Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey there, sunshine. Welcome to the Power On Plants podcast. We're your host, jared, and Anita Roussell, and we're absolutely head over heels for whole plant foods and helping you navigate this incredible plant based journey. That's because our lives have been completely changed by plant based goodness. We used to struggle every day with excess pounds and low energy, vascular disease, joint pain and lack of sleep, just to name a few, and even though we're medical professionals, we still weren't getting practical answers that actually worked. So we dug into the research, we started living what we learned, and now we both have our lives back, and that's what we want for you, too. The truth is, you can do this, and it's not hard. You just need a way that will bring real and lasting change, and that path. It has to be simple and enjoyable, and it's got to be delicious too. So are you ready to live your life to the fullest? Then you're in the right place, because living without limits that's what Power On Plants is all about. So pull up your chair, grab a matchelite and let's get started. Welcome to Power On Plants, sister. We are so happy to have you joining us today, because I'm going to put Jared on the spot right off the bat, I know that's a surprise that you've been here for a while.

Speaker 2: 1:20

I really got to get on the planning of these episodes a little more.

Speaker 1: 1:24

That's what happens. That's what happens, not that I don't have input.

Speaker 2: 1:28

But I always see her over there on the computer typing away, planning it, and then she tricks me.

Speaker 1: 1:34

He fell right into my trap. All right, we are talking about something that's so important. That's every time right. I say it every time because this is one of the most important things you can do for your life, and that's to learn how to eat more whole plant foods. Today, specifically, I want to talk about a struggle that we used to have. The struggle is real how do you stop sugar cravings, cravings for something sweet? So, jared, yes. Did you used to have sugar cravings, used to have? That's a southern vernacular, in case you guys aren't from the south.

Speaker 2: 2:11

I would say, yes, sometimes there were certain things that I enjoyed. Now, did I necessarily have a sweet tooth per se? I wouldn't say necessarily, but there were certain things that back in the day. Yeah, I mean some cravings.

Speaker 1: 2:27

You used to have some cravings for certain sweet things.

Speaker 2: 2:30

Well, definitely cravings Okay.

Speaker 1: 2:32

Cravings, sugar cravings, sweet cravings. So what are some things you used to crave.

Speaker 2: 2:38

I know at one point we've talked about this on previous episodes the organic barbecue chips from Costco and you know what I used to crave those?

Speaker 1: 2:45

You wouldn't think that's a sweet craving, but those things have sugar on them. Well, that's true, they are sweet, they're sweet.

Speaker 2: 2:50

I think because they're very greasy and salty, it kind of overpowers the sweetness, so that you don't really notice how sweet they are.

Speaker 1: 2:57

Okay, sister. So if you have not heard episode 220, how to stop food cravings in general and regain appetite control, you have to write that episode down right now and, as soon as this one's over, go and listen to it. Today we're specifically talking about sugar cravings. We didn't talk about that before, but with Jared's barbecue potato chip problem, I'm just gonna let's just label it a problem.

Speaker 2: 3:19

Used to be a problem.

Speaker 1: 3:20

It was a problem. Not anymore. We don't keep them in our house. Why? Because we know they've got the trifecta of addiction on them.

Speaker 2: 3:27

And there's a reason why their little slogan was you can't eat just one, Because they knew it was formulated. It was formulated to be crazy Cravable.

Speaker 1: 3:37

I ought to make your barbecue potato chip shirt for you that says because they knew or because they knew.

Speaker 2: 3:43

And that bag that says family size. It wasn't family size.

