Sandra Lee has been writing all of her life. During her junior Are you a victim of SUD? (Sugar Use Disorder) 5 Simple Steps to Kick Your Sugar Cravings An interview with health and wellness expert Dr. Julie Gatza Are you one of the millions of people who have tried to cut down on sugar and sugary foods but found it impossible because of intense cravings? According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average American consumes between 150 to 170 pounds of refined sugars every year. And even though we may know that excessive sugar consumption is linked to a long list of health problems -- from obesity and cardiovascular disease to joint inflammation and ADHD – most of us don’t seem to be able to stop eating sugar no matter how hard we try. But don’t give up hope! Health educator Dr. Julie Gatza from Nature’s Sources is here with a simple 5-step strategy to help us beat our sugar cravings once and for all. “Fortunately, once we understand the cause of our cravings, it’s not at all difficult to gradually wean ourselves off sugar, and at the same time drop down to our ideal body weight while we improve overall health and longevity,” says Dr. Gatza. Here are Dr. Gatza’s 5 Tips for Kicking your Sugar Cravings: Curb sugar-hungry Candida with yeast-fighting herbs: Candida albicans is a type of yeast that is naturally present in everyone’s digestive tract, and because it is a yeast, it needs sugar in order to grow. Intense craving for sugar is a warning sign that Candida levels in your digestive tract have become excessive and need to be brought under control. Dr. Gatza says one of the most effective and efficient ways to curb yeast growth is a natural anti-yeast/anti-fungal herbal extract from New Zealand’s horopito plant -- available to U.S. consumers as Kolorex. The extract attacks and kills yeast colonies and allows beneficial intestinal bacteria to flourish -- drastically reducing cravings for sugar and refined carbs. Eat smaller, more frequent meals: If you can manage to regulate your blood sugar levels throughout the day, you will take a big step towards beating your sugar addiction. That’s because every spike in blood sugar is followed by a crash. Eating huge meals is one thing that can certainly spike your blood sugar, and it is equally certain to result in sugar cravings shortly afterward. By sticking to small portions you can prevent those cravings from happening. It’s better to eat 5 small meals eac