Sugar isn’t just bad for your shape, but research shows it can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, and may lead to chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer. Sugar addiction is serious because you can end up with withdrawal symptoms and makes it very difficult for you to make the dietary improvements needed to improve your health.

Sign 1: You hide your sugar habit

“Making excuses or making deals with yourself concerning sweets and desserts is a definite sign of sugar addiction,” Ken Berry, MD, author of Lies My Doctor Told Me says. “No one hides broccoli in their closet; if you hide sweets, or sneak to eat them, you might have a sugar addiction.”

Sign 2: You need more and more to satisfy the craving

Your tolerance to sweet stuff may build over time. At first, two cubes of sugar are suffice for your coffee, but as you become more addicted you need more and more to get a fix.

Sign 3: You eat sugar even when you’re not hungry

“The number one sign you have an addiction is that you’re turning to sugar when you’re not physically hungry,” says Lisa Rachel Snyder, intuitive eating coach and founder of the Beautiful Badass Method.

Sign 4: You always crave sweets

“After a sugar binge, your blood sugar will fall because insulin pushes that sugar into the cells to prevent sugar damage,” explains Carolyn Dean, MD. “That fall causes low blood sugar and more cravings.”

Sign 5: You try to quit and have unusual symptoms

Quitting sugar too abruptly can cause your body to have withdrawal symptoms like headaches, lethargy or feeling tired, cravings, muscle pain, nausea, bloating and even insomnia.

Sign 6: You use sugar to soothe

A psychological symptom of a sugar addiction is when individuals continuously turn to sugar as a means to cope with life stressors, boredom or other psychological issues such as depression or anxiety. 

Sign 7: You have feelings of guilt about eating sugar

It’s a bad sign if you eat sugar and junk food compulsively, even though you realize the negative consequences, and feel guilty later. You might be suffering an eating disorder and may want to discuss the problem with your doctor or a therapist.

Your Solution - The Healthier Sweetness