> What I've Learned. HOW to Quit Sugar & Unhealthy Habits. YouTube, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olEMIohTgzQ>. Accessed 16 Aug. 2021. # HOW to quit Sugar & Unhealthy Habits > The key to quitting sugar is understanding the 5 things in your way: Your brain, environment, habits, gut and (maybe) friends. - 5 things work against you: brain, environment, habits, gut and friends. - Brain - Sugar is biologically addicting and keeps you hungry (insulin blocks leptin signalling) - You have to dissociate sugar from happiness or pleasure: sugar doesn't raise overall happiness, it just makes it spike - Environment - Bliss point: point at which a product is the sweetest and tastiest it can be - The sight of food can make you hungry because your brain can secrete insulin in anticipation (thereby blocking leptin signals) - Habits - Charles Duhigg, _The Power of Habit_ - Habits emerge because the brain constantly tries to save effort - Every McDonald's looks the same → everything is a consistent cue to trigger eating routines - Understanding what causes the craving makes it much more easier to handle; mindfulness is key - Gut - Sugar contributes to the breakdown of the intestinal barrier - John Yudkin, _Pure White and Deadly_ - An unhealthy gut microbiome could be to blame for ADHD and autism for children, Alzheimer's in the elderly and general brain fog - Sugar facilitates the growth of Candida, a type of fungi, leading to a multitude of negative symptoms - Michael Gershon, _The Second Brain_ - Eat fermented foods and take prebiotics and probiotics to restore your gut - Friends - Read about sugar to be able to answer their questions and arguments