My Secret to Getting Sugar Cravings Under Control

I am a sugar addict. I always have been. By the time I was in my late teens, I realized I was self-medicating with sugar. A Snickers bar, a coke and 2 aspirin was my late afternoon “pick me up” - and it worked. Once I was in my 40s, I’d started drinking alcohol heavily. I was getting enough sugar from the wine so that reduced my need for other sugar. Dessert? No, thank you, but pour me another glass of wine, please.

By my mid-forties, I had to take a good look in the mirror; what I saw wasn’t pretty. I had to get my self back, which meant I needed to stop drinking. So, I went to rehab. That started a journey of self-discovery that I wouldn’t change for the world, but getting here wasn’t always pretty.

I did a lot of white-knuckling for the alcohol cravings. Of course, I also went to sugar because that’s what alcoholics do, right? If you’ve ever seen an AA meeting, it’s sweets, sugar and coffee. All legal and all there for the taking.

So there I was, alcohol and drug free, but not substance free by any means. It was still a few years before I went to another kind of detox. This time to gain more understanding of which foods served me better and which ones didn’t. It was another life changing event for me. Through this work, I got my sugar cravings under control, but it took awhile. I was living by myself at this point, so it wasn’t too hard to control my environment. If I didn’t buy it, I didn’t eat it. I didn’t have to hide sugary treats from myself as I just didn’t bring them home.

This worked well for many years.

Then, a year and a half ago I changed my life again in a big way when I moved back home to Seattle from southern California. I hadn’t been there in many years (to live) and it’s been an adjustment. The darker days took their toll; so did living with my Mother (the big reason I moved back) and the grief of losing two family members far too early in life. My good friend “sugar” started sneaking its way back into my life. It was subtle at first, but by this last winter I took a good look at the weight gain I was experiencing and said “hell no”, I can do better than this! I knew it was from sugar and not quite enough exercise. Increasing my movement was easy, and this time I knew I had a really great tool at my disposal to help fight cravings: essential oils. For sugar cravings, grapefruit essential oil and the Slim & Sassy Metabolic Blend work wonders.

Grapefruit:

Many of us can probably recall the “grapefruit diet,” and hearing that it’s one of the best fruits to eat for weight loss and fat-burning. There is indeed truth to this statement. Some of grapefruits active ingredients help curb the appetite, and are very beneficial to boosting energy levels. Grapefruit essential oil can help support a healthy metabolism, and when added to water or inhaled directly from the bottle, it’s known to lower sugar cravings. In addition, the scent of grapefruit is uplifting and clarifying and therefore helps improve mood. This can be a big help for those who suffer from emotional overeating. Grapefruit essential oil is also a natural diuretic and lymphatic stimulant. It can be very effective in kick-starting a sluggish lymphatic system.

Slim & Sassy:

The doTerra Slim & Sassy (Metabolic) blend combines several powerful essential oils that have shown to boost metabolism and control hunger cravings. It can also help calm your stomach. Slim & Sassy contains oils of grapefruit, lemon, peppermint, ginger and cinnamon. It’s a natural, healthy way to help you reach your weight loss goals, by helping to curb those strong sugar cravings when they strike. Like grapefruit, Slim & Sassy smells fresh, vibrant, and spicy and lifts your mood, giving you a revitalizing energy boost. You might even want to consider diffusing it during your workout to help keep you going. The grapefruit and lemon in Slim & Sassy have a high limonene content, which helps to purify and cleanse the body. The peppermint, ginger and cinnamon provide a stimulating effect on the endocrine system. Used together, they combine to help you manage your appetite throughout the day. There is a whole line of doTerra Slim & Sassy products, including meal replacement shakes and softgels.

There are 3 ways to get the benefits of essential oils: aromatically by using a diffuser, or smelling directly from the bottle; topically by applying directly to localized areas; and internally, either in a capsule, in water, or under the tongue.

DoTerra’s essential oils are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils, known to be the safest, purest, most effective oils available from around the world today. The Slim and Sassy blend really helped me the most. I put a drop or two in my water, if my tummy is getting a bit out of control, I rub a couple drops with some fractionated coconut oil across it (always with loving intention). For a quick fix, grapefruit sniffed directly from the bottle can really stop cravings in their tracks.

Here are several other suggestions to help kill sugar cravings. Choose one or more as needed:

Use 1-3 drops of basil (smell)

Cinnamon (drink)

Grapefruit (drink, smell)

Thyme (capsule)

Slim Sassy Metabolic Blend (drink, capsule)

If you want to know more about how you can live an essential oil lifestyle, connect with me at sharon@sharonotness.com. I’ll be happy to get you started.