My doctor smiled and just wrote down the title of a book, Bright Line Eating. She said, after you read this book, you may never want to eat sugar again.
I Amazon Primed that title as soon as I made it to the car. The book basically says that certain people are more susceptible to an addiction to sugar, and the first half of the book explains the science behind how the brain reacts to sugar, and sees it as a drug — it all made so much sense to me. The author says the only cure is to set up a "bright line." It's basically a line you do not cross, and that line is to not eat sugar or flour (flour is just as addictive as sugar, the author thinks). It's the same line an alcoholic would make about alcohol. They avoid alcohol for the rest of their lives, even on special occasions and holidays.
My osteopath said, it sounds like you know that sugar causes bloating, but maybe after reading this book, you'll understand more about why your brain can't shut down the cravings. She suggested ditching sugar, fruit, and flour for one week, seeing how I feel, and then slowly introducing them again, starting with low-sugar fruit, like berries.
Here's a list of the foods I stopped eating:
- White sugar, honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup — sweeteners of any kind
- Fruit
- Dried fruit
- Flour, refined carbs, and baked goods