I recently received this short but powerful testimonial from Alison that I wanted to share with you:
“A friend told me I could tap to get rid of my sugar addiction. She suggested doing it every time I went to the bathroom. Within a week, I had kicked the habit. Now I introduce tapping to my healing clients, and anyone else I think might benefit.”
Alison’s story is resonant of a theme I’ve seen countless times over the years: sometimes the simplest approaches to Tapping yield the most remarkable results.
Using a natural daily pattern (in this case, bathroom breaks) as a trigger for Tapping sessions created a consistent practice that helped her overcome a stubborn sugar addiction in just one week.
What’s equally beautiful is how Alison didn’t keep this discovery to herself—she’s now sharing the technique with her healing clients and others who might benefit. This ripple effect is exactly why I’m so passionate about making Tapping accessible to everyone… and why I want to share these personal stories with you!
So let’s dive into why Tapping works so effectively for food cravings and addictions, and how you can use it to transform your own relationship with sugar or other foods that have a hold on you.
The Neuroscience of Food Addiction: Why Willpower Isn’t Enough
When it comes to sugar addiction—or any food dependency—we’re dealing with something far more complex than a simple lack of willpower. In fact, research shows that sugar activates the same brain pathways as drugs like cocaine, triggering the release of dopamine and creating powerful reward circuits in the brain.
This isn’t just psychological—it’s neurological. Your brain has literally been wired to crave these foods.
Each time you eat sugar, your brain’s reward centers light up, creating what neuroscientists call a “dopamine hit.” Over time, your brain becomes desensitized, requiring more sugar to achieve the same pleasant feeling. Meanwhile, when sugar levels drop, your body experiences genuine withdrawal symptoms: irritability, fatigue, headaches, and intense cravings.
This is precisely why traditional approaches that rely solely on willpower often fail. You’re not just fighting a habit—you’re fighting your brain’s deeply ingrained neural pathways and your body’s biochemical responses.
But here’s where Tapping offers something truly revolutionary.
Why Tapping Works When Diets Fail: Addressing the Root, Not Just the Symptom
Tapping operates at the intersection of mind and body, addressing food cravings at multiple levels simultaneously:
1. Nervous System Regulation
When you’re experiencing a craving, your nervous system is often in a state of dysregulation. The stress response activated by a craving creates a cascade of hormones that intensify the urge to eat.
Tapping sends calming signals directly to your amygdala—the brain’s alarm center—helping shift your nervous system from a stressed “I need sugar now!” state to a regulated “I can make a conscious choice” state. This physiological shift alone can be enough to weather the craving until it passes.
2. Emotional Processing Through the Body
Food cravings aren’t just physical; they’re often emotional. Many of us turn to sugar when we’re stressed, sad, bored, or even celebrating. These emotional patterns run deep, and they live in our bodies, not just our minds.
Tapping helps process these emotions where they’re actually stored—in your nervous system and body. Rather than trying to “think” your way out of an emotion (which rarely works), Tapping offers a direct pathway to release the emotional triggers that drive you toward sugar.
3. Breaking Conditioned Responses
Your brain has built strong neural pathways connecting certain triggers (stress, time of day, specific locations) with sugar consumption. These automatic responses happen below the level of conscious awareness.
Tapping helps interrupt these automatic circuits and creates space for new responses. When you tap while experiencing a craving, you’re essentially teaching your brain: “This trigger doesn’t have to lead to sugar consumption. We can respond differently now.”
4. Addressing Root Causes
Unlike diets that focus only on what you eat, Tapping helps you uncover and heal the underlying reasons why you turn to certain foods. Whether it’s comfort from childhood, a way to numb difficult emotions, or simply a deeply ingrained habit, Tapping creates a safe space to explore and transform these root causes.
The Bathroom Break Technique: Why It Worked So Well for Alison
What makes Alison’s approach particularly brilliant is how she incorporated Tapping into an existing daily routine—bathroom breaks. This strategy works so well for several reasons:
- Consistency: Most people visit the bathroom multiple times daily, creating natural opportunities for regular Tapping practice.
- Privacy: Bathrooms offer a private space where you can tap without feeling self-conscious.
- Timing: By Tapping throughout the day, you’re addressing cravings before they become overwhelming.
- Pattern interruption: You’re inserting a new behavior (Tapping) into your day, which helps disrupt existing patterns of sugar consumption.
- Body awareness: Bathroom breaks naturally bring attention to your body, making it an ideal moment to check in with physical cravings and emotional needs.
