As consumers of roughly 160 pounds of sugar per person annually, according to recent reports, we need to be asking what the cost of our consumption is on our bodies and our health. Whether it's the sugar in what we eat or drink, and this includes the lattes, juices, sodas, and some alcoholic beverages-we owe it to ourselves to understand that sugar is making us fat and disrupting our body organs. Another more subtle but equally detrimental effect is sugar's action on the brain.[]
For many of us, sugar has an addictive pull that rivals cigarette smoking or heroin addiction. It may seem a bit outrageous to compare our sugar love affair to these drug addictions-I mean, doesn't just about everyone on the planet eat the stuff? Hasn't it been around-well, practically forever? If that's your brain talking, read on even if you don't have a weight challenge, because you'll add years to your life by becoming educated on the topic. And while it takes more than knowledge to change one's habits, the tragic truth is that most people never learn the facts or the solutions to food challenges they could otherwise overcome.The first step to getting a handle on your sugar habit is to take a look at the science of sugar and its effect inside your body. But before we take a look at what happens when we eat this non-food called processed sugar, let's talk about the law of sugar, which many of you have experienced first hand.
Energy depleted body: when sweet foods become a habit you start to rely more on these than on your natural energy resources of your body. Hence you feel weak, lethargic and depressed.sugar habits: this is when you eat sugar or sugar food at about the same time each morning, afternoon, evening or even night. When you skip the "sugar" hour you find yourself very anxious or depressed.sugar snacks when you are bored: when you are in a boring situation you grab a high-sugar snack to keep you occupied. This is one of the most important sugar addiction symptoms.
Why should you take sugar addiction seriously? Well, you already know you have a weight problem, right? Addiction to sugar may be at the very core of your problem. Obesity alone should be enough motivation to "lose the sugar habit" but if it's not, how about diabetes? Cardiovascular disease? Possibly cancer? Hyperactivity? Depression? Tooth decay?
Sugar consumption has been linked to challenges such as depression, CFS, ADD and ADHD, PMS, as well as overall poorer cognitive functioning. Most of us know about sugar's link to diabetes, but have you considered its possible connection to cancer as well? What if excessive sugar consumption was indirectly causing something as frightening as cancer? If it were possible, would you take the risk?It's not surprising that we have such a terrible rise in obesity over the past twenty years when we have manufactured sugars like high fructose corn syrup being put into so much of our food. HFCS is literally manufactured in a laboratory to be much sweeter than natural sugar.
This is nice but where to seek help when you discover sugar addiction symptoms in your life? Where to find help?There are different levels of help. Some need just a helping hand from their friends. Others may need treatment in a sugar issues center. You may join an online support group. This may help some people. A new idea is hypnosis. Suggestions and sugar related hypnosis sessions work for a lot of people. Carefully devised exercises that stimulate metabolism offer another, more natural alternative. The will is extremely important. Be determined to win the battle. When there's a will, there's always a way. When things don't go as planned and the sugar addiction symptoms don't go away, don't hesitate to seek professional treatment.
Here's something amazing: even thinking about a sweet food we love can trigger a chemical response in our brains to eat it. Essentially, the chemical response and memory trace which eating sugar creates inside our brains urges us to go back for more. Meanwhile, that false sense of comfort we achieved from eating our sweets keeps us returning to the source over and over again and we form the insidious habit of associating comfort with food.
The truth is that most of us avoid thinking about the harm sugar or similarly damaging high-carbohydrate diets are causing to our bodies. We do this because of the pleasure it gives us. It's even more pronounced when we use it as a reward or as a release from our busy, stressed-out lives. Sugar does make us feel better for a brief while, perhaps. But nearly all of us have at one time or another experienced the downside that comes with the crash, even if we didn't know what was going on exactly inside of us to make us crash. The ultimate tragedy is that while we might acknowledge that we have a sugar challenge-some of us might even be self-proclaimed addicts-we also tend to feel powerless to do anything about it.
The Cold-Turkey Approach: This approach is recommended for anyone who is tired of feeling tired and sluggish, and who feels that they have sufficient willpower and drive to eliminate as much sugar as possible from their daily diet, all at once.When you take the cold turkey approach, you clear your home, your car, and your office of any foods that contain excessive amounts of sugar. You restrict your sugar intake without restricting your caloric intake - this way, you feed your body well as you go through the withdrawal process. Most people who try this approach feel intense cravings at first, which gradually decrease as hours and days pass.
Fulfil your life. It's difficult to give up something you love without replacing it with something else. Sugar is a crutch for many people, if you give it up, focus on something else that will cheer you up whether that is exercise or watching your favourite soap.Naturally sweeten up. Berries, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg will sweeten your foods and reduce cravings.Eat 3 meals per day. Eat little and often. For many people, if they don't eat regularly, their blood sugar levels drop, they feel hungry and are more likely to crave sweet sugary snacks.Get support. Tell your family and friends that you are off sugar, so when they call around they aren't weighed down with cakes and biscuits.
