3 Things That Helped Me Overcome Sugar Addiction
If you follow me on Instagram you would know how much I bang on about sugar and avoiding it for clear skin, but I cannot emphasise enough: ditch the sugar if you want to clear your acne!
Sugar is directly and indirectly giving you breakouts, it increases insulin which binds to sebaceous glands & stimulates sebum production, and also causes flow-on issues with androgen production, disrupts gut health/feeds Candida, promotes inflammation etc (so is a recipe for breakouts).
You’ll be surprised how quickly the sugar adds up: the drizzle of honey with breakfast, the muesli bar mid-morning, the takeaway mocha afternoon pick-me up & then the post-dinner dessert. If you’re anything like how I used to be, a total sugar fiend (I’m talking could smash a whole tub of Cookies & Cream Connoisseur ice cream & not feel in the least bit satisfied) then you can imagine this spells disaster for your skin.
NOTE: When I say sugar, I don’t mean whole fruit (fruit contains fibre which slows the release of sugar into the blood stream causing a less severe insulin spike and also has heaps of vitamins & minerals that the skin & gut love) but I do recommend avoiding dried fruit & fruit juice.
So here are my top tips that helped me overcome sugar addiction:
1) Eat Three BIG Meals
I found that my snacking & sugar cravings would always pop up if I haven’t eaten a decent, protein & nutrient dense meal. This includes at least 30g of protein, filling enough to keep you satiated for at least 3 hours without reaching for your next sugar hit. So, plan ahead, build your plate properly and avoid undereating at meal time.
Build your plate like this: 30g+ of protein, 2 tablespoons of fats (or 1/4 cup of more yoghurt-based fats), and complex carbs (amounts depend on the individual) in the form of veggies, fruit, grains, bread, pasta etc.
2) Have Better Options On Hand
It isn’t realistic to think that you will never have a sweet or dessert again; and that isn’t our plan for your skin long-term. Life has to be enjoyed, and the good news is, the more work you do internally, over time, the better your skin will hold up in the face of sugar.
So, for those premenstrual or Friday night cravings, instead of a block of Cadbury, aim to have some ‘better’, more ‘blood-sugar friendly’ treats on hand, such as: bake a tray of Noshu brownies, 2 squares of dark chocolate Lindt or Pana, Fundae lollies, Denada low sugar ice cream, 1 date split open with some almond butter inside (ideally frozen!), Well Naturally chocolate or Shelby’s dipped & dusted nuts.
3) Leave Slip-Ups Where They Are
If you’re anything like I used to be in the throes of my sugar addiction, you would have one ‘slip-up’ and then that would turn into a whole weekend of binging ad throwing all the progress out the window. This doesn’t have to be the case! Just say if you ‘fall off the wagon’ and over-indulge on Friday night, leave that where it is and ensure your Saturday morning breakfast is nice and protein-dense. You don’t have to undo all your progress just because of 1 bad meal/day. Your skin, gut & hormones will thank you for it; 1 bad day is going to have a far less drastic impact than 3 bad days.
Phoebe is available online, via Zoom, for 1:1 Naturopathic Consultations; supporting all things SKIN, GUT & HORMONES.