30 days of giving - Day # 22: Sugar - The most addictive drug!
Let’s talk a little about sugar addiction. I often hear people deny that sugar is a drug. They think
you cannot be addicted to sugar like you can drugs and alcohol. But you can!
Studies show that sugar is biologically addictive. What does this mean? It means that when you consume sugar it causes a spike in the blood sugar levels, which results in the release of insulin from the pancreas.
The area of the brain that controls addiction is called the nucleus accumbens and is activated after the consumption of sugar. Even though participants of certain studies could not tell the difference between sugar levels, the brain could.
I believe the reason sugar addictions are rampant and why it is so hard to give up sugar is because sugar is in everything. It also comes in these pretty little packages; almost like gifts. There are hundreds of thousands of processed foods on the market today and over 80% of these foods contain hidden sugar. If you eat processed foods it is almost impossible to get away from sugar.
The American Heart Association recommends that the average person should consume no more than five teaspoons of sugar per day, yet the average North American consumes 22 teaspoons per day. No wonder we struggle with so many health issues.
Sugar does not provide the body with any valuable nutrition; actually it often prevents the absorption of essential phytonutrients. It is known to lower immunity and rob bones of minerals.
Is some sugar ok? Yes, I think so. It is fine to ingest natural sugar from fruit and starchy vegetables, in moderation; however, all refined and artificial sweeteners are poisonous to the body and should be eliminated from the diet completely.
What are some of the most popular sweeteners to avoid?
1) Aspartame is a popular artificial sweetener that is 100% synthetically derived, meaning this is not food. Aspartame contains deadly poisons that can cause serious damage to body tissues. It is a major cause of headaches, diarrhea, fatigue, memory loss, depression, mood swings and in some cases convulsions. To some health gurus aspartame is considered one of the most dangerous food additives on the market today. It should be avoided at all costs.
Some popular foods that contain aspartame include chewing gum, soft drinks, cereal, breath mints, yogurt, and frozen foods.
2) High-fructose corn syrup is made by converting the sugar in corn to fructose. It is used as a preservative in many products including cereal, salad dressing, ketchup, candy and many other processed foods. High-fructose corn syrup has been shown to cause the blood sugar levels to rise. It may lead to type 2 diabetes, anxiety, depression and feed infections and cancerous cells in the body.
According to David Wolfe, a leading expert in health and longevity, we must avoid all artificial sweeteners and refined sugars including:
Brown rice syrup
Brown sugar
Evaporated cane juice
White sugar
Dr. Brian Clement, of Hippocrates Health Institute, states that the only kind of sweetener we should be using is stevia since it does not affect the body and blood sugar like sugar does.
Other experts agree that using natural sugars that come from fruit are better in their whole form, such as fruits like dates, are better since you are getting the mineral, vitamins and fibre form the fruit as well.
What is the glycemic index?
The glycemic index is a scale that ranks foods based on their effect on blood sugar after consumption. Food that rank high on the glycemic index cause blood sugar levels to spike whereas food that is low on the glycemic index have little or no effect on blood sugar levels. Refined sugar and white flours are high on the glycemic index where natural sugars, such as yacon syrup, are low on the glycemic index and have little effect on blood sugar levels.
There are many reasons why it is important to remove sugar, especially refined, from your diet, including but not limited to the following reasons.
Sugar feeds candida, which is also known as high amounts of yeast in the body.
Sugar has been proven to damage cells leading to wrinkles and aging skin.
Sugar increases the acid levels in your blood, which results in inflammation, bone degradation and damage to tissues and organs.
Sugar raises blood sugar levels increasing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Sugar is addictive and can lead to addictive behaviors including binge eating, anxiety, depression and other mental disorders.
Sugar contributes to obesity as it provides no nutritional value and often blocks the absorption of essential nutrients.
Sugar decreases your energy levels, which may result in a more sedentary lifestyle and adrenal fatigue.
Sugar suppresses the immune system and can contribute to many chronic conditions including heart problems, cancer, ulcers, gallstones, arthritis, and eczema.
