By Dr. Jean-Luc Allemandi
And resisting chocolate cravings becomes easy!
Sugar is considered one of the “century’s evils”, explains Doctor Jean-Luc Allemandi, an acupuncture doctor who has developed a three-step protocol to free us from our sugar cravings.
Our addiction to sugar and the absence of any kind of satisfaction threshold are almost always linked to stress. To respond to stress, the body secretes serotonin, but if stressful situations go on for a long period of time, the production of this soothing neurotransmitter is exhausted and dysfunctions set in. To help patients to free themselves from compensation mechanisms such as sugar addiction, Doctor Allemandi carries out an indepth clinical examination in the patient’s first appointment, to allow him to find out about the patient’s eating habits and lifestyle, which are the root cause of this dysfunction. Next, using very thin acupuncture needles inserted into precise points for 30 minutes, he stimulates certain areas of the brain in order to regulate the secretion of active substances such as cortisol, serotonin and endorphins. This stimulation allows the body to better manage and release any stress. Liver drainage is also activated during this session, as the liver is greatly affected when we consume sugar. The doctor then injects a homeopathic active that is specific to each patient, subcutaneously. The dilution (higher or lower concentration) and choice of remedy are adapted according to the patient’s specific problem and profile. In addition to these acupuncture sessions and injections, he fits small gold studs into the ears, to prolong the acupuncture’s action. One of the studs is inserted into the auricle, into an auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture) point that acts upon cravings, and the other into the crura of antihelix, into one of the points that controls satiation. These studs measure around two millimetres, are pain-free and invisible because they are covered with a flesh-coloured bandage. They provide valuable support over the next ten days, as whenever the patient feels a craving, they simply stimulate the treatment point for 120 seconds. After ten days, the studs fall out on their own. To achieve long-lasting results, Doctor Allemandi recommends four sessions spaced eight days apart, then two sessions per month for two to four months, to help the patient to get used to these new sensations.
The aim of this treatment is not to put the patient off sugar altogether, but rather to enable them to rediscover the pleasure of savouring sweet things. Where before they would compulsively devour a whole bar of chocolate, they will now be satisfied with just one piece!
Doctor Jean-luc Allemandi 
Graduated from Paris medical faculty in 1977.Diploma from the Scientific Association of French Acupuncture Doctors (ASMAF). Course in mesotherapy (Necker University Hospital, 1980). Course in Phytotherapy (IEPM, 1982). Acupuncture consultant and clinical tutor for the ASMAF (Paris Bichat Hospital) from 1978 to 1992.Analytical psychotherapy training (EEPA) from 2007 to 2012.
