10 steps to beat your sugar addiction:
1. Clean out your kitchen 
Check your labels and throw out anything that has sugar as the first ingredient. Ingredients are listed in order of volume so if sugar is first then the product is predominantly sugar. Packaged products should have less than 5 ingredients in them.
2. Learn what sugar is also known as
Rice syrup, glucose, fructose, high fructose corn syrup. The list is long and you should get to know what sugar is hidden as.
3. Ditch artificial sweeteners
While artificial sweeteners don’t contain sugar they do have an impact on blood sugar levels. They may not contain calories but the body is tricked into thinking it has had sugar and it releases insulin which makes you feel you need more sugar.
4. Eat clean foods
The cleaner your diet the better you will feel. Remove hydrogenated oils like corn and soybean, anything pre-cooked or altered from its natural state such as margarine. If you feel good you won’t need sugar as an artificial energy boost.
5. Get some supplements
Supplements such as Chromium have been shown to decrease cravings for sugar. Just 50mcg per day can reduce that afternoon sugar craving that many of us have.
6. Meditate
Meditating to break the cycle of mindless eating is a powerful tool that many people are now using. When you sit down for a meal take a moment to have a deep breath, smell your food and appreciate what it is that you are eating.
7. Find pleasure
Taking pleasure from other things in life can decrease your need or desire for ‘sweetness’ from sugar. Get your sweet treat from a massage, a walk in a field or some beautiful music.
8. Do squats
Squats and press ups have been shown to decrease post eating blood glucose levels by 62%! Doing just 5 mins of squats after you eat can reduce the impact that sugar can have on you. Additionally and most importantly if your blood sugar levels are stable you are less likely to crave sugar.
9. Drink Lemon juice
Consuming 4 tablespoons of lemon juice prior to a meal can again reduce the blood sugar impact. Even if it’s not sugar but a carbohydrate meal your body will thank you for this simple and easy tool that will stabilise your blood sugar levels.
10. Find sweet replacements
If you do like to have something sweet its best to factor it in and count your sugar levels that day, mindfully allowing for the sugar. Or better still use products such as 80% dark chocolate that contain less sugar or use Stevia, a healthy sugar replacement.
Following these 10 steps will help you to reduce your sugar addiction as well as boosting energy. You will feel better both physically and emotionally when you eat clean and mindfully. As a bonus the sum of small changes such as squats and a better diet will boost your metabolism and as a bonus it will boost fat loss; to burn fat you must first burn sugar. Limit sugar and your body has the opportunity to burn fat.
If you would like to take it one step further you can try my free detox program here.
image by 
Emma Nutrition 
