When you stop consuming sugar, you will likely actually go through a withdrawal period. Your cravings can become strong, and this is where you run the risk of messing up and sabotaging your health goals or dental healing protocol.
Any restricted diet also leads to feelings of deficiency and that is another saboteur that can derail your goals. So the trick is to have plenty of substitutes on hand for when those cravings or withdrawal feelings hit you (and they will). Remember that if the yeast (Candida albicans) grows too much and bad bacteria starts to die off, you may feel very strong cravings – it’s helpful to know that these are not “you” but the microbes screaming for life. Don’t feed them!
You’ll likely create your own substitutes or treats over time, but here’s my list to shorten your learning curve and get you on the path to success:
1. Sweetener without sugar – The best tasting natural sweetener I have found is Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener (if you can tolerate erythritol). If you can’t tolerate any of the sugar alcohols (erythritol, xylitol, maltitol, etc.) and they cause bloating or loose stools, it’s best to just use stevia and/or monk fruit (luo han guo).
I treat myself by going to a cafe and ordering a tea misto (Earl Grey, Rooibos and Chai are my favorites) and then sweetening it with a pack of Lakanto.
2. Chocolate cravings – The best tasting sugar-free chocolate bars I’ve tried are Lily’s Dark Chocolate Almond or Coconut. In addition to stevia, they also contain some sugar alcohol. But maybe just one or two pieces will be enough if you’re feeling down. Especially when combined with cocoa butter! I use these organic cocoa butter waffles and half a waffle per square of Lily’s chocolate – SO delicious and satisfies my cravings in a few pieces.
Lily’s chocolate with cocoa butter wafer
You can also make your own chocolate, but I personally like to increase the amount of cocoa butter to make up for the lack of sugar. Remember that although coconut sugar, agave sugar and honey have a much lower glycemic index than cane sugar, they are still sugars and are not allowed.
3. Nibbles – If you’re craving treats or snacks, I find cashews, pistachios or other favorite nuts to be filling. Maybe I’ll eat my salted nuts with a cup of rooibos tea + almond/oat milk + 1 packet of Lakanto sweetener. Feels like a real treat and eliminates the emotional feeling of being “deprived”.
I also buy plain Ripple potato chips and spoon them into my Tuscan Tomato Goat Cheese Dip (you can also substitute with zucchini if you’re sensitive to tomatoes). Since I’m happy with about 15 potato chips, that’s far fewer carbs than eating one baked potato. And less sugar (less than half) than eating tortilla chips.
4. Herb-honey-mustard sauce – Instead of honey, I simply use stevia to sweeten this sauce, which I then use on everything from scrambled eggs to chicken strips, or as a vegetable dip. It’s so good that all of my house guests want it with their eggs too, so I had to double my usual recipe!
5. Pretty fruit – I eat 1 piece of whole fruit every other day (no juice or puree!). Fruit cut into a pretty bowl makes it feel like a treat. If you eat fruit like blueberries or watermelon, add some fresh chopped mint.
6. Creamy Caesar – For some reason, a big, crunchy Caesar salad with my homemade Caesar dressing really counteracts any “deprivation” feelings I may have. Maybe because once you cut out sugar, you can taste the sweetness in things like romaine lettuce. Or maybe the good (cold-pressed) fats in the dressing are a real culinary delight. Chop or slice some grilled organic or pastured chicken on top and you have a delicious meal. If you can’t tolerate romaine lettuce, use a mix of baby greens or butter lettuce instead.
7. Salad burgers – homemade grass-fed beef burger patties (I get mine from the farmer down the road) on a base of lettuce or baby greens instead of a bun (to keep carbs to a minimum). I add freshly sliced tomatoes (or salsa), avocado and fried onions and brush it with my herby honey mustard sauce (see recipe above). SO good. There are no deprivations here!
8. Chicken Salad or Tuna Salad – I keep both pre-made in the fridge for a quick meal or snack when I’m tired and hungry and crave a carb or sugary pick-me-up. I use my homemade mayonnaise, diced green onions, small cubes of celery, and whatever fresh herbs I have on hand mixed with diced chicken or canned tuna. If I want to make a meal out of it, I use a bed of lettuce or baby greens and then top it with tuna or chicken salad (sometimes I add a little goat or feta cheese) and chopped tomatoes (use Roma tomatoes and remove the seeds and peel for maximum gut tolerance).
Note: I don’t eat more than one serving of dolphin-friendly tuna per week because it is high in mercury.
If you ever decide to start consuming sugar again, see which of these healthy practices you can easily maintain. There is never a downside to keeping sugar consumption to a minimum or, as I teach my kids, saving the sugar for when it really counts!
Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert in natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s disease and has been medication and surgery free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcasts, TV and radio shows in the US, UK, Canada and Australia, giving people hope and vision on how to heal their colitis, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) using all-natural methods. Her books on natural healing of digestive diseases have been sold in over 80 countries worldwide. Jini is married and has three children, nine sheep, 11 horses, a cat and three dogs.
