When we think of sugar the first image that comes to mind is the sweet, white granules we put in our tea or on top of our cereal. Few people think of it as an addictive drug and perhaps even fewer think of it as the underlying cause of their weight gain. The truth is that sugar addiction is rife and if you have a weight problem the chances are it is sugar in your diet - not fat - that is the real cause.Research carried out by Nicole Avena, a behavioral neuroscientist, has gone a long way to proving that sugar affects certain chemicals in the brain (opioids and dopamine) in the same way that other addictive substances do. In short, her research suggests that a diet high in sugar results in cravings, withdrawal and bingeing - the classic symptoms of addiction. Add to this the fact that high levels of sugar in the blood trigger the fat storing hormone insulin and you've got yourself a binge eating, weight gain nightmare.[]
If you're addicted to sugar, it's important to cut sugar out of your diet completely to give your brain a chance to recover, but going without your morning sugar hit might seem unachievable. You may be wondering how you can possibly get through the day without sugar, and how you will deal with the constant cravings. Fortunately, a program of vitamins, minerals and amino acids can quickly stabilize blood sugar, eliminate cravings and overcome withdrawal symptoms.Many studies have shown that chromium stabilizes blood sugar levels and reduces cravings for sugar and refined carbohydrates. In one study, blood sugar fell by nearly 30 percent in participants who took 1,000 micrograms of chromium picolinate per day. Sugar, alcohol and white flour all reduce the absorption of chromium in the body and this creates a vicious cycle - high sugar intake causes chromium deficiency, which contributes to blood sugar problems and exacerbates cravings for sugar. Chromium supplements can build up chromium levels and interrupt the vicious cycle.
I've struggled with a ferocious sugar addiction myself, an addiction which at times I thought I'd never beat. I literally used to break out in a sweat when I didn't get my sugar fix. At the height (perhaps I should say 'depth'!) of my addiction, I was consuming around ten chocolate bars a day. I couldn't seem to stop. But in the end I beat my addiction and in doing so gained control of my appetite. I went from thinking about sugar constantly to scarcely caring about it at all. Now I eat sweet things occasionally, but not obsessively. And when I find myself over-consuming sweet things again, as I sometimes do, I use the techniques I'm about to share with you to regain control.
There are two very important things you can do that will biochemically reduce your craving for sugar. If you have a severe and uncontrollable addiction to sugar (you feel you have to eat it every day and cannot seem to voluntarily stop), I advise doing both of these things for at least two weeks before attempting to cut out sugar.Those two things are:Eat fruit every day,Get the right type of exercise,Although both of these things may sound difficult in themselves, they are not as hard as they sound.Firstly fruit: eating a good-sized bowl of fruit salad every day for several weeks will really help reduce your desire for sugar. Fruits contain fructose, a form of sugar that is metabolised more slowly than ordinary table sugar (fructose) and therefore tends to lead to a more even blood sugar level. Refined fructose in itself seems to be worse for health than ordinary sugar, so don't be tempted to buy bags of it and add it to your coffee. But fresh fruit is overwhelmingly good for your health, and will definitely help you to beat your addiction.
You'll be surprised by how different you will feel after a few weeks of no sugar. Many people describe a sense of calm and balance, lifting of depression or anxiety, increased energy and better health, not to mention weight loss and an end to constantly feeling hungry. Next time you feel the urge for a sugar hit, reach for your l-glutamine instead and overcome your addiction to sugar.If you continually give in to your cravings and eat that donut, cookie, candy or other sweet product, it leads to a rapid spike in blood sugar followed by the inevitable crash which leads to even more cravings for sugar. Over time this sugar addiction can lead to serious health problems.
I remember a two-week period of time where I ate fast food every morning before work. Every morning! I also remember sitting in my car before work one morning, not having stopped for fast food (lack of funds), and wondering just how I was going to get through the whole day without my sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit and vanilla ice coffee. I actually called my husband and begged him to bring me my fast food breakfast or my day just wasn't going to start!After I got what I wanted, and the day went on, I began to wonder just how did I end up a fast food breakfast junkie? Why was I reduced to calling my husband away from his daily routine in order to bring his wife fast food across the other side of town? I found the answer sometime later, and it has something to do with sugar addiction (really, it does!).Fast forward a year later, where I had received some pretty interesting and enlightening information about the majority of fast food: over 70% of the foods served at many fast food restaurants are made up of high fructose corn syrup!