Let’s break down how you can implement this approach in your own life, with specific Tapping sequences designed to address different aspects of sugar cravings.
Practical Tapping Techniques for Breaking Sugar Addiction
The “In-the-Moment Craving Buster” Sequence
When you feel an urgent craving for sugar, this quick sequence can help regulate your nervous system and reduce the intensity:
Tapping on the side of the hand:
“Even though I’m having this intense craving for sugar right now, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though my body thinks it needs sugar, I accept how I feel and I’m open to the possibility that this craving can pass.”
“Even though part of me really wants something sweet, I honor this feeling and I choose to stay present with it rather than immediately act on it.”
Eyebrow: “This intense sugar craving”
Side of the eye: “I can feel it in my body”
Under the eye: “It feels so urgent”
Under the nose: “Like I need sugar right now”
Under the mouth: “This familiar craving”
Collarbone: “My body thinks it needs sugar”
Under the arm: “This strong urge for something sweet”
Top of the head: “This intense craving”
Eyebrow: “But what if it’s just a feeling?”
Side of the eye: “What if I can feel this craving”
Under the eye: “Without having to act on it?”
Under the nose: “What if I can just notice it?”
Under the mouth: “And let it be here”
Collarbone: “Without needing to make it go away with sugar”
Under the arm: “I can breathe through this craving”
Top of the head: “It’s just energy moving through my body”
Eyebrow: “I’m safe feeling this urge”
Side of the eye: “Without immediately responding to it”
Under the eye: “My body is actually okay right now”
Under the nose: “This craving is just information”
Under the mouth: “Not a command I have to obey”
Collarbone: “I can feel this energy”
Under the arm: “And let it move through me”
Top of the head: “I am in charge of my choices, not my cravings”
Check in with yourself after this sequence. Has the intensity of the craving decreased? Often just one round is enough to take the edge off, allowing you to make a more conscious choice.
The “Underlying Emotional Needs” Sequence
For many of us, sugar serves as an emotional crutch. This sequence helps uncover and address those deeper needs:
Tapping on the side of the hand:
“Even though I use sugar to meet emotional needs, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though sugar has been my go-to comfort, I’m open to finding healthier ways to nurture myself.”
“Even though there are emotions beneath my sugar cravings, I accept all my feelings and I’m willing to explore them gently.”
Eyebrow: “What am I really hungry for?”
Side of the eye: “When I reach for sugar”
Under the eye: “What need am I trying to meet?”
Under the nose: “Is it comfort I’m seeking?”
Under the mouth: “Is it a way to feel better when I’m down?”
Collarbone: “Or a reward when I’ve had a hard day?”
Under the arm: “Sugar has been meeting these needs”
Top of the head: “But at a cost to my wellbeing”
Eyebrow: “What if there are other ways to meet these needs?”
Side of the eye: “What if I can comfort myself without sugar?”
Under the eye: “What if I can find healthier rewards?”
Under the nose: “What if I can acknowledge these emotions directly?”
Under the mouth: “Instead of trying to sweeten them away”
Collarbone: “I’m learning to listen to my body’s true needs”
Under the arm: “And respond with kindness”
Top of the head: “I can meet my emotional needs in new ways”
Eyebrow: “I honor the part of me that turns to sugar”
Side of the eye: “It’s been trying to help me feel better”
Under the eye: “And I’m grateful for that intention”
Under the nose: “Now I’m finding new ways to take care of myself”
Under the mouth: “That nourish rather than deplete me”
Collarbone: “I’m learning to truly nurture myself”
Under the arm: “In ways that support my wellbeing”
Top of the head: “And this feels even better than sugar”
The “Habit Rewiring” Sequence
This sequence focuses specifically on changing the neural pathways that have been established around sugar consumption:
Tapping on the side of the hand:
“Even though my brain has been wired to crave sugar, I accept where I am and I know neural pathways can change.”
“Even though this sugar habit feels automatic and beyond my control, I deeply accept myself and recognize I can create new patterns.”
“Even though my brain has learned to associate sugar with reward, I’m teaching it new, healthier connections now.”
