Hello there,

Well, this question will be read by a lot of members, I am sure, as you are not alone in suffering with a chocolate and sugar addiction!  And I think there will be a lot more addicts by the end of Christmas too……….. 

Sugar and salt are two of the most addictive substances in the British diet. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer I can give you to break an ‘addiction’, but there are many things you can try to see if they help.  The first thing to be aware of is that cravings are often triggered by blood sugar fluctuations.  Ironically, sugar and chocolate are two of the key culprits for doing this, so the first thing you need to do is break this vicious cycle by avoiding all sweet foods, refined (white) carbohydrates, alcohol and too much caffeine. Either wean yourself off these foods over several days (maybe reducing the amount of chocolate you are eating and changing to dark 70% cocoa chocolate, which is richer and better for you) or go ‘cold turkey’ and cut them out completely if you can.

To replace these foods, and to keep blood sugar levels stable, you should eat little and often and include some protein with each meal if possible (eggs, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, dairy).  Never go longer than 3-4 hours without eating something.  Also, add slow-releasing carbohydrates (brown rice, wholemeal bread, whole-wheat pasta) to your diet too.  Then make sure your fruit bowl is full of tempting, different fruits for when you feel a craving for something sweet coming on.

Distraction can be another good tactic!  We often eat out of habit and changing your routine may help avoid some cravings.  We can also crave and eat sweet foods for emotional reasons, or when we are stressed, so avoiding these situations can sometimes be helpful too. It may be hard to crack, but it is worth persevering.  Good luck!