Good combinations to try for fruit salads are:apple, banana, orange,melon, grapes, banana,Peach, orange, melon Don't be tempted to use canned fruit. For reasons that I don't understand, it just doesn't seem to curb sugar cravings in the same way. And as for dried fruit -- stay off it! It is so high in sugar that it may make your cravings worse.You also have to be careful of fruit smoothies, which can be high calorie if mixed with cream. However, sometimes when I find myself back in the grip of a strong addiction, I like to use the 'nuclear option' of banana milkshakes to help get myself off sugar. Use a kitchen blender to blend ripe bananas with semi-skimmed milk. You can also freeze ripe bananas and blend them while still semi-frozen for a deliciously-sweet drink that tastes so good you won't believe it's good for you.Alongside consuming fruit daily, also consider getting aerobic exercise. Aerobic, or cardiovascular exercise ("cardio") has powerful appetite-suppressing and craving-suppressing effects. Amazingly, recent studies show that this type of exercise even causes parts of your brain to grow in size, leading to higher mental acuity.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, and is very similar to adrenaline chemically; it also affects brain processes that control movement, emotional response, and the ability to experience pleasure and pain. This explains why, when you're having a rough day, you turn to a plate full of brownies! The sugar in those brownies acts as a regulator which produces "highs" that temporarily neutralize emotional lows!Before you wage an all-out war against sugar, you must know your opposition! You must also know that sugar isn't always labeled as sugar.
Why Manage Sugar Addiction.The good news is that if you lower your consumption of sugar, you will also lower your risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. But for many of us, this is easier said than done. Most Americans eat and drink sweets without giving much thought to damaging effects it has on the body. This is why you need to end your sugar addiction starting now!
Tips to End Your Sugar Addiction.The best way to end cravings is to break the cycle completely. Start by avoiding all sugar including sugar substitutes. Read nutrition labels carefully. You may be surprised at how much sugar is found in processed foods.Consider 5-HTP to help curb cravings for sugar and carbs. The body uses 5-HTP to produce the mood boosting brain chemicals - serotonin and dopamine. Low levels of these chemicals can lead to intense cravings for sugar and carbs.Fight sugar cravings all day by drinking dark roast coffee in the morning. Studies show that a dark brew coffee helps keep blood sugar levels steady which lowers the urge to eat sweets.
If you're addicted to sugar, it's important to cut sugar out of your diet completely to give your brain a chance to recover, but going without your morning sugar hit might seem unachievable. You may be wondering how you can possibly get through the day without sugar, and how you will deal with the constant cravings. Fortunately, a program of vitamins, minerals and amino acids can quickly stabilize blood sugar, eliminate cravings and overcome withdrawal symptoms.Many studies have shown that chromium stabilizes blood sugar levels and reduces cravings for sugar and refined carbohydrates. In one study, blood sugar fell by nearly 30 percent in participants who took 1,000 micrograms of chromium picolinate per day. Sugar, alcohol and white flour all reduce the absorption of chromium in the body and this creates a vicious cycle - high sugar intake causes chromium deficiency, which contributes to blood sugar problems and exacerbates cravings for sugar. Chromium supplements can build up chromium levels and interrupt the vicious cycle.
I've struggled with a ferocious sugar addiction myself, an addiction which at times I thought I'd never beat. I literally used to break out in a sweat when I didn't get my sugar fix. At the height (perhaps I should say 'depth'!) of my addiction, I was consuming around ten chocolate bars a day. I couldn't seem to stop. But in the end I beat my addiction and in doing so gained control of my appetite. I went from thinking about sugar constantly to scarcely caring about it at all. Now I eat sweet things occasionally, but not obsessively. And when I find myself over-consuming sweet things again, as I sometimes do, I use the techniques I'm about to share with you to regain control.
