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Reviewed by Tamzyn Murphy, RD, MSc
For many people, the festive season is painted as a time of joy, connection and celebration. But for those living with sugar and carbohydrate addiction, it can quietly become something very different: the most dangerous time of the year.
In a recent Nutrition Network Live, our Head of Content, Tamzyn Murphy, RD, MSc, sat down with Karen Lee Edwards – Metabolic Coach and SUGAR® Specialist trained by Bitten Jonsson, R.N. – to unpack what really happens for sugar addicts over the holidays, and how to navigate this high-risk season with more safety, compassion and strategy.
The festive season: “perfect storm” or relapse season?
Tamzyn opened the conversation by naming what many feel but rarely say out loud: the festive season isn’t just “fun and indulgent” for everyone.
It’s a perfect storm of:
- emotional triggers and nostalgia
- family tensions (or loneliness and loss)
- alcohol
- constant access to ultra-processed, highly palatable foods
- childhood “comfort” treats, loaded with memory and emotion
“For some, it really is the fun festive season,” she said. “For others, it’s the relapse season – and it doesn’t get spoken about enough.”
Karen agreed. For someone in recovery from sugar addiction, being surrounded by their “drug” – in every shop, social gathering, advert and conversation – can be cruel.
“When we are addicts in recovery, being subjected to the substance that you are addicted to is… it’s cruel,” she said. “That’s why it’s so important to have a plan – and to practice that plan every single day.”
Sugar addiction: not “lack of willpower” – it’s a primary illness
One of the biggest myths Karen dismantled is that sugar addiction is just “liking sweets” or “lacking willpower”.
She shared her own turning point story: after years of eating keto, falling on and off the wagon and blaming herself, she found herself literally head-first in a chest freezer, eating foods that made her sick – and unable to stop.
“I had this out-of-body experience saying, ‘What are you doing? Stop, stop.’ And there was no ability to stop. It was terrifying. That’s when I realised: this isn’t just ‘I like treats’. This is addiction.”
Later, completing her SUGAR® assessment confirmed she had been addicted to sugar since at least age five.
Tamzyn emphasised an important clinical point: sugar addiction is a primary illness.
That means: it’s rooted in brain wiring and neurobiology. The “gun” is loaded at a neurological level. Exposure to highly palatable sugar and carb-rich foods pulls the trigger. And the brain’s reward pathway responds in a way strikingly similar to other addictive substances.
“If we don’t tell alcoholics, ‘Just drink responsibly over Christmas’, why are we telling sugar addicts to ‘just enjoy a little bit’?” Tamzyn asked.
What does sugar addiction actually feel like?
So what’s the difference between someone who enjoys Christmas pudding and someone with sugar addiction?
For Karen, the key words are loss of control, obsession and unmanageability – not enjoyment.
“Willpower doesn’t come into it,” she said. “We think we’re lacking willpower because we can’t stay away from the food. But bottom line: it’s a disease. I didn’t cause this – but I am responsible for my recovery.”
She described the shift after doing the SUGAR® work and stabilising her brain and metabolism:
“Now, when I think of Christmas, I think of family and relationships. The food has taken a step backwards. I’m not food-centric anymore – which leaves me so much time to enjoy the people I love.”
Tools for navigating the festive season: plan A, B… and Z
So what does it actually look like to navigate the festive season as a sugar addict?
Karen shared a series of concrete, practice-based tools she uses with clients – and in her own life.
1. Don’t wing it – live your plan before the holidays
Don’t wait until Christmas lunch to “try” boundaries and coping tools.
“You live the plan every single day so that when you’re subjected to things you’re allergic to, your response is autonomic – not automatic. It becomes natural to go into plan A, plan B, or plan Z.”
This includes practicing coping tools daily, scheduling them in your calendar, and treating them as non-negotiable actions, not vague intentions.
2. Bring safe food – and eat before you go
Karen suggests two simple but powerful strategies:
- Bring a platter or dish you can safely eat to family gatherings, so you’re never cornered into only having trigger foods.