For many of us, sugar has an addictive pull that rivals cigarette smoking or heroin addiction. It may seem a bit outrageous to compare our sugar love affair to these drug addictions-I mean, doesn't just about everyone on the planet eat the stuff? Hasn't it been around-well, practically forever? If that's your brain talking, read on even if you don't have a weight challenge, because you'll add years to your life by becoming educated on the topic. And while it takes more than knowledge to change one's habits, the tragic truth is that most people never learn the facts or the solutions to food challenges they could otherwise overcome.The first step to getting a handle on your sugar habit is to take a look at the science of sugar and its effect inside your body. But before we take a look at what happens when we eat this non-food called processed sugar, let's talk about the law of sugar, which many of you have experienced first hand.
Energy depleted body: when sweet foods become a habit you start to rely more on these than on your natural energy resources of your body. Hence you feel weak, lethargic and depressed.sugar habits: this is when you eat sugar or sugar food at about the same time each morning, afternoon, evening or even night. When you skip the "sugar" hour you find yourself very anxious or depressed.sugar snacks when you are bored: when you are in a boring situation you grab a high-sugar snack to keep you occupied. This is one of the most important sugar addiction symptoms.
Why should you take sugar addiction seriously? Well, you already know you have a weight problem, right? Addiction to sugar may be at the very core of your problem. Obesity alone should be enough motivation to "lose the sugar habit" but if it's not, how about diabetes? Cardiovascular disease? Possibly cancer? Hyperactivity? Depression? Tooth decay?
Sugar consumption has been linked to challenges such as depression, CFS, ADD and ADHD, PMS, as well as overall poorer cognitive functioning. Most of us know about sugar's link to diabetes, but have you considered its possible connection to cancer as well? What if excessive sugar consumption was indirectly causing something as frightening as cancer? If it were possible, would you take the risk?It's not surprising that we have such a terrible rise in obesity over the past twenty years when we have manufactured sugars like high fructose corn syrup being put into so much of our food. HFCS is literally manufactured in a laboratory to be much sweeter than natural sugar.
This is nice but where to seek help when you discover sugar addiction symptoms in your life? Where to find help?There are different levels of help. Some need just a helping hand from their friends. Others may need treatment in a sugar issues center. You may join an online support group. This may help some people. A new idea is hypnosis. Suggestions and sugar related hypnosis sessions work for a lot of people. Carefully devised exercises that stimulate metabolism offer another, more natural alternative. The will is extremely important. Be determined to win the battle. When there's a will, there's always a way. When things don't go as planned and the sugar addiction symptoms don't go away, don't hesitate to seek professional treatment.
Here's something amazing: even thinking about a sweet food we love can trigger a chemical response in our brains to eat it. Essentially, the chemical response and memory trace which eating sugar creates inside our brains urges us to go back for more. Meanwhile, that false sense of comfort we achieved from eating our sweets keeps us returning to the source over and over again and we form the insidious habit of associating comfort with food.
The truth is that most of us avoid thinking about the harm sugar or similarly damaging high-carbohydrate diets are causing to our bodies. We do this because of the pleasure it gives us. It's even more pronounced when we use it as a reward or as a release from our busy, stressed-out lives. Sugar does make us feel better for a brief while, perhaps. But nearly all of us have at one time or another experienced the downside that comes with the crash, even if we didn't know what was going on exactly inside of us to make us crash. The ultimate tragedy is that while we might acknowledge that we have a sugar challenge-some of us might even be self-proclaimed addicts-we also tend to feel powerless to do anything about it.
The Cold-Turkey Approach: This approach is recommended for anyone who is tired of feeling tired and sluggish, and who feels that they have sufficient willpower and drive to eliminate as much sugar as possible from their daily diet, all at once.When you take the cold turkey approach, you clear your home, your car, and your office of any foods that contain excessive amounts of sugar. You restrict your sugar intake without restricting your caloric intake - this way, you feed your body well as you go through the withdrawal process. Most people who try this approach feel intense cravings at first, which gradually decrease as hours and days pass.
Fulfil your life. It's difficult to give up something you love without replacing it with something else. Sugar is a crutch for many people, if you give it up, focus on something else that will cheer you up whether that is exercise or watching your favourite soap.Naturally sweeten up. Berries, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg will sweeten your foods and reduce cravings.Eat 3 meals per day. Eat little and often. For many people, if they don't eat regularly, their blood sugar levels drop, they feel hungry and are more likely to crave sweet sugary snacks.Get support. Tell your family and friends that you are off sugar, so when they call around they aren't weighed down with cakes and biscuits.