How to give up sweets once and for all - how to stop eating sweets

Many people experience irresistible cravings for sweets. Scientists have explained this phenomenon and proved that sugar acts like a drug on the brain, changing its chemistry and making it addictive.

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Why can addiction to sweets occur?

GP, nutritional therapist.

“The sugar in sweets stimulates the brain to produce serotonin and dopamine, the happy hormones. Eating something with sugar makes you feel good.”

The brain gets used to such stimulation and does not want to produce serotonin and dopamine on its own. This is how addiction and the habit of eating sweets for stress appear.

Also the brain gets used to fast carbohydrates, because it is a fast energy. As a result, it starts to just “slow down” without that stimulation when it gets regular, long-lasting energy from food.

When you abruptly give up sugar, withdrawal syndrome sets in. It’s like withdrawal from antidepressants. Everyone is afraid of antidepressants for this very reason. But no one’s afraid of sweets!

Withdrawal from fast carbs can lead to an upset stomach, headaches, bowel disturbances and other unpleasant symptoms. This condition lasts from a couple of days to two weeks.

Negative effects of consuming sweets

There are many good reasons to cut down on sweet consumption. For example, scientists from China and the US have proven in a 2023 study that consuming too much “free sugar” has 45 negative health effects.

Let’s take a look at some of the dangerous effects of sweets on the body.

1. Deteriorates mood. When we nibble on stress with sweets, we deplete our nervous system, preventing it from adequately coping with stress. It takes four molecules of magnesium to break down one molecule of glucose, which is necessary for the nervous system to repair itself.

2. There is an increased risk of obesity and overweight. Sugar entering the gastrointestinal tract stimulates the pancreas to release more insulin to process it sooner. But the pancreas is not a mathematician, it can not calculate the exact dose and ends up producing more insulin than the body needs.

There is an overabundance of it in the blood, which signals to the brain that more food is needed, preferably carbohydrate food. As a result, soon hunger appears again. It turns out that you have eaten and after a couple of hours you want to eat again. This is how overeating and overweight occur.

Moreover, overloading the pancreas can lead to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

3. Dental health deteriorates. The bacteria that cause tooth decay love the sugar that is left in your mouth after consuming it.

4. Gastrointestinal problems begin. Sugar from sweets feeds the “bad” bacteria in the intestines, causing their growth and activating fermentation processes. As a result, gas appears, motility is disturbed.

Sugar is the best food for fungi in the intestines. And these microorganisms disrupt the microflora, increasing cravings for sweets.

5. Increased joint pain. If you already have painful sensations in the joints, then you need to minimize the consumption of sweets. The fact is that sugar causes inflammation in the body, which can increase pain. Moreover, sweets increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

6. Deteriorates skin condition. Your skin won’t thank you either if you abuse sugar. A side effect of inflammation due to sweets is its accelerated aging.

Excess fast carbohydrates attach to proteins in the bloodstream and create harmful molecules called “CRP,” or glycation end products. They have been shown to damage collagen and elastin in the skin, the protein fibers that keep it firm and youthful. The result? Wrinkles and saggy skin.

7. Increased likelihood of heart problems. Excess sugar and insulin have a negative effect on the arteries: their walls become inflamed, thicker and stiffer. This can lead to heart failure, heart attack and stroke.

8. Negative impact on sex life. Sugar can affect the chain of events necessary for an erection. Sweetness leads to impaired blood flow, including to the genitals.

9. Increases the risk of liver obesity. Excessive sugar consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing liver obesity, as this organ is responsible for breaking down sugar into glycogen, and excessive amounts are stored as fat.

How to give up sweets

In order to give up sweets, you need to realize that this is as bad a habit as, for example, smoking. Therefore, it is necessary to get rid of it gradually, consciously and patiently.

Recommendations for reducing the consumption of sweets:

1. It is necessary to gradually reduce the amount of sweets that you consume during the day. The same applies to sugar in drinks and regular food. First of all, it is recommended to give up sweet sodas and fruit juices.

2. It is necessary to introduce slow carbohydrates into the diet. They give a long reserve of energy. This can be buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, nuts, low-fat dairy products, broccoli, cucumbers, cauliflower.

3. One should get rid of psychological attachment. That is, it is not worth not rewarding yourself with sweets. It is necessary to find another source of pleasure and use it as an encouragement. It is also important not to resort to fast carbohydrates in times of stress. It is better to introduce distracting hobbies into your daily regimen.

4. Instead of sugary drinks, it is better to drink water. First, the centers of thirst are very close in the brain with the centers of hunger, and sometimes a person takes for hunger thirst. And secondly, this habit normalizes the work of all internal organs.

5. If it is very hard for you to give up sweets, use sugar substitutes. By introducing them into the diet, you can gradually give up the craving for sweets.

6. Cook at home more often. Choose recipes with less sugar.

7. Use natural sweeteners. Some foods and drinks are sweetened not only by sugar, but also by other ingredients. For example, you can add cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, sweet fruits or berries to cereal.

8. Avoid hidden sources of sugar. It is not only added to enhance the flavor of foods. It also acts as a preservative that extends shelf life, makes baked goods tender, and prevents gluten. For these reasons, manufacturers add sugar to more than just traditionally sweet foods. It can be found in bread, industrial sauces, convenience foods, canned foods, yogurt, cottage cheese, and instant cereal.

9. Drink herbal teas. Drinks flavored with peppermint or chamomile help curb cravings for sweets. By drinking a cup of herbal tea, you can satisfy your taste buds without adding sugar to your diet.

10. Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep is essential for regulating hunger hormones.

What happens if you give up sugar for 30 days

It’s hard to break the addiction to sweets, but giving up sugar has many health benefits.

First, it reduces the level of inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation is known to be linked to a wide range of diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and arthritis.

Second, avoiding sweets reduces the likelihood of cancer. A 2020 report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that sugar consumption may be a risk factor for certain cancers, including breast cancer.

Third, energy levels are increased. Refined sugar found in processed foods, cookies, chips and cakes can make you feel sluggish.

Fourth, giving up sweets will be beneficial for people with digestive system disorders. As we have written earlier, sugar is an ideal environment for pathogenic bacteria.

In addition to the above benefits, it should be noted that the exclusion of fast carbohydrates from the diet for a month reduces the risk of diabetes, the development of tooth decay, depression and skin problems.