Sugar Habit Is Increasing Significantly In Australia

Lady deciding fruit or cake

At the time of this article, Australia has the 5th highest incidence of obesity in the entire world. An increasing sugar intake in our diet is a major contributing factor to this epidemic. For many people this is more than just a diet problem - it is a every growing dependence. Recently I have had an increase in the number of clients attending for this concern.

What clients have had to say about the sugar curse/ fight

Recently I have been having a terrible time, every weekend I just go crazy, I seem to be able to deny myself during the week but once the weekend comes I go off the rails.

I am a competitive fitness person and have just finished my first prep. I am very healthy and fit, but found I couldn't stop myself from sneaking lollies and chocolate!! I know if I can curb this, then my prep will be a hell of a lot better!!

Chocolate calms me, everything is all better now ah just pure relief and I can feel it instantly and my mind thinks here it comes I will be ok now.

I get stressed out at work it gives me my calm and patience back. After dinner I need something yummy I do not feel satisfied unless I have something chocolate, cake, desert or biscuits. If I see chocolate I have to eat it as I get cranky if I have not had chocolate.

My mind is consumed with sugar and food, scones, cake biscuits are always available so I just have to eat them even though I am not hungry.

I go to the gym either before or after eating sugary foods then it is that I must work that off or I deserve something because I have worked so hard then I feel sad afterwards and I say I might as well keep going as I have blown it.

Even when I do not want it I am thinking about it, I say to myself I cannot have it in my mind, it does not work, I eat two bars a day not small bars big bars I buy it so I have it on me ready to eat.

The personal impact of sugar dependence

It is important to have a comprehensive understanding of what effect this has on each client. How does it impact on their day to day life and also their health as it can become a vicious cycle of eat something sweet but then we have the not so nice self-talk about our self. Why did I do that? What is wrong with me? The negative self-talk. Then of course the frustration that one experiences as you cannot control this sugar monster and of course if this has caused weight gain then there are also the thoughts in the mind about how you feel about your body and image. There can also be the feelings of feeling down as you self-sabotage and spiral down feeling out of control.

How to move forward (with hypnotherapy)

Once we know what we are dealing with then it is important to put in place some coping strategies to address all of the concerns. For some clients denying oneself during the week or totally puts us in what I call Loss Mode. I cannot have it so when I do have some I am going to make sure that I have plenty as there may not be any more or enough. It is like having a big neon sign in front of you flashing, eat me eat me eat me. Some clients can totally remove chocolate or sugary things from their consumption and some cannot. For those that cannot then it is about moderation and taking the focus off the sugary foods. Allowing both the minds to know that yes, I can have something but do I need it now, perhaps later and then we forget to go back and have something because we did not really need anything and you were not hungry anyway. It is alright, the chocolate, cake, biscuit factories are not closing down and that they tasted the same today as they did yesterday as they will in 10 years’ time. If we are stress sugaring then we also need to make sure that that is dealt with also and to keep you nice and calm giving you better ways to deal with not only the day to day stuff but also in those moments when things happen that we do not expect to happen.

Client testimonial

Below is a testimonial from a client who attended for this very issue so change your life and change how you feel by taking back control of your life by calling and making your appointment.

Hi Jacqui

So I just wanted to email you since it’s been 9 days since I saw you. Since that time I have had one chocolate- I do not crave it, nor want it. I had a piece of sugar free banana bread today and even then I didn’t binge on it like I would normally do. I’ve been a lot calmer at work and as a consequence dropped 2kg and have more energy when training at the gym.

Thank you so much, I have been telling people all about you!

- A