Many people blame sugar cravings on lack of willpower rather than accept that sugar is highly addictive—even more so than cocaine, nicotine, and alcohol. The problem isn’t just dessert, but the fact that sugar is everywhere. Approximately 80% of products in supermarkets contain sugar, so it’s unsurprising that many people struggle to eliminate it from their diets. In Sugarless, Dr. Nicole Avena—a pioneering neuroscientist on food addiction—spells out the substance’s detrimental effects on the brain and body. She empowers readers with an easy 7-step program to help them find the hidden sugars in their foods, control their sweet tooth, and break the vicious diet cycle for good. Sugarless also includes 30 sugar-free recipes.

Nicole Avena, PhD, is a pioneering research neuroscientist and expert on nutrition and food addiction. She’s the author of several books on nutrition, including What to Eat When You’re Pregnant. Dr. Avena is an associate professor of neuroscience at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City and a visiting professor in health psychology at Princeton University. She writes regularly for PsychologyToday.com, MindBodyGreen, and Sharecare.