How to Quit Sugar Addiction During National Snack Food Month

The month of February is National Snack Food Month. On top of chocolate gifts and candy hearts given for Valentine’s Day, the entire month is dedicated to celebrating snack food. Some specific foods with their days of celebration are carrot cake, Nutella, frozen yogurt, molasses bars, bagels, brownies, peppermint patties, and more. These ‘celebrations’ pose a unique challenge for those learning how to stop eating sugar.

While not all snack foods must contain unhealthy amounts of sugar, the foods listed as ‘food holidays’ in the month of February are. Instead of giving into the national snack food month and blowing off your resolve to kick your sugar addiction, choose one of the following healthy snacks to celebrate instead.

1.    Pita Chips & Hummus (choose carefully to ensure no sugar is added)

2.    Apples & Almond Butter

3.    Smoothies made with fresh fruit, veggies, and unsweetened milk

4.    Popcorn

5.    Greek Yogurt mixed with your favorite fruit

6.    Cheese

7.    Dates

8.    Homemade sweet potato chips

9.    Dried Fruits (Be careful as some companies still sneak in the sugar. Be diligent at reading labels)

10.  Nuts and Raisins

For more tips on healthy snacks that help you learn how to quit sugar addiction, visit http://sugar-zen.com/

Beat the Sugar Blues Through a No Sugar Diet

Whether you want to ditch digestive issues, increase your weight loss efforts, get rid of your fatigue, or improve your metabolism, keeping your blood sugar balanced is the first step to improving your health. While your body does require a certain amount of glucose to give energy to your cells, you find yourself craving sweets because of an addiction to sugar and an overabundance of added sugars in your system.

By focusing on balancing your blood sugar, you can eliminate the rollercoaster ride of emotions that come with sugar crashes, and you will be able to overcome a plethora of other health problems. Though the process will take time and motivation, here are a few tips to get you on the right path.

1.    Avoid artificial sweeteners. They tend to increase your cravings for sweets.

2.    Do a clean sweep of your kitchen, car, and office to replace any hidden sweet treats with healthy snacks.

3.    Become a label reading expert and familiarize yourself with the many names of sugar used to sneak it into your food.

4.    Craving sweets? Drink a full glass of water before putting anything in your mouth.

5.    Replace refined sugars with natural sugars found in fruits and sweet veggies.

6.    Increase your intake of healthy fats including nuts, avocados, seeds, coconut oil, etc.

Following these tips will put you on the fast track to a no-sugar diet and help overcome some of the health challenges you may be facing. For more information on how to overcome cravings for sweets, visit http://sugar-zen.com/

How to Quit Sugar Addiction: Know the Dangers Behind the Sweet Stuff

If you are in the midst of learning how to quit your sugar addiction, knowing these hidden dangers of the sweet stuff may be what you need to push you into an ‘I quit sugar’ mode.

1.    A 2013 study showed that the risk for diabetes rose 1.1% for every 150 calories of sugar added to the diet of any population.

2.    According to a JAMA study performed in 2014, the more sugar a person consumed increases his or her chances of dying from heart disease.

3.    Fatigue, brain fog, and mood swings are common side effects of added sugar intake.

4.    Refined sugar is the most dangerous kind of sugar as it is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream. This sugar has different names including cane sugar, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, honey, and maple syrup.

5.    Artificial sweeteners increase cravings as they are sweeter tasting than other sugars and dull the taste buds so that natural sugars are not satisfying.

6.    When learning how to quit sugar addiction, you can expect withdrawal symptoms similar to those a drug addict experiences.

7.    Fruit juices, soda, and other sweetened beverages are simply liquid sugar sources. Cutting these drinks out of your daily diet is an easy way to reduce your added sugar intake and improve your overall health.

