It’s not easy to pass when you’re asked if you want cake at a party or pie at a restaurant. However, part of the reason we want dessert so much is sugar addiction. Medical research suggests that our desire for sugar is a bottomless pit: the more we eat, the more we want. Should we just give in and have the ice cream cone? Only if we want to ignore evidence that if we eat a lot of sugar (and that includes corn syrup, fructose, and all forms), our bodies will age more quickly.

Try the following healthy living tips, recommended by nutritionists and dietitians, so that you can avoid this substance that is dangerous in large quantities.

Be selective

People often say it’s difficult to avoid sugar because they feel left out during social occasions. To negotiate with this tendency, selectively allow yourself to have special desserts to mark specific times of year, such as pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and the ice cream truck in summer.

The most problematic items that can keep us from eating healthy are foods that are always available. A perfect example is a substance that is very popular and is also a common migraine trigger: chocolate. Nutritionist Tamara Melton recommended that intake should be limited since it’s not associated with a special occasion.

Be confident

Give yourself encouragement and make sure that you are framing your battle to control sugar cravings in the right light.

“If you think resisting sugar is going to be hard, it will be hard,” said sugar addiction author Kathie Dolgin. “Change that negative self-talk if you are going to take control of your diet and your health.”

Don’t skip meals

It’s common sense that you are likelier to give in to your sugar cravings if you skip breakfast or have any other long breaks between food. Registered nutritionist Simone Gloger advised that the average person should have at least three meals and two snacks per day (reducing portion sizes if adding more meals), all of them containing plenty of protein.

Hydrate

One tip that promotes eating healthy is to recognize what your body is requesting. Often a craving for sugary foods is a sign that you actually need some H2O.

“People mistake thirst for hunger or cravings,” noted Dolgin. “That dip in energy that sends you hunting for a snack is often just a sign of dehydration.”

Forgive and forget

Being kind to yourself and to others pumps endorphins through your system just as sugar does. Since that’s the case, when you screw up, you can immediately get a natural high by getting yourself back on track.

Partnership for healthy living

Researchers have found that sugar can directly contribute to muscle and joint pain. Are you suffering from chronic pain? Chances are that sugar is just one small piece of the problem. Our team of pain experts can help. See our patient promises here.