Beating Sugar Addiction For Dummies
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon

After you develop the skills and the mind-set to defeat one addiction, such as your sugar addiction, you can apply the same skills and methods to rid yourself of other unhealthy habits, too!

If you find yourself saddled with any of the following unhealthy addictions, see whether you can find some similarities between the beliefs and mind-set you have about sugar and the ones you have about these other addictions. Some multi-addicts have found that their problem isn’t actually the stuff to which they’re addicted — it’s their unhealthy thinking habits!

  • Caffeine: If you’re an Exhausted Addict, you may abuse caffeine as much as you abuse sugar. Stress and poor diet have beaten you down to the point where your adrenal function doesn’t work without an external stimulant.

    To reverse this downward spiral, eat enough protein, drink enough water, and supplement correctly. You can start to wean yourself off caffeine by drinking half-caff coffee instead of full strength or you can begin drinking tea instead of more caffeinated beverages.

  • Smoking: Though part of smoking addiction is chemical — nicotine creates a powerful physical addiction by stimulating feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and adrenaline — another part of smoking addiction is association.

    Association is more of a behavior problem than a chemical addiction; people become attached to the “script” of having a cigarette when particular things happen, such as when a certain time of day arrives, when they consume certain foods or drinks, or when particular people are around them.

    If your smoking addiction has a strong association component, pick some positive substitute activities and find an alternative action to try whenever your “script” tells you it’s time to light up. You may not be addicted to nicotine after all!

  • Victimhood: The victim mind-set is often a strong driving force behind a person’s substance abuse. Chronic victims usually exhibit woe-is-me attitudes, defensiveness, and strong inner critics masked by angry and judgmental behavior. Just like any addict, the victim gets mired in his or her story, but in this case ends up becoming addicted to being unhappy about being wronged.

    If you’re addicted to your victim mentality, changes in lifestyle and nutrition aren’t enough to cure you — you need some professional help. Find a support group and qualified therapist.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Dan DeFigio is one of the most respected names in the fitness and nutrition industry. His articles have appeared in numerous professional journals, and his workshops have been presented in many cities across the United States. He has appeared on the Dr. Phil show and was featured in SELF Magazine, MD News, Personal Fitness Professional, and a host of other publications.

This article can be found in the category: