By Not only is sugar and addictive substance, it’s also an added ingredient in most of the things we eat. You will be surprised at what every day items contain this additive. One can easily become hooked on sugar, and experience intense cravings, lost control and binge eat.
Sugar fuels every cell in the brain, and sees it as a reward, which makes you want it even more. If you eat a lot of it, you keep reinforcing the reward, making it very hard to break the cycle.
Refined carbs are a big culprit as well
Think about that rush of happiness and energy once you hit that 3pm snack attack. The sugars it contains are simple carbs, rapidly turning into glucose in the bloodstream. That produces a spike of energy.
Fruit and veggies also contain sugars, but because of their high fibre and protein content, they usually do not cause a spike. Unfortunately, sugar, chocolate, bars and lollies do not contain anything but sugar and processed garbage.
When you keep feeding yourself sugar, the body tries hard to move glucose out of the bloodstream and into the cells for energy. During this process, the pancreas makes insulin. Around this time, you may experience a sudden drop in energy. That sudden shift can cause feelings of extreme lethargy, shaky nervousness and the need to eat even more sugar to retain that high energy level again.
It’s not only sweets that cause addiction
You may be the type who loves savoury foods, such as breads, pasta, rice, pastries and chips. These also break down into simple sugars. They also bring on the surge and crash of energy. To slow down the surge, consume these foods with veggies. Of course, avoiding them is probably a better alternative.
How to get over sugar
Well, this is a tough one! You can choose to go cold turkey on it, or eliminate things slowly. Cold turkey means avoiding any kind of sugar, from fruits, refined sweets, breads, pastries and anything with added sugar. Once your addiction is clear, you can slowly add things. The trick is not to go back to your old habits, which is a possibility! I find that avoiding all sugar is the best way to deal with this. Once you start to eat something, it’s hard to stop. Of course, everyone has their preferences.
Do what works for you.
From experience, It took me over 6 months to kick the sugar habit. It was very tough for me, as I was EXTREMELY addicted. I often wonder why I initially did not become insulin resistant, although, that would surely have come about in due time!
No one is immune to it insulin resistance, that’s for sure!
How to become more self aware of sugar
One thing that I recommend you do, is become an avid label reader. I always check each and every label that I intend to buy. If it contains a high level of sugar, I always put it back in it’s place! Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule. It all really depends on what the purchase is. If it’s a treat, then I would opt for natural sugars and be done with it. A treat is something you have once in a while, not every day, so one needs to exercise some self control.
Become very aware when eating out, or purchasing meats that contain marinades. These are usually riddled with sugar. Even your iced tea and coffee can be a sugar bomb. Always ask what it contains, if you are unsure.
This will of course take time, and some practice, but you will most certainly know what to avoid and what to spot. The point here is that you are completely responsible and therefore must be aware of what goes into your mouth.
I know it’s very challenging, but think of the long term health and vitality you will have. And of course there is the fact you are no longer at the mercy of this particular additive. Now you are in control.