- Eat a full, satisfying meal before you go if you’re unsure what will be served or the restaurant menu is risky.
As Tamzyn added, arriving hungry is almost guaranteeing that physiology and cravings will override intention.
3. Plan your words: kind, firm “no” scripts
Karen teaches clients to prepare and practice assertive yet kind responses ahead of time, so they’re not caught off-guard by food pushers or well-meaning family.
Here are Karen’s 20 loving yet assertive responses to help you navigate these situations:
- “I appreciate your concern, but I’ve researched and decided this is best for my health.”
- “I’m committed to my health goals, and this works for me.”
- “Thank you for caring, but I’ve made this choice for a reason.”
- “I’d love your support in this decision I’ve made for my well-being.”
- “I respect your opinion, but I’ve found this to be the best way for me.”
- “I understand your worry, but I’ve consulted with experts who support my choice.”
- “I’ve seen positive changes in my health since starting this journey.”
- “Let’s agree to disagree on this topic, but I hope you’ll respect my choice.”
- “My health is my top priority, and I’m confident in this path.”
- “I’d be happy to share information about why I’ve chosen this lifestyle.”
- “It’s not just a diet for me; it’s a lifestyle that’s improved my well-being.”
- “Your support means the world to me, and I hope you can back my decision.”
- “I’d love to discuss my reasons for choosing this lifestyle if you’re open to it.”
- “I’ve done my research and believe this is the best option for me.”
- “I value your input, but I’ve made this choice with my health in mind.”
- “This is about my health, and I hope you can respect my choice.”
- “I’d appreciate it if we could avoid discussing my diet and focus on other topics.”
- “I’ve made great progress on this path, and I’m excited about my health journey.”
- “I’m taking control of my health, and I’d love your encouragement.”
- “I’m grateful for your concern, but I’ve chosen this for a reason. Let’s support each other in our own choices.”
Remember, staying true to your health goals is a personal decision, and it’s okay to kindly assert your choices while maintaining respect and love for your friends and family. Practicing these before events helps anchor identity: “I’m on a mission to be well.”
4. Sleep is not optional
Both Karen and Tamzyn highlighted sleep as a non-negotiable tool. Poor sleep increases cravings, heightens stress and perceived threat, and lowers resilience and impulse control.
Tamzyn noted that the research shows people eat more and have less control over what they eat after a bad night’s sleep. For someone with addiction biology, that’s a direct relapse risk.
5. Breathe first, then decide
Karen shared a powerful but often overlooked tool: conscious breathing.
“Addicts don’t breathe properly. There’s even something called screen apnea – when we’re on screens, we stop breathing. Just stopping and taking a breath when you feel yourself spooling up can change everything.”
Tamzyn connected this to nervous-system science: slow, controlled exhalations stimulate the vagus nerve and shift the body from fight-or-flight into rest-and-digest. Techniques like “box breathing” (breathing in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4, repeat) or breathing out for longer than you breathe in (e.g. in for 4, out for 8) can rapidly calm the system, whether you’re about to dive into a buffet or step on stage.
6. Oxytocin, comfort and connection (without sugar)
Tamzyn also referenced research by oxytocin expert Prof Kerstin Uvnäs Moberg, highlighting that nourishing, comforting food and positive sensory experiences can release oxytocin (the bonding, calming hormone) without hijacking the dopamine reward system.
Eating a safe, satisfying meal at home (your broth, steak, or favourite low-carb comfort food) before exposed situations can give that sense of comfort and calm, so the event itself can become about people and connection, not just food.
What if you relapse over Christmas?
Perhaps one of the most compassionate parts of the conversation was around relapse.
Tamzyn candidly acknowledged her own pattern with her mother’s Christmas cake: “just one slice”, then another “little sliver” every time she walked through the kitchen.
Karen’s response was clear: relapse is not the moment to throw the baby out with the bathwater – it’s a data-gathering opportunity.
“If you do fall off the wagon, don’t just drown in shame. Become a detective. Ask: How did it taste? Did I even like it? How did my body feel? What happened to my mood, my sleep?”
