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Hi there. I have been paleo for almost a year now and it feels great...except I still have pretty bad sugar cravings, not a great amount of energy and never feeling totally satisfied after eating. I have been pretty stressed lately so I know a lot of my cravings are coming on an emotional level. I would love to do a "sugar detox" (by the way when I say I eat sugar its usually a gluten free baked treat or coconut milk ice cream sweetened with agave or cane sugar) or some sort of reset to get myself back on track. Any suggestions on a meal plan to help get me there? Even if I have a nice big breakfast or lunch with protein, carbs (from vegetables or sweet potato) and some good fats I rarely feel "good". I would love some help because I am getting that depressed feeling from the lack of control over the sugar or excess food wants. Thanks so much!

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have you tried black chocolate. The more black, the better. – majkinetor Oct 25 2011 at 7:46

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Sorry that this is not a meal plan suggestion, but I have read a bunch about using the amino acid L-glutamine for sugar cravings. It is for sure a temporary fix - not a long term solution. But it is supposed to be a fast acting amino that satisfies the brain in much the same way sugar does. Julia Ross (Diet Cure and Mood Cure) talks about using it in this way.

L-glutamine reaches the starving brain within minutes and can often immediately put a stop to even the most powerful sweet and starch cravings. The brain is fueled by L-glutamine when glucose levels drop too low. Don't be intimidated by the strong effects of supplementation. L-glutamine is a natural food substance; in fact, it's the most abundant amino acid in our bodies. It serves many critical purposes: stabilizing our mental functioning, keeping us calm yet alert, and promoting good digestion.promoting good digestion.

http://www.alternativementalhealth.com/articles/dietcure.htm

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5-HTP is also used. – majkinetor Oct 25 2011 at 7:46
This is great thank you so much!! I will definitely try both! – Jaimie Oct 25 2011 at 12:10
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Everyone with cravings should own a big jar of this stuff and always know where it is. Open a capsule and put it under the tongue (or 1/4 tsp or so of powder.) – Shari Bambino Oct 25 2011 at 13:26
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Try the whole 30 from whole 9 life. Very strict and their aim is to knock out sugar addictions-- no matter how small. It's a strict program, but you sounds like you can handle it. And I would up my fats if your not feeling full, whole 9 also has a recommended portion size for macronutrients that's adjustable to the individual. Good luck!

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Thank you! The program looks great, Im on it! – Jaimie Oct 25 2011 at 12:11
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This may sound harsh, but you have to stop viewing food with the words "treats" involved. Yes, you can make a coconut ice cream "dessert", but the idea of dessert should be off the table for you now. As long as you have the mindset that it's ok to continue eating in this way, it's going to be extremely hard to break the habit of reaching for the unhealthy foods that they mimic. What happens is some emotional trigger will come along and BOOM! there you are back there wanting sugar again, because psychologically you haven't gotten yourself away from that kind of eating.

You are not sentencing yourself to life without good food when you do this and you don't want to think of it that way, you need to view it as a positive step. Once you can go through buffet lines or grocery stores and look at refined carb foods and not have them draw you in, then you can decide in different situations if you want to allow yourself to eat them or not. Once the pull of the foods is gone, the choice is easy to make.

My advice is to go way low on carbs for a month or more. 25 grams or less, and see what you feel like then.

It's not easy, but you can do it if you stick to it for awhile. Good luck.

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I appreciate this I really do. You are definitely right I need to know I am not "losing" something by not having desserts. It is a choice and one for the better because sugar makes me feel like shit at the end of the day. I will try going low carb to see if that even forces me to have more protein which may benefit. – Jaimie Oct 25 2011 at 12:33
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Large amounts of lean meat/poultry/fish or eggs don't leave you satisfied? I agree to up your fat with full-fat coconut milk, EVOO or coconut oil. I find meditating for 10 minutes a day helps me with stress a lot. You'll find guided meditations on chopracenter.com Best wishes!!

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