Eyebrow: “This automatic sugar habit”
Side of the eye: “My brain is just running an old program”
Under the eye: “It’s been wired this way for years”
Under the nose: “Like a path that’s been walked so many times”
Under the mouth: “It’s become the default route”
Collarbone: “But brains can change”
Under the arm: “New neural pathways can form”
Top of the head: “I can literally rewire my brain”
Eyebrow: “Every time I choose differently”
Side of the eye: “I’m creating a new pathway”
Under the eye: “Every time I tap instead of eating sugar”
Under the nose: “I’m strengthening this new connection”
Under the mouth: “My brain is learning something new”
Collarbone: “That I can respond to these triggers differently”
Under the arm: “Creating new, healthier patterns”
Top of the head: “That serve me better”
Eyebrow: “I’m reprogramming my response to these triggers”
Side of the eye: “Teaching my brain new associations”
Under the eye: “Creating space between trigger and response”
Under the nose: “Where my conscious choice lives”
Under the mouth: “Each time gets easier”
Collarbone: “As these new pathways strengthen”
Under the arm: “I’m changing my brain with every tapping session”
Top of the head: “Rewiring my relationship with sugar one tap at a time”
The Power of Consistent Practice
What strikes me most about Alison’s story is how she leveraged the power of consistency. Rather than attempting lengthy Tapping sessions, she incorporated brief interventions throughout her day. This “little and often” approach is often more effective than occasional longer sessions.
The bathroom break technique brilliantly illustrates what I call “habit stacking”—attaching a new behavior (Tapping) to an existing routine (bathroom visits). This significantly increases the likelihood that you’ll actually do the Tapping consistently.
If bathroom breaks don’t work for your schedule or preferences, consider these alternative “Tapping triggers”:
- Before each meal
- Every time you get in or out of your car
- During TV commercials
- While waiting for your computer to boot up
- Right after brushing your teeth
The key is consistency. Even 30 seconds of Tapping, done regularly throughout the day, can rewire your brain’s response to sugar more effectively than a single 30-minute session once a week.
A Note on Compassion: The Essential Ingredient
As you work with these techniques, remember that overcoming any addiction—including sugar—is not about forcing or fighting yourself. The most powerful transformations happen when we approach ourselves with compassion rather than criticism.
Your sugar cravings aren’t a moral failing or a sign of weakness. They’re the result of complex neurological, emotional, and physiological patterns that developed for a reason. Tapping helps you address these patterns while maintaining a stance of self-acceptance.
Notice the language in each Tapping sequence begins with “Even though…” This phrasing acknowledges where you are while still remaining open to change. This combination of acceptance and possibility is what makes Tapping so effective for breaking stubborn patterns like sugar addiction.
Your Path Forward: From Addiction to Choice
Alison’s story illustrates the shift from addiction to choice. Through consistent Tapping, she moved from feeling controlled by sugar cravings to having the freedom to choose whether or not to consume sugar.
That’s the real goal—not perfection or complete abstinence (unless that’s your personal choice), but freedom. Freedom to enjoy a sweet treat occasionally if you choose to, rather than feeling compelled by overwhelming cravings you can’t control.
This journey looks different for everyone. Some people find that after Tapping, they naturally lose interest in sugar altogether. Others discover they can enjoy it occasionally without it triggering a cascade of cravings. The beauty of Tapping is that it helps you find your own balanced relationship with food—one that honors both physical health and emotional wellbeing.
If Tapping helps you reduce your sugar cravings, consider who in your life might benefit from learning this simple yet powerful technique. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is a practical tool that brings relief.
Ready to take this further? Here are some helpful resources:
- The Tapping Solution App – Features specific meditations for cravings as well as other tapping to support healthy habits.
- Cravings Buster: Sugar – This meditation that’s been completed by thousands of users with an average 51% reduction in craving intensity!
- Wellness Reset Collection – This collection can help shift your mindset around wellness, so you can build nourishing habits and find pleasure and ease in the process of taking care of yourself. Two sessions that could be especially helpful for cravings and food choices are: Mindful Eating and Unpacking Unhelpful Habits.
- Cravings – We have a lot of sessions: longer standard ones, and 2min Quick Taps for a variety of craving types. Come see the search results for “cravings” to find the session that will help you most.
- Motivate me to Eat Better – This Tapping meditation can help you to release any resistance to healthy eating and begin to feel excited about eating better.
- Find a Certified EFT Practitioner – For personalized support in addressing complex eating patterns or addictions.
- The Tapping Solution for Weight Loss & Body Confidence Book – This book is my sister Jessica’s comprehensive guide to using Tapping for food issues and body image. You can find it in Audiobook format on our App too!
Note: You can access these meditations by clicking the links above using your mobile device, or type the name of the meditation into The Tapping Solution App’s search function.
I’d love to hear about your experiences using Tapping for sugar cravings or other food-related challenges. Have you tried incorporating Tapping into daily routines like Alison did? What changes have you noticed in your relationship with sugar or other foods? Share your story in the comments below!
Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner