How to Break a Sugar Habit
Five tips from a former sugar addict on kicking sweets and balancing your blood sugar
Two weeks ago, I celebrated the one-year anniversary of my new life in Europe with a trip to Salzburg, Austria. After a local Mozart concert on my first evening, I ordered a double espresso and the last chocolate “Venusbrüstchen” gleaming on a platter.
I ordered it not only to celebrate but because I was curious. Curious if I could eat just one and really savor it or if I would leave the table craving more. I wondered if I could revert to my younger self who was addicted to chocolate and Oreos.
I had given up processed sugar cold turkey five years before — along with dairy, soy, fried food, and alcohol — to help my body heal from Lyme disease. After coming a long way in healing, part of me wanted to know if I had truly changed. So, I bit into the dark chocolate shell and into the cherry liquor and chestnut creme to find out — as it melted on my tongue, I took a sip of espresso and savored the moment.
After years of struggling with an addiction to sugar, I could finally eat one delicious chocolate, feel satisfied, and move on with life.
Though I decided to give up sugar five years ago, it took much longer to change my relationship with it. The cravings lasted for weeks, they waxed and waned with my emotions, and…
