Many people already know that sugar feeds cancer. But did you know that it’s also connected to dementia? Vascular dementia is the second most common form around, checking in right behind Alzheimer’s Disease. Although most experts won’t say that sugar is the primary cause, they all agree sugar-related diseases, like diabetes, play a definite role. Alzheimer’s Disease is now commonly called “Type 3 Diabetes”. It’s pretty clear that eating sugar regularly increases your risk of dementia. With that in mind, you may want to take a serious look at getting your sugar intake under control.

Kicking the sugar habit “cold turkey”, although advised by some, can be overwhelming. Like Mark Twain said, “Quitting is easy. I’ve done it many times.” Another option is to ease it out, cutting your sugar in half, again and again, over time. Not crazy about either of those options? I don’t blame you. One seems too much of a shock to your system, and may be hard to maintain. The other might never get you to where you need to be.

I personally prefer “Swapping out”: exchanging refined, processed, and added sugars (including honey, syrups, and artificial sweeteners) for whole food sources from dates, berries, bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, and occasional pinches of dried fruit like cranberries or prunes. This form of sugar, surrounded by fiber, allows for a slow release into your bloodstream, which supplies your body with beneficial nutrients. It requires some deliberate action on your part (like revving up your cooking skills), but it is so worth it, and allows you to satisfy that craving for something sweet when it comes – and it will.

Need I say that “liquid sugar” is definitely out of the question? These empty calories are no good, no way, no how – and it’s shrinking your brain! That means tossing soft drinks, diet sodas, fruit juices, many iced coffees /teas, a lot of your sports/energy drinks, and even some sauces and salad dressings.

You can probably guess what I’m going to say about cereals, baked goods, and granola/nutrition bars: make your own. Avoid pre-made products with added sugar. Your daily allowance is only 6 tsp. for women and children, and 9 tsp. for men, so use them wisely. Making homemade treats/condiments puts you in total control of the sugar content, can be a lot of fun, can actually taste better, and is a great brain activity!

I’ve got a “Go-To” list of sweeteners and drinks, my first choices being from whole foods, and my second choice being “sweet-ish” flavorings, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla or almond extract.

And did you know that “bitter foods”, like dark chocolate, chia seeds, yogurt, or green tea, can help you with sugar cravings? So can taking a hot bath/shower, or going for a brisk walk. In fact, the rule of thumb when a sugar craving comes is to 1) remove yourself from the food source and 2) make yourself busy – Do something else for at least 10 minutes. The craving may go away!

So, what do you do with the sugar in your pantry? Use it for sugar scrubs! A sugar scrub will gently scrub off the top layer of dead skin that’s clogging up your pores, storing toxins, and making your skin look dull. It will also reduce breakouts, increase blood circulation, and hydrate your skin. Do it once a week, moving to twice a week if your skin can handle it. Brown sugar is supposed to work best, but regular sugar is fine.

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