Last updated January 9, 2018 by Lisa Richards, CNC

6 Easy Tips To Kick Your Sugar Cravings

Sugary foods like donuts

A high-sugar diet is one of the major causes of Candida Related Complex, along with antibiotics and long periods of stress. But eliminating sugar from your diet is no easy task. Like any other drug, quitting sugar can lead to withdrawal symptoms, cravings and relapse.

Why does Candida need sugar? It uses it to construct its cell walls and expand throughout your gut. With a regular diet of sugar, Candida albicans grows fast and can quickly dominate the other microorganisms in your intestines. By depriving the Candida of all that sugar, you can start to return to a more normal balance in your gut. That’s why a low-sugar diet is one of the three key elements in any Candida treatment plan.

If anyone was in doubt as to how addictive sugar really is, recent research has provided plenty of evidence to prove it. We now know that sugar floods the brain with dopamine, just like cocaine or other drugs. And lab tests have shown how cutting off sugar intake can result in severe withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, we now understand much more about the negative effects of sugar on our health.

That’s why it’s really crucial that you reduce your sugar consumption during your Candida treatment. It may not be easy, but with the right strategies you can certainly avoid the worst withdrawal symptoms. There is evidence that quitting sugar can have really positive implications for your health within just 10 days.

Kicking your sugar cravings

#1 Keep sugary foods out of the house

This is a simple tip but really effective. Remove the source of the temptation, and you might find that your sugar cravings disappear! Empty the cookie jar, throw out the fruit juices, and give away the bags of sugar you use for baking. All of these foods should be avoided on your Candida diet. There might be some protests from your family, but you need to explain to them how the sugar has been impacting your health. And if they manage to give up sugar too, you might just be sparing them from future health complications like heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes.

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#2 Find a good substitute

Sweeteners like stevia and xylitol, as well as erythritol, are very useful tools for Candida sufferers, as they allow you to enjoy that sweet taste without spiking your blood sugar. You can use them in your baking and make tasty desserts with them. In the short term, they are a great way to dramatically reduce your sugar consumption. However, to really eliminate your sugar cravings in the long term, you should try to reduce your dependence on sweet-tasting foods altogether.

#3 Have some snacks ready to eat

When you get those sugar cravings, they can come on really strong. So it’s important to have snacks in the house that won’t make your Candida worse. Chopped up vegetables are a really handy snack to have in your fridge, and you can make some sugar-free coconut muffins to take with you when you leave the house.

#4 Eat small meals

If you can manage to regulate your blood sugar levels throughout the day, you will take a big step towards beating your sugar addiction. That’s because every spike in blood sugar is followed by a crash. Eating huge meals is one thing that can certainly spike your blood sugar, and it is equally certain to result in sugar cravings shortly afterwards. By sticking to small portions you can prevent those cravings from happening. It’s better to eat 5 small meals each day than 3 large ones.

#5 Get inventive with your cooking

Cooking delicious meals doesn’t have to mean pouring in heaps of sugar to your recipes. Use lots of herbs and spices to liven up your meals, and you will soon start to enjoy tasty savory foods just as much as sweet dishes.

#6 Take your time

Lastly, don’t rush things. Quitting cold turkey is rarely a good idea. You can make your journey to a sugar-free life much more comfortable by gradually reducing your sugar consumption. You can start by cutting in half the amount of added sugar that you eat. Try it for a week and then reduce the amounts again. After 2-3 weeks you should find that you have almost eliminated added sugar from your diet.

Reducing your sugar consumption is just one of the things that you should do to eliminate your Candida overgrowth. In my Ultimate Candida Diet program I describe exactly how you should prepare for your Candida treatment, and I lay out a simple 5 step program to beat your Candida for good.

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Comments

  1. Phyllis Poole says:

    Carbohydrates also turn into sugar in your body. Many who are sugar addicted also are bread, pasta etc. addicted.
    For my son who was hyperactive and had learning problems, his doctor said do not eat grapes/raisins, plums/prunes or bananas. They call for insulin as does sugar. AND now many years ago I suspect those fruits, since they are chocked with natural sugars, do feed candida also.

  2. Connie says:

    I am literally starving to death from multiple food sensitivities, celiac disease, leaky gut, malabsorption syndrome & more. All grains cause diarrhea (it took me a year & a 25 lb. wt. loss to figure it out, & am barely 98 lb. now) & I am starving for carbs. Candy & gluten free baked goods end up my choice for energy. I can’t eat many grain based things so dried fruit & candy are mostly it. The food sensitivities have eliminated “healthy” substitutes (coconut was the latest) so cookbooks are worthless to me. I don’t know what to do; didn’t even take my last Rx for diflucan, as it’ll only make them more resistant, since I can’t give up sugar. I feel there is no hope & have no idea what else to do. I’m pretty well restricted to chicken, fish, turkey, lamb & occasional buffalo, & a few vegetables. NO energy there, & I have incredible cravings for carbs; am thin & weak.

    1. Try eating some other complex carbs like millet or buckwheat groats – they will give you energy and provide some relief from your sugar cravings.

    2. Molly says:

      Hi. So sorry to hear about your struggles. have you heard of the GAPS diet? It begins with a slow introduction of very nourishing foods in a specific order. Traditional, nourishing bone broth and boiled veggies are the first foods. As your gut heals, new foods are added in order of ease of digestion. It may provide a way for you to rebuild your digestive system so you can eat a larger variety of foods.

