There’s a lot of talk these days about the harmful effects of  sugar, and its deleterious effect on our health. Unfortunately, there’s a huge number of people in America who are actually addicted to sugar. Just check out the epidemic of obesity if you need more proof.

Sugar addiction is similar to other addictions, but it’s a tough one to beat. For instance, with alcohol, you have no choice. You need to join a 12 Step Program, or get another form of help. In rare cases, a serious accident, or revelation pulls a person up short, and they quit in one step!

But with sugar, breaking the addiction is tough. You can’t stop eating and there’s some form of sugar in practically everything you eat or drink. CHECK THE LABELS and you’ll see how many products are loaded with it.

How do you know if you’re a sugar addict?

Well, one way of telling is, if you have a small amount of sugar and you powerfully start craving more, that’s a tell-tale sign. What happens is that even a small amount starts what I call, “Tailspin Sugar Shock.” That makes it super difficult to simply force yourself to stop.

Non addicts are different. They enjoy it, and may even leave some of the sugar-containing food over. This never happens with an addict. Not only do they demolish every morsel, they begin to obsess over having MORE! This nagging desire for sugar is relentless, and they will keep craving more and more  to the point of exhaustion and even collapse.

If this is happening to you, one way to help yourself is to eat something salty or spicy as soon as the craving hits you.

The very best way is to start exercising. In that way, you are switching to something that’s good for your body…and, as a bonus, you’re burning calories and using the energy from the sugar.

Another thing to do is avoid bringing anything sweet into your home. I personally know that if I buy desserts or ice cream, I’ll eat them down to the last crumb or spoonful. When it’s not in my cupboard or freezer, I don’t have to fight a desire to binge.

So even if you can’t totally eliminate sugar, you can limit it. And particularly stay away from High Fructose corn syrup. Contrary to the latest TV ads, “sugar isn’t sugar,” different sugars affect your body differently. Besides, most beet and corn sugar is now contaminated with GMO’s. Use self-discipline to save yourself from going into “Tailspin Sugar Shock” and also from wreaking havoc on your health. The quick rush of satisfaction isn’t worth the danger to your immune system. Knowing this has helped me develop more self discipline, and I hope it helps you too.

One more way to halt your cravings is to use STEVIA or AGAVE syrup. Both are super sweet and NON-GLYCEMIC, so they’re even safe for diabetics. One way NOT TO HALT YOUR CRAVINGS, and to actually keep you from losing weight, along with being really unhealthy is to drink or eat anything that contains artificial sugar, or sugar substitutes. Often people who want to eliminate sugar turn to diet sodas and foods. Let me warn you, that even though they don’t contain calories they can be at least as dangerous for your body as sugar… and sometimes even more so.

So, what’s a lady to do? Get your sweet tooth satisfaction from fresh fruit like mangoes, pineapple, apples, pears and berries…. YUM! Just wash ’em real well, as they’re often sprayed with pesticides.