Speaker 1: 3:49

It's kind of like the wopper, the biggie wopper that you think you know you're a big person, you can eat just one. Now that's not happening. Why? Because your body's still hungry. It's hungry, it's begging for more, and then you feel like you got a problem at the end of that first meal. When you're going up for your second biggie wopper meal and I'm not just picking on Burger King here, like you can biggie any kind of meal at any kind of fast food restaurant You're going to want more when you're done. I'm just saying and it's designed that way on purpose, and you got to go listen to episode 220 to learn all about what's happened in there. Okay, you need to understand why you're having these cravings, but specifically today we're talking about sugar cravings. So Jared had sugar cravings. He would eat a barbecue potato chip. So for me, growing up in Chattanooga, close to college jail, where little Debbie is right, you know, I'm wanting some stark crunch. I'm going to get some oatmeal cream pies, all those lovelies that I grew up with thinking, oh, these are down home Southern foods, this is the good stuff. No, there's nothing in these foods. And again, I'm not picking on little Debbie. You could say anything. You could say Twinkie here. You could say any of that, whatever. Your sweet thing is that you reach for when you got a sugar craving and you keep it in your pantry, or you keep it in your purse, or you keep it in your glove compartment, or you keep it in your shoebox in your closet. Let's just get real. Let's just get real, okay.

Speaker 2: 5:03

Listen, I mean you don't want your children to find and eat it up before you get a chance to even have one.

Speaker 1: 5:08

Listen, we're going to tell you today how to set yourself up for success. Okay, because those things do not have to have a hold on you. I used to have sugar cravings. Now I was kind of like Jared, where sweets weren't my just absolute go to. We have people in power on plant society, though some of our members and they'll tell us like they are big sweet tooth people, they love the sugar things. They would have reached for that before versus anything, and now they don't have that. Why? Because we didn't tell them they couldn't have sweets. We're not going to tell you you can't have sweets. Why? Because you can. You know I'll never forget this time. We met this woman when we were out walking along our little beach town down by the ocean. We ran into this one In a shop that we were in. We've had it happen a couple of times with different people, I don't remember, but it's always a woman talking about her husband. If my husband would just give up sweets, he'd be alright. His health would be good. Sweets are his problem. It's not that he needs to give up sweets, he's just eating them in the wrong way. It's okay to have a sweet treat every once in a while. It's okay to eat something sweet every day. Okay, you just don't want your whole plate to be filled with sugary things. But when you start telling yourself, I can't have this, I can't have that, what are you going to do? You're going to hold on until you have that cheat day which tells you that the other days you're living, you're being deprived, Just by nature. Having a cheat day or needing a cheat day teaches you that what you're doing on a regular basis is leaving you deprived, and that's just not true. If you're choosing to eat a power on plant's way, that is not true. You're not going to be living deprived, you're not going to feel deprived and you will have no need for cheat days. Why? Because the sugar cravings will lose their hold. They'll fade into the past and the sugar cravings that I did have, they're gone. Do you still have sugar cravings?

Speaker 2: 6:52

No, not at all. They're gone and we still get to enjoy things that are sweet, but we don't crave them. They fuel our bodies well and we're enjoying what we do. So, like you said, we don't have a cheat day, because every day is a great day.

Speaker 1: 7:06

I love that. No need for cheat days, because every day is a great day and that's the truth. We love how we live. So if you want to build a life that you love, where you can lose the excess pounds, get rid of the low energy, get rid of the fatigues, kiss the pain goodbye, get your blood levels back to normal yeah, I'm talking about your blood sugar, your cholesterol, your triglycerides. All those things can't come down. They can normalize to where you can even come off your medications with your doctor's supervision. And it's important you have your doctor's supervision because this stuff can get better rather rapidly and your blood pressure can go too low, okay. So this is important. These are the things you need to know when it comes to sugar cravings. First, we need to look at what is triggering that in you. What is the cause? Let's get to the root cause. Jared and I love to dig down to the root cause. Look, we got so tired of being in medicine, with him being a physician assistant and main nursing being an RN. Okay, Sick and tired of feeling like that, we could do nothing more than address a symptom with a medication. And if you haven't heard this story before and I haven't shared it a whole lot. I've just got to share this story with you about when Jared and I went to this conference and I'll never forget it. I was home with the kids. We'd rent a house down near where the conference was in Orlando. And he comes home, he tosses his stuff down and he says look, I'm so over this, I'm so sick and tired of there being this list of diseases and this list of medicines. Why are we not talking about what's causing this problem? What's causing the high blood pressure? What's causing the cholesterol? What's causing the extra pounds? Until we get to that and these were his words it's just like we're flicking matches into a field, you know and you were saying why don't we just quit flicking the matches, right?

