If you're a sugar sensitive individual, you're more prone to becoming addicted to the white stuff (sugar and refined foods). If you know you're physically dependent on sugar and you truly want to end the addiction, there is hope.
I'm reading Potatoes, Not Prozac, and in it, seven steps to breaking free from sugar addiction are outlined. Today I'm going to talk about the first one: Eating breakfast.
The best breakfast for a sugar sensitive individual includes 4 parts:
- Eat breakfast with an adequate amount of protein for you.
- Eat breakfast with a complex carbohydrate.
- Eat breakfast right after waking.
- Eat breakfast every day.
Eat an adequate amount of protein
An easy way to figure out how much you would need for breakfast is to divide your weight in half; 1/3rd of that value is the amount you would eat for breakfast. Or, you can simply divide your weight by 6. So, if you weigh 130 lbs, you would need approx. 22 gms of protein at breakfast.
Very active folks and pregnant women may need a little more protein. However, the book does not recommended to go beyond 42 gms of protein, even if you weigh more than 250 lbs.
Other sources on recommended daily amountsuse 0.8 - 1.8 gms of protein per kg of body weight per day. The calculations in Potatoes, Not Prozac fall within this range.
Eat a complex carbohydrate
Along with protein, complex carbohydrates also help keep blood sugar levels steady and hunger at bay. Plus, complex carbs provides more nutrients and fiber than the refined stuff. Complex carbohydrates include:
- Oats
- Whole wheat
- Brown rice
- Rye
- Quinoa
- Spelt
- Amaranth
- Barley
- Other whole grains
You can turn these into oatmeal, granola, cereal, bread, toast, pancakes, French toast, tortillas, and a bunch of other dishes!
Eat breakfast right after you wake up
Why is this important? It will help prevent a blood sugar crash. You need fuel for your body soon after waking from not eating for 6+ hours. Eating breaks that mini fast (that's why it's called break-fast). If you skip breakfast or wait a few hours to eat, your blood sugar will drop. And this sets you up for a binge.
Eat breakfast every day
This one seems like common sense, but applying it can be tough. Skipping breakfast or eating one without quality protein doesn't benefit sugar sensitive persons. Their blood and brain chemistry will become unsteady. Plus, having breakfast every single day creates a habit that, in time, will become easier and easier to follow until it's second nature. And I like that. I'm not a morning person, so my sleepy self prefers not having to think too much about breakfast.
More than just eating
This first step to healing a sugar addiction is more than just eating breakfast. You will need to figure out things like, much you weigh, how much protein is in different foods, how much protein works best for you, what complex carbs you like and the amount that works best for you, and planning your schedule to include breakfast soon after getting out of bed. In effect, you need to get to know your body and what works best for you. Sometimes this can be a challenge, but it is a part of healing an addiction and working towards better health.
My progress
I've been eating a healthier breakfast since I made that my goal back in January, but I have room to improve. I need to add a bit more protein, and I still have the occasional weekend pancakes with syrup. But I have to say that I do notice a difference! When eating a healthy breakfast I feel more energetic, and I'm satisfied until lunchtime. I tend to feel stuffed and sleepy after pancake indulgences, which makes me appreciate having protein at breakfast even more!
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2 comments ↓
Eating breakfast is something that I’ve ALWAYS done- I’m the type of person who can’t function unless I’ve got something inside of me (even if its just an apple or a glass of milk). It provides so much energy. For people who don’t like eating in the morning, it can help to eat something very small (eg. piece of fruit) right when they wake up and then have a bigger snack a couple hours later for that extra fuel!
I am terribly addicted to sugar and after reading the repurcussions of eating this stuff I am going to make a concerted effort to reduce this substantially or eliminate it entirely.
Thanks
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