Spices are the cheapest advanced supplement you can buy. -Dr. Sam Shay

Let’s jump right into some controversy here at the beginning of the school year – is sugar addictive?

Dr. Sam Shay is well trained: he has a doctorate in chiropractic and degrees and certifications in acupuncture, functional neurology, genetics analysis, and functional medicine.

Plus, he’s a recovered sugar addict.

He’s passionate about helping parents, moms especially, understand and break this addiction, and especially with comfort foods helping us deal with back-to-school and pandemic stress right now, we need our resolve strengthened sometimes.

In this interview, you’ll learn:

  • Sam’s history of sugar addiction and how he got hooked
  • What it is about his personality (and how his mother parented) that made sugar addiction more likely for him.
  • How do we know sugar’s a real addiction when so many sources say it’s a hoax
  • Ways to help kids eat better with the 3 S’s
  • Sam’s 5 phase model to tame the beast of addiction (this can apply to other issues beyond sugar too)

Grab a worksheet from Sam to help break addiction here. 

 

Can’t see the video? Tame Sugar Addiction here on YouTube!

No time for the video? Here are the notes!

Taming Sugar Addiction

  • 0:17: I’ve got a bad sweet tooth and I’m afraid it’s one of those things that can sabotage all my healthy food choices. Today I’m talking with Dr. Sam Shaye about sugar addiction.
  • 0:43: Sam has a history of sugar addiction as well as screen addiction. He shares a bit about how he developed these addictions as a child.
  • 2:18: We start off with a practical tip. If you are concerned that your child has a sugar addiction (they may struggle with a craving for refined sugar, candy, or hidden sugars like carbs in the form of white bread and pasta) one of the first things you can do is stop keeping those things in the house.

I may not be stronger than bread, but I’m smarter than bread. -Dr. Sam Shay

Tips to Break Sugar Addiction

  • 3:27: Sam’s tip is to teach your kids how to make salad dressing. When they want to taste it what will they put it on? Salad or other veggies. Soups are another great thing to start with. Here is our favorite soup recipe for picky eaters and some dressing recipes to get you started: ranch dip, caesar dressing, greek dressing, Italian style dressing.

What if your kids could make a whole meal by themselves?

It’s totally possible for even the youngest children, once they learn the skills in the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse! Grab Your FREE Download: Kid-Friendly Recipes right here!





How old are your kids?
















  • 4:47: Replace all your spices with organic, clean, fresh spices. Anything over a year old should be replaced. Spices have a high concentration of nutrients.
  • 6:19: We mentioned bread and pasta earlier. All carbs will break down into simple sugars, it’s just a matter of how long it takes for them to break down. Dr. Shay breaks down this subject for us a bit.
  • 8:12: Dr. Shay shares his Tame the BEAST of addiction model. You can put any addiction through this system. The BEAST cycle of addiction is as follows: Believe stressful thoughts, Emotional stress response, Anethesize using a vice, Smolder in consequences, Terrible thoughts about self.

Why Is Sugar So Addictive?

  • 12:10: Dr. Shay shares some reasons why sugar is so addictive. There are genetic, cultural, neurological, hormonal, and social conditioning factors that almost push sugar addictions on many of us.
  • 15:34: Some people are actually genetically more susceptible to sugar addiction. You could be less able to handle carbohydrates than others.
  • 16:55: The first step to solutions is awareness. If someone doesn’t realize they need help, they need an interventionist, not nutrition advice. Here’s the book Dr. Shay mentioned, It’s Not Okay to Be a Cannibal.

My first question is "do they want help or do they just need help?" -Dr. Sam Shay

  • 18:26: If you have a child that is addicted who doesn’t want the help, the first thing you need to do is look at your own life and see where you are living out the cycle of addiction.
  • 19:40: If you want a worksheet with more detail on the BEAST phases of addiction you can get that here.

Kids don’t need plastic knives. They need real skills.

Teach safe technique, focus, and confidence in the all-time fav lesson from our kids cooking class! (ages 2-12)






Or find out more about the free knife class here.

  • 21:02: You can start today by removing the offending substance from the house. Unplug the wifi, throw away the candy. Then work on controlling blood sugar with healthy wholesome foods. Breakfast is super important if you have blood sugar imbalance leading to cravings.
  • 22:15: Take a very honest audit of what is causing stress in your life. That’s often the trigger for addictions.

Resources we Mention for Taming Sugar Addiction

Sam ShayFor over 20 years, Sam devoted his life to health and science, learning how to heal himself through functional medicine, using the same principles with his online clients.

Sam’s health journey began as a boy. He overcame over a decade of severe insomnia, gut problems, inflammatory diet, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and two addictions (video games and sugar).

Sam dedicated his life to alleviate physical, biochemical, and emotional suffering and help others reach the highest of human potential and creativity. He cross-trained extensively, including a doctorate in chiropractic, and degrees and certifications in acupuncture, functional neurology, genetics analysis, and functional medicine. 

Visit his course Flourish Out of Addiction here. 

taming the beast of sugar addiction