Watch more Healthy Eating videos: https://www.howcast.com/videos/173332-How-to-Break-Your-Sugar-Addiction

Step 1: Recognize sugar code words
Stop eating refined sugar, and products made with it, by avoiding anything with the following ingredients: sugar; brown sugar; fructose; sucrose; glucose; maltrose; succinate; molasses; date, beet, grape, corn, or cane sugar; corn syrup; carob or sorghum syrup; fruit-juice concentrate; sorbitol; barley malt; caramel; malodextrin; dextran; or dextrose.

Tip
Many foods you might not expect often contain sugar: bagels, soy sauce, fruit-flavored yogurt, potato chips, and bacon.

Step 2: Ditch the artificial stuff
Ditch artificial sweeteners, too. That means no aspartame, saccharine, sucralose, or acesulfame.

Tip
If you must have something sweet in your coffee or tea, use a small amount of the natural sugar alternatives stevia, agave, or xylitol. The next best option is unprocessed raw honey or 100 percent pure organic maple syrup.

Step 3: Start with a smoothie
Replace your usual breakfast with a nutritious smoothie. Find recipes at SpentMD.com.

Step 4: Cut cravings
Curb cravings by taking 1,000 milligrams of the amino acid glutamine every four to six hours, or as needed. It tricks the body into thinking it is getting glucose, which reduces the desire for sugar.

Tip
Eating unprocessed foods rich in nutrients will naturally curb your sugar cravings.

Step 5: Satisfy your sweet tooth
Satisfy sweet cravings with a piece of fruit, an ounce of 70 to 85 percent dark chocolate, or a cup of organic plain yogurt with a teaspoon of stevia, raw honey, or agave syrup. Do this only when necessary, and no more than three times a day.

Step 6: Drink water
Drink lots of water, plain or sparkling. It helps reduce sugar cravings.

Tip
Add fresh mint or a slice of lemon or lime to your water for flavor.

Step 7: Cheat occasionally
Have a small treat made out of real sugar every fifth day or so if you need it. It will help prevent a sugar binge.

Step 8: Stick with it
Stick with it! The first three days are the toughest; after that, you’ll feel lighter and have more energy. Hang on for another ten days, and your hunger for sugar should dramatically diminish.

Did You Know?
There are 15 calories in one teaspoon of sugar.