    3. Karna says:

      I know exactly how you feel. I can’t eat anything without reacting. I am allergic to most foods now. I can eat meat, chicken, vegetables and a small amount of berries and fruit. I have had a strict routine of supplements and restricted diet and when I stick to it I feel and look great and when I don’t I feel like hell. The problem is I cant stick to it all the time. It takes so much discipline. I can tell you what my routine is and it will guaranteed help you but like you said it’s impossible to be that disciplined all the time. I long for a day when food is just tasty and not harmful. 🙁

    4. Kim says:

      Hi Connie,

      I know your post is from 3 years ago, but I still wanted to respond. I’m sorry to hear about your struggles and understand where you are coming from. I hope you have found relief and feel happier now. If not, may I recommend taking the holistic approach? Going to a eastern medicine doctor and getting allergies cleared at an acupuncturist? My best friend was in your exact boat not understanding and feeling hopeless. She lost 50lbs and was in sooooo much pain from everything she ate. She was misdiagnosed for so long that after going to a Nature Path doctor (eastern medicine), she was finally diagnosed with Lyme Disease. The Lyme destroyed her digestive system causing severe allergies toward gluten, diary, eggs, and everything under the moon because her body was trying to protect itself, becoming allergic to everything. She got most of her allergies cleared at an acupuncturist and has been doing treatment for 2 years beating Lyme. I just want you to know that there is hope and other possibilities on the natural side of medicine. If you haven’t yet, please look into Chinese medicine and try Kombucha filled with good bacteria and enzymes. Peace and Love <3

    5. Sara says:

      I’m really sorry to hear you are struggling with all of that, I hope you find some relief and someone to help you through this, my prayers go out to you.

    6. Rafik says:

      Hello, I have great news for you. Take Restore. It seals the gut like no other supplement. Candida will eventually go away. I have tried it. After 2 days of intake i had better mental clarity and i could eat fruits which i could not before without this spoiling my day at least. Restore is a massive supplement. You can research it. It’s bacterial redox molecules. If that works there is another supplement that i’m willing to try the deals with mitochondrial redox molecules. Please, let us know how you are doing? Regards. Rafik

      1. Heidi says:

        I started on Restore about 7 mths ago and am still fighting candida and Crohn’s.I will be starting a total no sugar diet to try and maybe get things under control.The only sugars I had were from fruit so hopefully this helps.I also have chronic inflammation.

  3. Elizabeth says:

    Connie: you sound like you’re in bad shape. I’m no dr., but I have this past 6 mos. treated (and I think healed) my dog from leaky gut: ple. I have realized that it came down to a few things: proteins have to not be causing reaction, ie, if you’re not positive that you haven’t developed the sensitivity to it, then you HAVE to switch, at least for min. 3-4 mos.. Second, dogs can eat very similar to what we can, but they most likely thrive on higher protein amounts (so if you want to try my “recipe” below, then don’t feel like you need the same, high amount of protein). I even feed them buckwheat, but not groats, prob. too diff. to digest. Third, I had so much success whenever my dog was having bad diarrhea by using a mix. of (highest quality/organic) slippery elm, w/ George’s aloe, BCW chlorella and probiotics. This was mixed together w/out a meal. You have to really research everything, esp. probiotics to make sure they are viable. Or you can make/buy FRESH fermented veggies. Probiotics prob. should be daily for 3-4 mos., but you HAVE to make sure they are viable/alive: store bought yogurt may not even cut it. Get Live Superfoods, or another raw brand coc. oil…you need those calories. I also like New Chapter Coenzyme B food complex to make sure you’re getting vits.: only need half pill/day, maybe less. And finally, research to get the best, most potent enzymes, which I think help too since they help you digest. I was also using Virastop 2X. Chew, chew, chew your food, if not cuisinart or puree. You may want to remove skins on potatoes for now. My dog got no processed foods, the added chemicals, etc. are not going to help you. P.S. I prefer the cruciferous veggies because not only are they healthy, but they have more calories, which is what you are needing. P.P.S. you may need b12 inj; please check. Good luck.

    15-33% of calories were from fats. Raw, coconut oil was a huge part of that: consistently fed this, daily…7-12% daily calories (avg. 10%) – read that it doesn’t get processed by pancreas and is therefore a great source of calories without burdening pancreas. RAW coconut oil brands Live Superfoods or Artisana (kelapo is good, but don’t think it’s raw). Even though I wasn’t sure if my dog had developed a sensitivity to dairy, I tried ghee and it is wonderful (5-12% calories daily). The remaining 5-10% was alternating between extra virgin olive oil and grapeseed oil.

    Decided that I wanted to feed 33-50% calories from main meat. I also wanted to feed 3 meals so that each meal wasn’t overly filling.So I was feeding 30-40% raw meat w/ dinner meal and divvying up the other 10-20% with the other meals. I feed lots of eggs, usually farm eggs, anywhere from 4-8/week.

    If I would have had to feed only 1 protein, then I would divide up evenly for each meal. Note: 5 months later and I am feeding up to about 65% calories from meats, just depending on the day. Keep in mind, both dogs get variety regularly and they are both doing great.

    33% calories came from carbs, but more specifically 10% lightly steamed & finely chopped (or cuisinart) cruciferous veggies (kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, even cabbage), 5% berries, and 15-20% alternating from white rice (preferring broken rice) and boiled or baked potatoes. I also like feeding cooked buckwheat because it is gluten free, high phosphorus and high calorie. Brown rice is too difficult to digest. In normal, healthy dogs, it might be OK, but I don’t use.

  4. Karen says:

    You may want to try bentonite clay. I’ve heard it works well for people with extreme food allergies. In addition, you should look into a licensed acupuncturist in your area. Acupunture works wonders for digestive disorders and allergies.

  5. lf says:

    Cook blackberries and drain the juice and drink it. Use no or small amount of sugar. Take a spoonful or drink a glass or whatever you can and it should stop diarhhea. This helps when nothing else will and it worked on family taking cancer treatments as well as viruses. Good luck.

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