Knowing the hidden dangers of sugar when learning how to quit sugar addiction is the first step to becoming sugar-free. To learn more about how to officially say, ‘I quit sugar’ visit http://sugar-zen.com/

Top Valentine’s Day Ideas for Those on a Sugar-Free Diet

If your family is living on a sugar-free diet, the mere thought of Valentine’s Day in the classroom can seem overwhelming. We’ve rounded up the top ideas for Valentine’s that don’t revolve around candy or sweets that allow you to continue through your quitting sugar detox. Here’s our top list:

1.    Glow Sticks: ‘You make my heart glow!’

2.    Hand Clappers: ‘You deserve a hand!’

3.    Bubbles: ‘You blow me away!’

4.    Dinosaurs: ‘I think you are dino-mite!’

5.    Pencils or pens: ‘You are all write!’

6.    Rulers: ‘You rule, Valentine!’

7.    Toy Car: ‘I wheelie like you!’

8.    Bouncy Balls: ‘You make my heart bounce!’

9.    Silly Straws: ‘Sip, Sip Hooray for Valentine’s Day!’

10.  Magnifying Glass: ‘I’ve got my eye on you!’

11.  Toy Airplane: ‘You make my heart soar!’

12.  Small Astronaut: ‘You’re out of this world!’

13.  Lip Whistles: ‘Blow me a kiss!’

14.  Whoopee Cushion: ‘Whoopee! It’s Valentine’s day!’

15.  Night Light: ‘You make my days brighter!’

In addition to making the recipients smile, these Valentine's gifts provide entertainment value long after the sweetness of candy or treats has worn off. Undergoing a quitting sugar detox is never easy, but Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to be a stumbling block on your path to a sugar-free diet. Learn more tips and tricks for sugar detox at http://sugar-zen.com/

Valentine’s Day on a No-Sugar Diet

While traditional Valentine’s seem to revolve around the giving or receiving of chocolates or some other sweet treat, there are alternatives for those on a no-sugar diet. If walking through the aisles of the store has your sugar cravings heightened, here are a few ways to make Valentine’s fun without all the side effects of sugar.

1.    Fruit Valentines: Chose your favorite fruit and add a cute line to go with it. Examples: ‘I’m BANANAS for you,’ ‘We make a great PEAR,’ ‘ORANGE you glad we are friends?’  or even ‘You are the APPLE of my eye.”

2.    Healthy Hearts: Heart shaped cookie cutters can be used for more than cookies, candies, and cake! See how many fruits or veggies you can slice up to add a festive yet healthy flair to your holiday routine.

3.    ‘Squeeze’ in a Little Fun: Find a sugar-free applesauce or yogurt with an attached card reading ‘Valentine, you are my main SQUEEZE.’

Valentine’s Day is about spending time with those you love, and what a better way to show it than by encouraging healthy habits. If you are on a no-sugar diet, don’t let Valentine’s Day get in the way of your healthy habits. To learn more about sugar cravings and how to overcome them, visit http://sugar-zen.com/

Quitting Sugar Detox During Valentine’s Day? Here’s How

Valentine’s Day can present a special challenge for people going through a quitting sugar detox as the aisles of the grocery store are packed with chocolates and other sweet treats. If you are learning how to stop sugar cravings, here are a few tips for getting through the holiday without indulging in any sweets.

1.    It’s About Love: Valentine’s Day is about spending time with those you love. That time does not have to revolve around sugary treats— or any food at all. If you must indulge, find a healthy snack option that feels more indulgent than it is.

2.    Alternative Activities: Instead of focusing the day on decadent food, plan an activity that doesn’t revolve around eating. You can go for a hike on your favorite trail, ski, mountain bike, snowshoe, or even go to a movie. These activities take the temptation away from traditional Valentine’s Day celebrations.

3.    Giving Gifts: Whether you are planning on sending Valentine’s to your child’s classroom, or giving a gift to your sweetie, these don’t have to be candy based. Sending your child with a bag of apples and a tag that reads ‘You are the apple of my eye,’ can be just as delightful for classmates to receive— without giving a toothache after the treat.

No matter how far you are in your quitting sugar detox journey, Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a setback. Learn more tips and tricks about how to stop sugar cravings at http://sugar-zen.com/