Yep, it seems like a no brainer—a diet high in the white stuff (sugarand refined carbs) is linked to weight gain, diabetes, cancer, depression, and even cognitive problems—but kicking the habit isn't that simple. The holiday season has probably riled up your inner sugar monster, leaving you cranky and craving all carbs, all the time. So how do you break up with this stuff when it's calling your name?
With the help of Laura Schoenfeld, RD, holistic nutritionist at Ancestralize Me, and Gina Hassick, RD, nutritionist at Eating Well with Gina, we've outlined the most effective way to free yourself from the grips of all things frosted, candy-coated, and caramel-filled.
1. Pick A Plan That Fits Your Personality: Cold Turkey Or Gradual Tapering
People who have trouble eating sweets in moderation (e.g. you keep taking slivers of brownie until half the pan is gone) often do really well with a cold turkey approach, says Schoenfeld. For them, three to four weeks of nixing all added sugars and refined carbs—which act like sugar in the body—is often just what they need to reset their taste buds, lessen their compulsion for sweets, and start craving more whole foods. The benefit of doing this for several weeks, not just one, is that you give yourself adequate time to create new healthy habits in place of the old ones. After that, you're at a point when you can safely start reintroducing small amounts of some of the foods you eliminated without going overboard—if you even want to, that is.
