Eliminating the Sugar Cravings Naturally

My past two Blog postings (scroll down below) go over the effects and sources of processed and artificial sugars. After getting a handful of e-mails and Face Bk. messages asking about the how-to in getting over sugar "addictions", I decided to do a "surprise" BLOG posting in between my usually once a week scheduled postings. I mean, after all of the previous info, I couldn't leave you searching for the light at the end of the tunnel. So... look no further, you are there!

When I first heard my Master Herbalist say the words, "Cut processed sugar completely from you diet," anything said after that point was totally pointless--my mind froze on those unwelcoming words and panic set in. Sugar was something soothing to me, something comforting, and something that I had grown up with. I enjoyed it daily in my soda pops, in my store bought snack cakes, in the morning, evening, and even if I couldn't sleep in the middle of the night! Life as I knew it would forever be changed.....seriously, cut sugar out of my diet? But how and why?

I was born with several health problems, and accumulated several more along the way. In fact, my husband had told me shortly before our wedding that if I couldn't figure out a way to slow down the amount of coughing spells I experienced daily, he would refuse to walk down the isle with me for fear of me struggling to get through my vows! So, I did something that most people would have done: I went to the doctor and started getting prescriptions for steroid inhalers, which lessened the symptoms, but increased the amount of other health problems that were surprisingly starting to show up! Little did I know, that if I had taken the step of eliminating sugar from my diet, that I would have dropped the need for the inhaler, along with all the other prescriptions I was told to start on! Since sugar is in most everything processed, I would have had to re-vamp my diet completely, making most things from scratch. I would have to start buying food labeled as organic so that I would know the sweetener in it would be of natural origin. However, I did not discover this little secret until years later, when our daughters were born with worse health problems than I grew up with.

So......after I got over the initial shock of hearing the words "Cutting sugar from my diet" and had prayed endlessly about whether I should do it or not.....I began the process of discovery. The discovery of what I was unknowingly shoveling into my mouth, what the harmful effects of it were, and what the "recovery" and "healing" process was going to entail. After going through sugar detox, I have never felt so good in my life, and have never gone so long without an over-the-counter medication or prescription!

I first had to start by eliminating my cravings. To do this, I began taking BLACK WALNUT CAPSULES from Natures Sunshine Herb Co., which are well known for their cleansing properties of detoxing the body of sugar, amongst other things. I would take 2 capsules every few hours, whether I felt a craving or not. I also added to this regimen, Organic Black Strap Molasses, which is the part that is disposed of during the processing of sugar. Since the two were originally one substance, the body naturally re-combines molasses & sugar and flushes them both out after using the nutrients from the molasses (vitamin C and B complex). So, you are not only using the molasses as a "cravings buster", but also using it as a "sugar-detoxer"! I would take a Tablespoon of black strap molasses every few hours, opposite of the Black Walnut herbs. Between these 2 substances, and FULLY eliminating processed and artificial sweeteners and simple carbohydrates (that turn quickly into sugar once swallowed), the detoxing process will begin!

As the days go by, you will feel less drawn to processed and artificial sugars so that you can take less of the black strap molasses and black walnut capsules. Keep in mind, that your body will have to go through a detoxing and withdrawal process still, how extreme depends upon how much sugar you have in your body and how much you support your body with nutrients like Black Walnut Herb, Black strap Molasses, and good-for-you-foods. Some people are slightly uncomfortable or have awkward "side effects" while they eliminate the sugar, others are climbing the wall with anxiety and experiencing looser stools, while yet others will pass with flying colors and never look back. Once you are over the hump of the addiction and of detoxing, you will enjoy less health problems, less cravings and less over-eating! Just be sure to supply your body with plenty of ORGANIC protein during this time, so that you aren't tempted to "snack" on sugar and carbs....slowing the process.

Once you have eliminated processed sugars and artificial sugars out of your diet and no longer experience the cravings, you can occasionally enjoy sugar in desserts and "normal" foods if you desire. Here are a few things that can HELP your body not to get re-hooked or experience withdrawl following sugar consumption:

• Eat/drink 3 ounces of HIGH FAT dairy before consuming sugary foods has been shown to reduce the negative effects of sugar on the body (organic: half and half, cream or cheese)
• 16 ounces of purified or spring water (not distilled or tap) after sugar is eaten helps reduce the high blood-sugar effect
• Take VITAMIN 'C' CITRUS BIOFLAVONOIDS from Natures Sunshine before sugary snacks are consumed to help offset and lessen the drop in immune system response to sugar
• Taking MAGNESIUM COMPLEX from Natures Sunshine after meals including sugar supports better digestion and assimilation of sugar. Since studies have shown sugar to be bad for the heart, and magnesium a necessary nutrient for heart health, the, sugar increases the need for magnesium.

Although these ideas will HELP your body---once you are completely detoxed it will be a shock for your body to have sugar ingested, because it is so highly processed and basically void of any nutrients to offset the negative aspect of it. This is the way it is meant to be, though, because God blesses our bodies with warning mechanisms that let us know when we ingest something harmful......sugar being one of these such substances.

