Week 3 - Things to Consider

BREAKING UP WITH SUGAR

Depending on sheer will power isn’t often sustainable especially when it comes to behaviors as addictive as sugar. Sometimes breaking habits either through creating mini-behaviors that protect us from our mental loopholes (discussed WEEK 2) or changing the cue that triggers a maladaptive habit can be more effective.

In his book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg explains how this process works. First, there is a cue, a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which habit to use. Then there is a routine, which can be physical, mental, or emotional. Finally, there is a reward which helps your brain figure out if this particular loop is worth remembering for the future. The more we engage in this cue, routine, and reward loop, the more automatic it becomes. The cue and reward become linked, and we begin to experience a powerful sense of anticipation and craving for the reward. This craving is then what powers and perpetuates the habit loop.

Do you notice what happens BEFORE you eat the sugar? Is it when you are sad or tired? Is it when you finish a hard conversation? First, become aware of what happens before consuming sugar (reward) (or whatever behavior you want to change). Once you are aware of the cue, change the routine. For example, as soon as you walk in the door, you go straight to the pantry because you are craving your reward. Can you change that routine and set yourself up for a different reward? Maybe when you are coming home from work (or countless hours uber driving kids around), you reward yourself with a relaxing bath, stretching, phone a friend etc instead of consuming inflammatory foods.

Addressing the craving may require shifting focus to “crave” a long-term reward. For example, crave completing the challenge list and sharing successes with the group :), or maybe shift focus to craving how good you will feel once you break the habit or maybe set up a reward of buying a new lipstick ;)

Motivations for breaking up with sugar…

Some of the biggest problems with refined sugar are 1)it has no nutritive value, 2) it disrupts the gut microbiome, 3) may promote overeating by interfering with hormone signaling that regales appetite, 4) increases systemic inflammation.