Speaker 2: 8:53

Well, it was like we're flicking matches into a field and deciding what was the best fire extinguisher.

Speaker 1: 8:58

Right.

Speaker 2: 9:00

Because this particular guy in the one meeting was talking about high blood pressure and that if it was at a certain level then this medication would work better or this combination of medications would work better. And again, he was a very intelligent man, Wasn't saying that there was anything wrong with what he was saying. It just never addressed the root cause Right. Why were these people having the high blood pressure in the first place? What were we doing about that?

Speaker 1: 9:24

So what happens if you take one medication and then it causes side effects and you need to take another? Or maybe that didn't bring it down low enough, so now you need another, and another, and another. Now you need a medication for the four or five blood pressure medications you're taking to fight the side effects of those medications. And now, now you still got what going on, what's still happening under the surface. Whatever cause did in the first place? Okay, it's not your age. Okay, because you can reverse age with these foods. We're going to be talking about that down the road. There are foods that can reverse age. You, or, if you're looking for the fountain of youth, you have found the right thing.

Speaker 2: 10:00

Just out of a car analogy.

Speaker 1: 10:02

Oh y'all. I've got to have a horn honk or something. Somebody. If you're out there and you are in some kind of little shop where they have a trinket that honks the horn, please reach out to me.

Speaker 2: 10:13

I've got to have you send it.

Speaker 1: 10:15

I've got to have you send it to us Because I've got to have something I can push at the mic. Doot doot Every time it starts a car. Analogy Car analogy warning Girl. You know what's going to happen. He's not a car guy. That's what's so funny.

Speaker 2: 10:27

Yes, I know he knows how to fix a car.

Speaker 1: 10:29

Thank God, but he's not a car guy and so that's so funny, I double.

Speaker 2: 10:33

I can fix things. But in this case I'm thinking let's say you have rusty springs on your car and you're going down the road and you hit a bump and you hear that squeak. Well, if you throw some grease on it, you may get rid of the squeak for a time.

Speaker 1: 10:48

But have you gotten rid of the?

Speaker 2: 10:48

rust. Have you gotten rid of what's going on, because eventually the rust will continue to.

Speaker 1: 10:54

It's going to continue to erode it To erode the metal and things will break down.

Speaker 2: 10:58

Same thing in your body. You can control a number by reducing that blood pressure, but if you're not addressing the inflammation that caused your vessels to become stiff, which then increases the pressure, you still have damage going, you still have blockages building that down the road could then lead to something more serious, even like a heart attack, or cause you to have memory loss down the road when you get older, into your Well, now that we're in our 50s, older like 90.

Speaker 1: 11:25

The older ceiling keeps rising right. Also, the more we feel better, the younger we feel. Like I don't feel, and somebody you know. When our clients said this to me the other day, she said in Nita you know, I look in the mirror and I even look younger than I did before, but I feel so much younger, like I feel 20 years younger at least. Actually she said 30 years younger, that's the word she gave me. We just see this happen all the time because you get your energy back, but you're addressing the root problem.

Speaker 2: 11:54

You're getting rid of the rust, you're not just lubing it or greasing it up.

