How to shake off sugar without a struggle

Yesterday, I introduced you to my foolproof plan for breaking your sugar addiction for good. It only takes 72 hours. And it really couldn’t be simpler.

I decided to break it down into baby steps to help ease you into your new sugar-free world. The first step was clearing out all those hidden stashes of sweets.

Today, it’s time to take the next step. This means getting rid of all of the processed, refined, and simple carbohydrates in your diet. I’m talking about white rice, white flour, sugar, corn syrup, and fruit juice. (Did you know apple juice has more grams of sugar than soda?)

But it also means taking whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, and millet, for example) off the menu, too.

As I’ve told you before, supposedly “healthy” whole grains are really just the lesser of two evils. They may not turn to sugar in your body as quickly as their refined counterparts do. But they turn into sugar, just the same.

So if you really want to shake your addiction to sugar for good, you need to kick all grains to the curb—not just the refined ones.

If this seems drastic to you, please bear with me. I promise—in time, you won’t even miss the stuff. Though I realize these early days will come with a fair share of withdrawal. But that’s why I’m here.

I’ve treated hundreds of patients (even celebrities who are habitually body-conscious) —and believe me, they all have the same food cravings you do.

But I’ve helped them conquer those cravings and get off the emotional roller coaster they can cause with just a few simple tricks…

First, when in doubt, wait it out. Because according to a recent study out of Portugal, the best—and easiest—way to tackle a craving is to postpone it. Or, to be more accurate, postpone giving in to it.

Researchers have found that people who postpone a snack they crave actually eat less of that food when and if they do give in. But it gets even better…

They also found that those who are able to postpone their cravings actually desire it less over time.

Here’s the catch. (Don’t worry—it’s not a major one.)

The art of postponing has to be to some vague time in the future, not a set date. In other words, you can’t tell yourself that you’ll have that cookie tomorrow. Instead, you’ll have to settle for simply having it “later.”

It may seem like a subtle difference. But according to the lead researcher, “When you postpone to some indefinite time in the future, the desire for the food actually decreases.”

I like this twist on the age-old battle of “should I or shouldn’t I?” It takes something that can be very complicated—why we crave things—and offers a simple, easy solution. That’s what my New Hamptons Health Miracle is all about.

No special “tricks.” No ineffective substitutes. All you have to do is put it off.

And you know what? It gets easier each time. Until, eventually, you won’t even have those stubborn cravings anymore.  It really can be that simple.

That’s because your mind is the key to controlling your cravings. It also has a strong influence on how your body operates. A recent study conducted in Malaysia is a perfect example of this fact.

In this study, researchers examined how three alternative therapies—acupressure, hypnotherapy, and transcendental meditation—affected blood glucose.

They recruited 20 people with type 2 diabetes. Half the group participated in 10 successive days of 60-90 minute sessions that incorporated all three of these therapies. The control group got placebo pills twice a day. Everyone’s blood sugar was measured before the test’s start, after the study’s end, and in a follow-up test.

The therapy-group patients had significantly lower blood sugar both at the end of the study and at follow-up, while the control group’s blood sugar levels didn’t change at all.

What’s the moral of this story? I’m not asking that you find the nearest acupressure practitioner, hypnotherapist, or guru to learn transcendental meditation—although it’s not a bad idea. I meditate to relieve stress and give my life balance. I’ve done it for years! But I know it’s not for everyone.

So here’s what I would like you to do…

Forget the idea of “deprivation.” Thinking about what you “can’t” have will only make you miserable and feed those cravings. Instead, focus on shifting your cravings in the right direction.

Visualize all of the wonderfully indulgent foods you CAN enjoy (and still lose weight)—things like juicy burgers dripping with cheese and southern fried chicken with crispy skin. (You can find recipes like these—and many more—in my special report Dr. Fred’s Decadent Diet-Free Recipes. You get it for free when you subscribe to my monthly Logical Health Alternatives Newsletter. So if you’re not already a subscriber, find out how to become one today.)

Also, remember this—food is just that. Food. It’s what your body needs to survive. Nothing more. Don’t give it any other meaning in your life than that.

Don’t get me wrong—I think it’s important to enjoy your meals. And it’s never been easier to do that than with my New Hamptons Health Miracle. But if you’re turning to food for comfort, for validation, or for any reason other than sustenance, you’ll only wind up hungrier than ever.

Sources:

“New Weight Loss Strategy: Postponing a Snack,” WebMD (www.webmd.com), 1/30/12

“Combined therapy using acupressure therapy, hypnotherapy, and transcendental meditation versus placebo in type 2 diabetes.” J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 201; 4(3): 183-186