I almost died when my Ayurvedic practitioner told me that I could not have sugar. Real food was just a formality to get to the dessert.

Nevertheless, I abandoned all my sweets without much guidance. It took a while to understand what “bad” sugar was. Most people were not keen on Ayurvedic wellness 14 years ago, so I had to navigate using my personal GPS.

How was I to live without stopping into every little bakery that NYC has to offer? No more Balthazar bakery stops on the way to lab? No more dessert at Waverly Inn? I’m supposed to live without Dean and Deluca’s raspberry chocolate cake? How?

Well, this chocolate addict went cold turkey. Not everyone needs to, can or should do that. Here are a few methods that have worked.

1. DROP IT NOW. I committed to not buying or eating any sugar-added foods. This meant keeping busy whenever a craving hit.

2. MAKE IT TO 21 DAYS. The cravings eased and I thought about it less after I reached 21 days. They say that if you can do anything by this mark, then the rest is easier.

3. ENJOY HEALTHY SUGARS. Carrots are versatile, almonds are building, and fruits are pretty good when in season. Raspberries are great on their own as are pomegranates. Overloading on fruits is not an effective approach because they are still high in sugar. This is particularly unfavorable for those with Kapha-dominant doshas.

Take the raspberries, leave the giant macarons. In-season fruits are lovely, but overdoing them can unbalance the gut’s sugar content. (Image: AKJAM Publishing)

4. ADD MAPLE SYRUP. I discovered this healthy alternative to add to oatmeal in the mornings or homemade granola. A small amount does the trick.

5. SWEETEN WITH FRUIT. Brands have gotten better at not adding sugar to their foods. I found these cookies way back when at Whole Foods on Houston Street that were sweetened with apple juice. This kept the sugar content low.

6. ASK WHY, DON’T CRY. Figure out why you want the sugar and what type of sugar (candy bar, pudding, cake, cookie?). This can be either annoying or freeing. You may want to give up or say ‘I don’t know why and I just want it’. Maybe you’re fed up with restrictions in your life, maybe it’s hormonal, it’s certainly not Maybelline. Take the time work through it.

7. EAT HALF. If you choose to indulge a little, even with fruit-sweetened cookies, eat half or a quarter instead of the entire thing. Save some for later or share.

The Science

Sugar causes issues along the gut-brain axis. Inflammation related to refined sugars or too much sugar can lead to bowel diseases and/or syndromes. It also feeds the “bad” microbiome critters in our gut and skin. Neurons in our gut tell us if we like good or bad sugar. We want to feel satiated, which is what sugar does through the reward system and hormones. Finding fulfilling replacements can eliminate cravings in the future.

Bottom Line

We need sugar to survive because it provides energy. But, daily living influence eating unnecessary types and amounts of sugar. Even Elaine from Seinfeld needed her 4 o’clock sugar fix after daily cake parties. Energy for proper brain function does not need Elf’s liter of coke topped with maple syrup-spaghetti. Cutting sugar also does not mean never eating cake again. I used to have major chocolate cravings, but that all ended after I tried this 14 years ago. My gut thanks me.