severe, and over time, they may even disappear altogether.

Eat protein-rich foods and healthy fats, such as:

• nuts ,
• Avocado,
• Whole milk products,
• Peanut butter (sugar-free!)
• or fatty fish.

You'll notice that you feel fuller for longer: This is important because blood sugar spikes and drops are the main causes of sweet cravings. Never let yourself get so hungry that you can't resist the temptation: Always carry a healthy snack with you, such as a pack of nuts (we have a wide selection in our shop!) or a sugar-free protein bar. Don't forget to drink plenty of fluids: We often confuse hunger with thirst!

Get enough sleep and reduce stress

Did you know that you always eat worse when you're tired? It's your body desperately trying to fuel itself to compensate for the deficiencies caused by insufficient sleep. We know it's not easy these days, but remember: getting enough sleep is an extremely important step on the path to a healthier... diet!

Similarly, relieving stress by obsessively eating marshmallows isn't really a good solution. If you feel stressed, take a short break, do some light exercise, go for a brisk walk, or simply close your eyes and breathe calmly for a few minutes. Never eat while tense or in a hurry!