7 Gentle Steps to Start Eliminating Sugar (Without Feeling Deprived or Overwhelmed)

You don’t need to punish yourself to break up with sugar.

Most women I work with don’t crave sweets because they’re weak—they crave them because they’re under-nourished. Sugar becomes a stand-in for quick energy, comfort, or stimulation. But when your body is full of deeply nourishing foods, sugar’s grip softens.

Let’s walk through 7 soft, animal-based steps to start reducing sugar, naturally and sustainably—without guilt, obsession, or counting anything.

1. Start by Adding, Not Restricting

Before removing anything, begin by adding more nutrient-dense animal foods that support stable energy and satiety.

Include daily:

  • Eggs (especially yolks)

  • Grass-fed beef, lamb, or liver

  • Raw dairy or high-fat yoghurt

  • Tallow, butter, or ghee for cooking

These foods give you protein, bioavailable iron, B12, and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)—all of which help reduce sugar cravings.

Try this: Start your day with eggs, not oats or toast. See how much calmer and clearer your energy feels by lunch.

2. Ditch Sweetened “Health” Foods

Even clean labels can hide sugars. Think protein bars, “natural” granola, plant-based yoghurts, or oat milk.

Instead of:

  • Flavoured yoghurt → Full-fat plain Greek yoghurt with raw honey

  • Almond milk → Full-fat raw dairy or coconut milk

  • Snack bars → Slices of cheese, meat sticks, boiled eggs

Try this: Replace one packaged “healthy” snack with a whole animal-based mini meal.

3. Stabilise Blood Sugar with Real Food Fats

Fat is not the enemy. In fact, animal fats like tallow, butter, and ghee help keep your blood sugar stable so you're not chasing sugar highs and crashing after.

Build meals with:

  • Protein (steak, eggs, salmon)

  • Fat (ghee, suet, butter)

  • Optional carb from fruit or root veg if needed

Try this: Cook your dinner in tallow or ghee instead of seed oils. You’ll stay fuller, longer.

4. Heal Your Cravings by Nourishing Your Brain

Your brain needs cholesterol, saturated fat, and amino acids to produce feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.

Sugar gives you a fake version of that. Animal foods help your body produce the real thing.

Include:

  • Egg yolks for choline

  • Fatty fish for omega-3s

  • Liver once or twice a week for vitamin A and minerals

Try this: Add 1–2 yolks to your smoothies or soups. It’s a simple mood-supporting upgrade.

5. Replace Dessert with Nourishment

Instead of denying yourself, find animal-based options that feel indulgent but truly fuel you.

Instead of:

  • Cake or cookies after dinner
    Try:

  • Full-fat yoghurt with cinnamon & sea salt

  • A square of 85% chocolate + a spoon of cream

  • Frozen berries blended with raw milk or kefir

Try this: Choose one night this week to make an “ancestral dessert.” Let it feel luxurious, not like a “swap.”

6. Address the Emotional Root of the Craving

Cravings often point to unmet needs. Sugar might be a hug, a pause, or a reward in disguise.

Before you eat, ask:

Am I hungry, or am I needing comfort?

Supportive ideas:

  • Take a walk barefoot or in nature

  • Drink bone broth with sea salt

  • Call a loved one or journal for 3 minutes

Try this: Write a “comfort menu” of non-food ways to soothe yourself. Keep it on your fridge or phone.

7. Let Every Week Have One Intention, Not Ten

The secret to sustainable change isn’t doing everything at once—it’s choosing one clear focus each week. When you simplify your approach, your body and mind feel safe to shift.

For example, your first week might be about adding more animal protein to your breakfast. The next week, you could focus on removing just one processed sweet snack from your routine. Maybe the week after that, you’ll explore cooking with nourishing animal fats like ghee or tallow. Another week, you might try including liver or red meat twice to support your minerals and energy.

Each week, ask yourself:

What is one small, nourishing shift I feel ready to focus on this week?

Try this: Write your week’s intention on a sticky note. Let it guide your grocery list and meals.

Gentle change. Strong results.

You don’t need to fear sugar or punish yourself to break free from it. Instead, trust your body. Feed it deeply. Let food be simple again.

Your hormones, skin, moods, and energy will reflect that shift—and so will your sugar cravings.

Haya Qadoumi