When I started researching sugar and food addictions I realized that the questions they asked to determine addictive behaviors were no different from those of alcohol and illicit drugs. This tells me that sugar is an addictive drug and that sugar and food addictions need to be taken seriously.
Are you addicted?
You might be a sugar addict if:
You crave processed foods, or food in general, even if you are not hungry.
You are always thinking about foods and worrying about the possibility of having to cut down on processed and sweets.
You often overeat, which results in low energy levels.
Your social life is affected because of food. For example, you may leave early to go home and eat, you may think about food while you are out, or you may not enjoy your time because you are worried about or thinking about food.
You find that when you eat the foods you crave the pleasure they provide you is diminished and you need to eat more to feel satisfied, leading to overeating.
I have experienced every single one of these symptoms. I have eaten bags and bags of candy until I passed out on the couch in a sugar coma or felt extremely ill. I have left parties early to go home and eat in private because I didn’t want anyone to see me eat the junk foods I desperately craved. I would eat more and more of these foods to feel good then feel guilty for eating them. This vicious cycle continued until I decided that this behavior was no longer serving me.
If you feel you have a food or sugar addiction and want help please seek the advice of a trained
medical professional.
I bet you are wondering how I was able to release my addictions and start to take control of my life. Well, it is a life-long pursuit of knowledge and the desire to improve my health and wellness. This is not an overnight, or easy process. For me, my life began to change when I started looking inside myself rather than seeking external answers.
Here are the steps I went through to get me to where I am today, to where I can handle a little sugar without catapulting into a full-blown binge.
1) The first thing I did was recognize and admit I had a problem. This was not easy. This was
probably the hardest step for me. I didn’t want to admit I had a sugar and food addiction. I was a personal trainer; a health professional who was helping others deal with their issues. I felt that if I admitted I had a problem people would see me as a hypocrite and no longer take me seriously as a coach.
But I was wrong. Admitting I had this problem only made me stronger and open to receiving help. Once I began to confess my own struggles with my clients they would open up about their own issues. They found it easier to relate to me. I now specifically help those who have these particular struggles because they know I understand what they are going through.
2) The second step in the process was to determine what my beliefs around food were and where they came from. I knew that some of my most happy times in childhood were spending time with my grandmothers, eating their tasty, sweet treats. I had the belief that food makes me feel better. The funny thing is because of my pursuit to feel good using food as my drug I would overdo it and end up feeling worse both mentally and physically.
3) The third step was understanding my emotional connection to food. As I mentioned above food made me feel good. It made me feel loved like I did when I was with my grandparents. So, to me food, especially sugar, meant love.
4) The fourth step was the game changer for me. I had to learn to love myself. Until I began to work on this step I had no idea how much I hated myself. I would look in the mirror and see nothing but a fat, ugly, sad person to whom I would talk negatively and do my best to avoid.
Some of the tools I learned to help me love myself were:
1) Look in the mirror, at my body and into my eyes and say, ’I love you,’ every day.
2) Connect with my inner child. To do this I visualized myself as a small child. I would then visualize myself as the age I am now hugging my inner child. Giving her all the love I felt I was missing and tell her than I loved her. I also thought of all the nasty words I say to myself and how I felt saying these words to a child. I quickly thought about my nieces and how I would never say those negative words to them; therefore, why was I saying them to myself?
Sometimes I still catch myself thinking nasty thoughts of self-hate but now I recognize these thoughts, understand where they are coming from and quickly turn them into positive thoughts and words of affirmation.
3) Discover my Divine Self. This is the ultimate expression of who I am. My Divine Self is already on the path of my divine purpose. She is there to guide me and help keep my ego in check and take action towards the person I came to this earth to be.
Now that I have the ability to visit my Divine Self regularly I see myself as the person I know I am. She gives me the strength to make decisions that will get me closer to my goals and take actions that reflect the love I have for myself.
Please remember that the above experience and steps to overcome my sugar and food addiction worked for me. I encourage you to find the path and program that works best for you. However, the ultimate lesson I hope you gain from my story is to love and respect yourself enough to make the changes you desire and live the life of your dreams.
