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TED-Ed
Published on Jan 7, 2014

When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more. Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation.

Lesson by Nicole Avena, animation by STK Films.

How to Break Sugar Addiction: 7 Steps to Help You Stop Eating Sugar

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Sugar is a substance extracted from plants like cane and sugar beet which is refined into a white crystalline substance.

Since their effect on the blood stream, insulin, and brain are virtually the same, they are both considered sugar in the context of this video.

Sugars are addictive because they cause a supernatural release of dopamine in the brain.

Dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter involved in addiction.

In fact, multiple studies have now revealed that sugar and sweet rewards can not only substitute to addictive drugs, like cocaine but can even be more rewarding and attractive

The brain chemistry of those addicted to drugs and those addicted to sugar are virtually identical.

7-Step Process to Breaking Sugar Addiction:

#1. Realize what’s going on with your brain your body, sugar, and flour.

People often stop consuming obvious sugar culprits like sodas and candy bars and trade them for bread and pasta.

As previously discussed, those breads and pastas cause the same problems as sugar.

#2. Understand levels of addiction

Not everyone who drinks becomes an alcoholic.

The same way not everyone who eats dessert becomes a sugar addict.

We are individuals with different brain chemistry and the important thing is recognizing your own personal level of addiction.

If just thinking about giving up sugar seems like a bleak, dark, and unhappy world, understand this is uniquely similar to how addicts feel about substances they abuse. You may be VERY addicted to sugar.

#3. Detox

You need to spend a period of time completely away from sugar and those dopamine spikes to break the addiction.

This will often lead to an initial period of headaches, hormonal fluctuations, and just feeling like poop for a little while.

The detox process can last from anywhere from 3 to 21 days.

However, on the other side of breaking any addiction is a much healthier place.

#4. Become a nutrition label ninja.

Sugar is often hiding in places you don’t expect. Yogurt, pasta sauce, are protein bars often have TONS of added sugar

You need to become a PRO a reading nutrition labels and feel free to check out my older video on the topic.

#5. Balance blood sugar levels by eating balanced meals

During the detox process, you need to focus on having balanced meals to keep your blood sugar levels steady to prevent crashes.

You do this by eating meals that combine protein, fiber, and healthy fats.

Whole egg omelets with lots of veggies, Chicken salads with olive oil dressing, and a grass fed beef stew are great examples of this.

Protein, fiber, and healthy fat at every meal.

#6. Heal you gut
You do this by eating balanced meals as listed above, avoiding sugar and processed foods, and getting healthy probiotics into your diet.

What about honey and agave nectar?

Because of how the brain works the more you eat sugar, the more you crave.

The more you stimulate supernatural sensations in the brain and taste buds, the more it’s going to want and need.

While these sugars do have mild health benefits, if you are struggling with even a mild sugar addiction, you need to cut these things out.

Sooooo what about artificial sweeteners like Stevia?

While previous correlated evidence told us that artificial sweeteners caused additional sugar cravings and even cancer, better studies have shown us otherwise.

#7. Pay Attention to other sugars also