There are two very important things you can do that will biochemically reduce your craving for sugar. If you have a severe and uncontrollable addiction to sugar (you feel you have to eat it every day and cannot seem to voluntarily stop), I advise doing both of these things for at least two weeks before attempting to cut out sugar.Those two things are:Eat fruit every day,Get the right type of exercise,Although both of these things may sound difficult in themselves, they are not as hard as they sound.Firstly fruit: eating a good-sized bowl of fruit salad every day for several weeks will really help reduce your desire for sugar. Fruits contain fructose, a form of sugar that is metabolised more slowly than ordinary table sugar (fructose) and therefore tends to lead to a more even blood sugar level. Refined fructose in itself seems to be worse for health than ordinary sugar, so don't be tempted to buy bags of it and add it to your coffee. But fresh fruit is overwhelmingly good for your health, and will definitely help you to beat your addiction.
You'll be surprised by how different you will feel after a few weeks of no sugar. Many people describe a sense of calm and balance, lifting of depression or anxiety, increased energy and better health, not to mention weight loss and an end to constantly feeling hungry. Next time you feel the urge for a sugar hit, reach for your l-glutamine instead and overcome your addiction to sugar.If you continually give in to your cravings and eat that donut, cookie, candy or other sweet product, it leads to a rapid spike in blood sugar followed by the inevitable crash which leads to even more cravings for sugar. Over time this sugar addiction can lead to serious health problems.
I remember a two-week period of time where I ate fast food every morning before work. Every morning! I also remember sitting in my car before work one morning, not having stopped for fast food (lack of funds), and wondering just how I was going to get through the whole day without my sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit and vanilla ice coffee. I actually called my husband and begged him to bring me my fast food breakfast or my day just wasn't going to start!After I got what I wanted, and the day went on, I began to wonder just how did I end up a fast food breakfast junkie? Why was I reduced to calling my husband away from his daily routine in order to bring his wife fast food across the other side of town? I found the answer sometime later, and it has something to do with sugar addiction (really, it does!).Fast forward a year later, where I had received some pretty interesting and enlightening information about the majority of fast food: over 70% of the foods served at many fast food restaurants are made up of high fructose corn syrup!
Good combinations to try for fruit salads are:apple, banana, orange,melon, grapes, banana,Peach, orange, melon Don't be tempted to use canned fruit. For reasons that I don't understand, it just doesn't seem to curb sugar cravings in the same way. And as for dried fruit -- stay off it! It is so high in sugar that it may make your cravings worse.You also have to be careful of fruit smoothies, which can be high calorie if mixed with cream. However, sometimes when I find myself back in the grip of a strong addiction, I like to use the 'nuclear option' of banana milkshakes to help get myself off sugar. Use a kitchen blender to blend ripe bananas with semi-skimmed milk. You can also freeze ripe bananas and blend them while still semi-frozen for a deliciously-sweet drink that tastes so good you won't believe it's good for you.Alongside consuming fruit daily, also consider getting aerobic exercise. Aerobic, or cardiovascular exercise ("cardio") has powerful appetite-suppressing and craving-suppressing effects. Amazingly, recent studies show that this type of exercise even causes parts of your brain to grow in size, leading to higher mental acuity.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, and is very similar to adrenaline chemically; it also affects brain processes that control movement, emotional response, and the ability to experience pleasure and pain. This explains why, when you're having a rough day, you turn to a plate full of brownies! The sugar in those brownies acts as a regulator which produces "highs" that temporarily neutralize emotional lows!Before you wage an all-out war against sugar, you must know your opposition! You must also know that sugar isn't always labeled as sugar.
Why Manage Sugar Addiction.The good news is that if you lower your consumption of sugar, you will also lower your risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer. But for many of us, this is easier said than done. Most Americans eat and drink sweets without giving much thought to damaging effects it has on the body. This is why you need to end your sugar addiction starting now!
Tips to End Your Sugar Addiction.The best way to end cravings is to break the cycle completely. Start by avoiding all sugar including sugar substitutes. Read nutrition labels carefully. You may be surprised at how much sugar is found in processed foods.Consider 5-HTP to help curb cravings for sugar and carbs. The body uses 5-HTP to produce the mood boosting brain chemicals - serotonin and dopamine. Low levels of these chemicals can lead to intense cravings for sugar and carbs.Fight sugar cravings all day by drinking dark roast coffee in the morning. Studies show that a dark brew coffee helps keep blood sugar levels steady which lowers the urge to eat sweets.
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