When people hear “sugar,” the first reaction is usually immediate and emotional. It’s either the villain of the story or it’s the harmless sidekick. I see this all the time when I’m working with people, and for people navigating mental health challenges or addiction recovery, this can be even more of a challenge. A cooking conversation or a discussion about diet puts sugar firmly into the villain category.

It’s not that black and white. In early recovery, the brain is recalibrating and rediscovering its normal equilibrium. Dopamine pathways that were overstimulated are trying to normalize. During that time frame, cravings for sugar are common. The brain is searching for a quick reward while it relearns how to regulate itself.

Refined sugar activates reward pathways. It delivers a quick rush of energy and then fades just as quickly. The spike-and-crash cycle that refined sugar causes can amplify a person’s anxiety, irritability, mood swings, and cravings. For most people that’s hard to handle; for someone already trying to stabilize emotionally, that volatility makes everything a lot harder.

Blood sugar crashes can cause symptoms similar to anxiety (shakiness, sweating, rapid heartbeat) and sometimes feel like a panic attack. That is not to say that sugar is the only thing that causes issues, excessive food intake and poor overall diets play the biggest part in metabolic instability; sugar is the proverbial icing on the cake.

Using refined sugar as part of a regular diet is not recommended, but natural sugars operate differently. When you eat fruit, yogurt, or even carrots, you are getting fiber, water, micronutrients, and often protein. Fiber helps with gastric digestion and helps moderate glucose absorption. When natural sugars are part of a nutrient-dense mix, your body reacts differently.

From a metabolic standpoint, whole foods create a slower glycemic response. From a behavioral standpoint, they increase satiety. A pear requires someone to chew it; a bowl of berries and yogurt slows eating down because it takes a little time to eat. These physical processes help a body signal fullness, unlike drinking a can of soda or eating candy. Sugar-laden sodas and highly processed sugars bypass many of the regulatory processes a body has, making overconsumption easier and sugar crashes more likely.

Many people with a history of substance use have micronutrient deficiencies — B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients are directly involved in neurotransmitter production and regulation. Whole foods that contain natural sugars contribute to restoring a body’s balance. Refined sugar contributes calories without meaningful nutrients. It’s quick energy with no lasting benefits.

This does not mean we need to stay away from desserts or sweets. The goal is more healthy eating overall.

A few tips that can help set your day on the right track:

• Start the day with protein and fiber. That sets the tone for blood sugar stability rather than starting with a sugar spike.
• Choose whole fruit instead of juice when cravings hit. Juice removes the fiber that moderates glucose absorption, and many juices have additional added refined sugar.
• Pair carbohydrates with protein or healthy fat. Fruit with yogurt. An apple with nut butter. That combination helps flatten the glucose curve.
• Eat consistently. Long gaps between meals increase both sugar cravings and the risk of sugar crashes affecting mood, anxiety, and depression.
• Limit foods where added sugars appear near the top of the ingredient list.
• Look for minimally processed options that retain fiber and nutrient density.
• And if you must have something slightly sweet, try to stick to unrefined, unprocessed natural sweeteners like raw honey, maple syrup, date sugar, coconut sugar, or monk fruit. Use caution, as some natural sugars are high in fructose, which can have its own metabolic considerations.

Low-glycemic sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit are helpful for managing blood sugar but have an aftertaste that some people have a hard time adjusting to. Raw honey is best for gut health and digestion.

Date sugar/paste, maple syrup, raw honey, and coconut sugar are more nutrient-dense than refined sugar and are best for substituting refined sugar in cooking and baking.

Many natural sweeteners are not as sweet as refined sugar, and we have found that once your taste buds start adjusting to “less” sweetness, it helps cut down even more on intake. You will find over time that your taste buds kind of recalibrate themselves, when you start consistently eating whole foods rather than overprocessed ones, tasting a highly processed dessert doesn’t taste as good anymore and tastes excessively sweet.

WestBridge provides evidence-based treatment for adults and their families experiencing mental illness with or without substance use. Contact for inquiries and questions. For more information about our programs, please visit https://www.westbridge.org/programs/.