Sugar addiction is both harmful and devastating to our health. Step one in the fight against sugar addiction is to gradually replace alternative sugars with natural sugars. There are two more focus areas: sugar alternatives and education.
Step Two: Sugar Alternatives
A few years ago during my mother’s cancer journey, I traveled all over the country visiting various clinics. I was searching for solutions to reverse the cancer diagnosis, committed to helping my mother on her journey.
One of the interesting trends I noticed at the clinics was the belief that cancer feeds on sugar. The primary focus for patients is to eliminate all forms of sugar in the diet, which includes additive sugar, natural sugar, and carbohydrates, which the body processes in the same way.
A Sweet Secret
Along the way, I discovered one of the best-kept secrets in the world of sweeteners. Relatively new to the market, this natural sweetener is making great strides in the fight against sugar addiction, and everyone should know about it. It is called Stevia.
When I first tried Stevia, it took a while to appreciate the overall flavor. It tasted a bit odd, slightly bitter and somewhat similar to artificial sweeteners like NutriSweet. My taste buds quickly adjusted to the sweetness level, however, and now it seems natural.
Derived from a plant and first discovered in the South American country of Paraguay, stevia is the only sweetener cancer treatment clinics will recommend to patients. It does not have the same effect on the human body as the sugars already mentioned, but still, satisfies the natural craving for sweetness.
Stevia is an excellent alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners. If you are cooking with stevia, it requires precise adjustments since it is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Step Three: Sugar Education
The last step in fighting a sugar addiction is sugar education. Informed dietary decisions are the way forward. Analyze every single thing you consume, assessing it for quality and monitoring ingredients. It is helpful to be aware of the different names for sugar used by manufacturers, for example. Watch a Youtube tutorial on how to interpret food labels and then read every label and ingredient on the product before purchasing it.
Sugar education empowers us to make better choices on a daily basis. As we learn to recognize and eliminate additive sugars, it will become easier to minimize the amount of sugar we consume each day; with the hope of reaching the World Health Organization’s current standard of 6 teaspoons per day.
Conquering the Giant
I periodically implement 60-day stints where I first minimize and then eliminate sugar from my diet. By focusing on solutions, I not only cleanse my body from harmful habits but remind myself of healthy alternatives.
It is time to change the way we think about sugar. Craving sweetness is natural and the world is bombarding us with constant sugar temptations. Fighting a sugar addiction, however, is both possible and highly recommended. Your health is in your hands.