Because you will still want to enjoy sweeteners in your diet, I will include a list of natural sweeteners in my next BLOG posting for you to substitute in your own baking and cooking. Keep in mind, most organic foods will have natural sweeteners in them...so you should be safe in buying and consuming these. BUT ALWAYS check the label, so that you can aren't "blindly" feeding you body with artificial and processed sweeteners! Psalm 118:8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******

Sugar Sources

In my previous BLOG posting, I went over the effects of sugar on the human body, analyzing just what sugar does once it enters the mouth. Now that we know the effects, let's take a closer look at the sources of sugar. Because sugar helps to sell a product, you can find it in many things that don't really NEED sweetening: ketchup, dry roasted nuts, salad dressings, sandwich meats, pickles, hot dogs, bread, juice, granola, .... the list could go on!!! Many of these foods were made in the past without sugar, but have had it added as a selling booster to increase sales and acquire repeat customer business. In order to maintain optimum health, you will want to AVOID foods that contain the processed and artificial ingredients listed below. If our body has to regularly deal with these intrusive substances, it cannot fight off viruses and bacteria as well, and will slowy lose nutrients, leading to degenerative diseases earlier than expected in life. Processed sugars can also inhibit the healing process of any problem that someone already has.

Sugar has also had it's name transformed and resources altered in order to protect it. It can now be found labeled in food products as: sucrose, glucose, dextrose, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup. We will just go ahead and call all of these PROCESSED SUGARS:

• Sugar/sucrose: requires minor digestion (actually breaking down valuable stomach enzymes,by not working them to their full potential), brings little (if any) nutrients, causes a huge energy boost followed by plummeting blood sugar levels, and especially stresses the pancreas and adrenal glands.
• Glucose/Dextrose: causes same surge in blood sugar as does sucrose
• Brown Sugar: refined white sugar, with some of the molasses added back in to look less refined
• Turbinado Sugar: One step away from being white sugar; 95% sucrose
• Corn Syrup/High Fructose Corn Syrup: absorbed quickly into the blood stream, without the accompanying nutrients to maintain normal blood sugar levels (Health Quarters Monthly, 2001, Volume 37)

On top of that, people have even CREATED alternate artificial versions of sugar, not knowing that a they can be twice as harmful as a natural, processed product. Here is a list of artificial sweeteners approved for use by the FDA: aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, Acesulfame potassium , and neotame. These will be labeled ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS:

• Aspartame--(owned by corporate giant Monsanto, the seed company rumored to want full control of the world's food sources) some researchers have suggested that a rise in brain tumor rates in the United States may be at least partially related to the increasing availability and consumption of aspartame. A recent research showed a clear link between this substance and cancer; a link that may be sufficient evidence for the FDA to pull aspartame from the market.
• Saccharin--was the first artificial sweetener and can be found in found in Sweet' N Low, Tab, Diet Coke from fountains. It is 300 to 500 times as sweet as sugar (sucrose) and is often used to improve the taste of toothpastes, dietary foods, and dietary beverages. In 1977, Canada banned saccharin due to the animal research, and in the United States, the FDA considered banning saccharin in 1977, but Congress stepped in and placed a moratorium on such a ban.
• Sucralose--a.k.a. Splenda, is found in Coke C2, Diet Coke with Splenda, Pepsi EDGE, Pepsi One, Diet 7Up. It is a chlorinated sugar that is about 600 times as sweet as sugar. for more on Splenda, please visit this site: http://www.truthaboutsplenda.com/
• Acesulfame potassium--produced lung tumors, breast tumors, rare types of tumors of other organs (such as the thymus gland), several forms of leukemia and chronic respiratory disease in several rodent studies.
• Neotame--is attractive to food manufacturers as its use greatly lowers the cost of production compared to using sugar or high fructose corn syrup--since it is between 8,000 and 13,000 times sweeter than table sugar. It is chemically similar to the artificial sweetener Aspartame.

The artificial sweetener information above was taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_sweeteners

Whether the added sweetener in our food products are taken from a PROCESSED source or an ARTIFICIAL source, if it is not from a NATURAL source, it can wreak havoc in our bodily systems. Not only does it burden our digestive systems, but it also aggravates the body everywhere our blood flows ....brain, organs, tissues, bones, and muscles. Anything that goes in our body that is unnatural can become a part of our body: being added on as fat cells, skin markings/festerings or even multiplying cells that are not "uniform" to our own (ie, cancer). It can also take away from our health, robbing our body of nutrients in order to "deal with" the sugar.

Because God designed our bodies to operate best with His food resources, if we choose to deviate from this course in order to follow the crowd or save on money by buying cheaper foods containing these sweeteners, then we may run into health problems earlier in life than we expect. In my next BLOG posting, I will give you a list of natural sweeteners that you can bake, cook and use with in various foods.

******None of the above statements have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All of the information in this BLOG is strictly for educational purposes. This BLOG should not be used to treat, diagnose, or prescribe for a condition you feel you may have. If you have any health concerns, you should see a competent practitioner. ******