Speaker 1: 11:58

So you don't want to be eating. You may think you want it right now, but you don't want this. If you want quality of life, you don't want to be eating white sugars, processed sugars, powdered sugars, cane sugars, corn syrups all these things they're adding to your meals. You don't need to be eating large amounts of maple syrup if there's a way you can cut that out. You see a whole fee plant-based recipe like a famous one I've seen blotting around out there, that is, balsamic vinegar dressing. We talk, jare, not talk about doing the balsamic in the mustard and you can add garlic and stuff like that. But balsamic by nature is naturally sweet. You do not need to add maple syrup to it. So anywhere you can cut the maple syrup out, cut it out or sub it for something else, because Even Dr Gregor has a video out about what are the best sweeteners. Go look it up. Okay, the best sweeteners. We're gonna be talking about that as well down the road. But two of the best are just the whole foods. Okay, the whole foods. But if you need a liquid sweetener, I'm gonna hold that off because I'm gonna share with you later on the next episode about that. But what causes these cravings? What is triggering it? There are many triggers that can trigger sweet cravings, habits, memories okay. Lack of sleep makes it so much worse. Yes, right, and there's a reason for that. There's a chemical reason behind that. Get your sleep, girl. Get your sleep okay. Low energy, and it's like this vicious cycle. You get low energy when you're eating the animal products and the Dairy products and the things that gum up your system and wear you out, and the sugary things, okay.

Speaker 2: 13:32

That's what I was thinking. Because you eat slow energy, you're fine sugars, it spikes your insulin. What happens? Sugar then gets pulled into the muscle cells, of fat cells, so your sugar levels drop. And then you feel the fatigue and you think, oh, I need some energy, I need a quick fix. And then you're doing that again. What happens? Sugar spikes, insulin follows and then you're on this roller coaster up and down, no telling how many times during the day and what if you're starving yourself because you think that's necessary to lose weight, right, not necessary?

Speaker 1: 14:03

What if you're doing that to yourself and you are so hungry because your blood sugar gets low and so now you walk by Stuff that, sabotaging you in your environment, or you're driving by a store that you know has that thing and you got a sugar craving coming on, so you're gonna get that thing because you got low blood sugar and listen me driving, love blood sugar.

Speaker 2: 14:22

No, you should not be driving low-blood sugar. But if you think I'm just gonna go into the store but I'm not gonna get that one thing, I'm just gonna walk around it. You're fooling yourself cuz you're gonna see it, you're gonna go and then you're just gonna tell yourself I'm just gonna buy this one time You're thinking about the barbie chips again.

Speaker 1: 14:38

I know what you're doing. I'm thinking what about the barbecue chips? Again, they're gonna call your name.

Speaker 2: 14:43

I wasn't thinking that, but that would absolutely apply in this example here. So don't even go in the store, no only fooling yourself right.

Speaker 1: 14:51

So stay away from having just one. That's step number two. First, you need to identify what's causing the cravings. We just talked about some of the different things that can cause that. We're just scratching the surface, but stay away from those things that you know are causing it. Okay, there's no need to starve yourself in the name of health or eat nasty tasting foods either. All right, step number two stay away from having just one. It makes it so much more difficult. I'm just gonna have just one. No, you're not. No, you're not. You're gonna eat one. You're gonna think, well, two is not bad, three is not bad, and ten minutes later You're feeling bad because you done eat the whole.

Speaker 2: 15:27

Well, it's like you're talking about the family and then, when you eat the one, you'll think, well, I've already done it now. I mean, I've already passed the line, so I'm just gonna do it go all in and eat more and more and more.

Speaker 1: 15:39

Absolutely so. Stay away from having just one step. Number three when you have cravings, pause. Pause. Always remember that. Pause. If I have a sugar craving, hit me. Pause, okay, before you grab the unhealthy option. Or better yet. Step number four Don't put the sweet options that are sabotage your health into your environment. Get them out, remove them, do not purchase them again. But here's the key. What do you think it is, girl? If you've been with us long enough, you ought to be saying it right now. I'm gonna test, jared.

Speaker 2: 16:15

Well, I know what it is, but I'm wondering if this is the next step. Is this step number five? Put something else in its place.

Speaker 1: 16:23

Yes, that will love you back, girl. That's even better, that will love you back. You've got to have something that is going to love your body back, something that you love. Though, right, you're not gonna put something nasty in there. You're not gonna remove the little Debbie's the stark crunch. You're not gonna remove the chocolate cake and then put something in its place that you hate and think I'm gonna have to eat that. Yeah, you know, it's just not happening.

Speaker 2: 16:45

Maybe it would be like trading one bad relationship for another.

