EP #1297: How to Go Sugarless for Better Self-Care and Longevity

Send us a text Summary: In this episode, Lisa Davis interviews Dr. Nicole Avena about her book 'Sugarless: A Seven-Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars, Curb Your Cravings, and Conquer Your Addiction.' They discuss the challenges of balancing sugar restriction and cravings, teaching kids moderation, the historical shift in sugar consumption, the addictive nature of sugar and its effects on the brain, and the difficulty of breaking sugar addiction. They also explore the negative impact of processed foods and sweeteners, managing social pressure and setbacks, breaking dependence on sugar through a harm reduction approach, and the challenges of quitting sugar cold turkey. The episode concludes with information about Dr. Avena's book and where to find it. Takeaways Maintaining control over sugar consumption is important, as it is pervasive in our society and can lead to addiction. Teaching kids moderation with sugar is crucial to prevent overconsumption when unsupervised. The historical shift in sugar consumption has led to its pervasiveness in our diets. Sugar has addictive properties and can affect the brain in similar ways to drugs and alcohol. Breaking sugar addiction can be challenging due to the constant availability and advertising of sugary foods. Processed foods and sweeteners contribute to the overconsumption of sugar and should be reduced. Managing social pressure and setbacks is essential when trying to reduce sugar intake. A harm reduction approach, rather than quitting sugar cold turkey, can be more sustainable and effective. Reducing sugar intake requires making sustainable changes and being mindful of hidden sugars in foods. Dr. Nicole Avena's book 'Sugarless' provides a comprehensive seven-step plan to uncover hidden sugars, curb cravings, and conquer sugar addiction. Chapters00:00Introduction and Personal Experience with Sugar 00:53The Conundrum of Sugar: Balancing Restriction and Cravings 01:33Teaching Kids Moderation with Sugar 02:07The Historical Shift in Sugar Consumption 03:02The Addictive Nature of Sugar and its Effects on the Brain 04:29The Difficulty of Breaking Sugar Addiction 06:03The Negative Impact of Processed Foods and Sweeteners 07:23Managing Social Pressure and Setbacks 09:06Breaking Dependence on Sugar: Harm Reduction Approach 11:39The Challenges of Quitting Sugar Cold Turkey 12:32Reducing Sugar Intake and Making Sustainable Changes 13:46Conclusion and Book Information