Most importantly:
- Why did I want to change my mood in my brain?
- Was I trying not to disappoint someone?
- Was it habit, nostalgia, pressure, or emotional pain?
That analysis helps build conscious awareness and better planning for next time.
Children, treats and the “glass of wine” test
The conversation also turned to children and the patterns we reinforce.
Karen shared that her grandsons don’t usually get sugary treats from her – except for the Christmas cake they insist she still makes – and that most of their “Nana food” is hearty, nourishing chilli with sour cream and cheese.
Tamzyn offered a useful litmus test for those who struggle to understand sugar addiction:
“If you wouldn’t offer a glass of wine to someone with alcohol addiction, don’t offer cake to someone struggling with sugar addiction.”
She also pointed out that a century ago, children may well have had Christmas cake – but the environment wasn’t saturated with ultra-processed, hyper-palatable “Franken-foods” every single day.
The real question is often less about the one holiday treat, and more about the other 364 days a year.
The power of support, community and daily commitment
Karen stressed that no one does this alone.
- There are support groups specifically for sugar addiction (including those linked to Bitten Jonsson’s work).
- An understanding buddy or accountability partner can be invaluable, even if they’re not an addict themselves, as long as they can listen without judgement and gently reflect: “Is this really in your best interest?”
She personally uses the “I Am Sober” app and makes a pledge every morning not to use sugar – for just 24 hours.
“I pledge every morning, because I’ve done 24 hours before and I can do it again. That aligns exactly with Bitten’s teaching: small steps, focus on the next hour, the next day.”
How SUGAR® Certification transformed Karen’s coaching
Toward the end of the interview, Tamzyn asked how becoming a SUGAR® Specialist changed Karen’s practice.
Her answer was profound.
“It’s a total 180 from where I was. I now have a deep understanding of addiction. Sugar is the first addiction – everything else often follows. Before, clients kept coming back, falling off, and I was quite harsh: ‘You’re human, just get back on the wagon.’ Now I work from a gentler side, with specific tools, and I see clients sob with joy when their minds finally get quiet.”
She highlighted that the SUGAR® training created a structured, multifaceted framework to work on biochemical healing, group support and community, understanding relapse, and physical, emotional, mental and spiritual recovery.
“Bitten was brilliant in her creation of this course. It changed how I coach – and it changes lives.”
Want to specialise in sugar and carbohydrate addiction?
If this conversation resonated with you – whether you see yourself in the patterns described, or you’re a health professional watching your patients relapse every festive season – there is a structured, evidence-based pathway to do this work properly.
The next SUGAR® Certification cohort with Bitten Jonsson, in collaboration with Nutrition Network, starts on 23 January.
This pathway is designed for:
- doctors, nurses, psychologists and therapists
- dietitians and nutritionists
- health and metabolic coaches
- and individuals wanting deep understanding of their own addiction
You’ll learn to:
- assess and stage sugar and carbohydrate addiction
- understand the neurobiology behind it
- design structured, practical recovery plans
- support clients through relapse, holidays and high-risk seasons
You can find out more by searching “SUGAR Certification” on the Nutrition Network website, or visiting the SUGAR course pages here.
A final word: you are not broken
Tamzyn closed the Live with a message for anyone who sees themselves in this conversation:
“If sugar addiction spikes for you over the holidays, know this: you are not broken and you are not alone. Your biology is responding exactly as it was designed to. But recovery is possible and support exists.”
Karen’s parting advice was simple and beautiful:
- Be kind to yourself.
- Get curious: journal, observe your triggers, notice what’s really going on.
- Get your sleep.
- Eat your safe, nourishing food before events.
- Focus on the people, not the buffet.
- And never underestimate the power of a hug – a powerful natural oxytocin boost.
From all of us at Nutrition Network: may your festive season be grounded, connected and as relapse-proof as possible. And if you do stumble, remember: that’s not the end of the story. It may be the very place your real recovery begins.
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