Speaker 1: 16:49

No, it'd be like trading a good relationship for a bad relationship. That's what that would be like. You've got to put stuff in there. Does that make sense what I just said? You'll look confused. I think so.

Speaker 2: 17:00

No, I'm saying if you're getting rid of the stark crunch, but you put Twinkie, it's like trading one bad relationship for another bad relationship. So you want to put something that's delicious and healthy. So there you're trading a bad relationship to get a good relationship.

Speaker 1: 17:18

I see what you're saying, but you don't want to feel like you gave up a good relationship to take on a bad relationship, and that's exactly how you're gonna feel if you put something in its place that is nasty and disgusting. In the name of hell, don't do that to yourself.

Speaker 2: 17:31

Well, that is true.

Speaker 1: 17:32

Do you see what I'm saying? Don't do that to yourself. So these are two different sides to the same coin. So set yourself up for success by doing what Finding. Finish the sentence for me, sister, I know you're saying it finding your new favorites. You know we're keeping our list. You know we are. If you haven't started that list, you got to go back and listen to all the episodes. We've talked about this so many times. Okay, I'm not even going to go into here, but you got to keep that list. You got to have your new favorites, okay. So if your environment is filled with your new favorites and the sweet craving hits, you're going to be able to reach for something that's going to literally power your body. Well, you will gain power on plants. You're not going to hit that crash and burn. You're going to be not flicking the matches anymore, but actually start putting out the fires. I mean it's amazing. So this is what I call the one-two punch You're getting out the stuff that's sabotaging you, You're putting in the stuff that makes you feel amazing and before long, the paints are going away, the blood pressure is coming out, the cholesterol is getting better. Why does it affect so many things? Because it does.

Speaker 2: 18:40

It affects your so many things.

Speaker 1: 18:42

It affects your vascular system, it affects your gut health, it affects. And so all that, think about just what your gut health and vascular system affect. I mean, it's just mind blowing.

Speaker 2: 18:50

And then I have to inject here. You love what you're doing.

Speaker 1: 18:54

You mean interject?

Speaker 2: 18:56

Well, interject, inject Either way, but you love what you're doing, right? It's like we were saying before there's no cheat days, there's no dread of living this way. So you're getting rid of the pain, you're having new favorites, you feel amazing and you just love what you do and now it's just your normal daily habit.

Speaker 1: 19:18

So you're never going to tell yourself I can't have that thing. You're just not going to do that. Okay, don't do that. You're going to say I'm choosing not to have that and I'm going to up level. You know, I'm living above that now. I'm living in a different stratosphere. I'm living, I'm kingdom living. Okay, you're choosing better for yourself. Can you have that thing? Absolutely, you can have it at any moment. But you're going to set yourself up where you don't need that Because it doesn't have a hold on you anymore Once you start doing this stuff. This is one of my later tips, but I'm going to do it early. Imagine that, okay, these things are going to lose their hold on you and we call this and it was termed by one of our clients food freedom, because foods no longer had a hold on her anymore. She doesn't have to have anything because nothing draws her in with its tractor beam. It's like something comes in and cuts it, because you're eating what your body wasn't originally designed to eat. And now imagine that you're feeling better, you're looking better, you're looking younger, you're able to do the things that you want to do, that you could only dream about doing before. What are those things for you that you dream about doing right now. I want you to stop and just think what are the things that you want to do, that you would love to be doing this evening after work, but you're too tired so you're going to go home and crash. What are the things that you'd love to be? Saying yes to that you have to say no to. Like one of our clients, she loves to go boating, she loves to ride her motorbike, she loves to do all these wonderful things that she used to get stopped from doing.

Speaker 2: 20:51

We will be back later this week with part two of how to bust sugar cravings. You don't want to miss the rest of this. I promise you it is good stuff. But hey, in the meantime, would you do us a favor? Would you leave us a review on your favorite podcasting app? It means the world to us because it helps other people find our podcast to get the same life changing information that you're hearing today and on every episode. We appreciate it more than you know and we'll see you next time on Power On Plants.