Let's face it, you are addicted. You have all the signs, the cravings, irrational decisions, rationalization, guilt, remorse and repeated behavior. What is this nefarious product? Sugar!
The sweet seductress has been shown to be as addictive as cocaine. When you eat sugar your brain releases dopamine and increases serotonin which makes you feel good. This reward response quickly becomes a habit and over time a true addiction. Like any other addiction, the first step is admitting you have a problem. Believe me, it is a problem. The average American consumes around 130 pounds of sugar a year. That would be like eating a life-sized gummy bear.
Just like any other addiction there are real health concerns too. Here are just some of the effects of excessive consumption:
- Obesity
- Heart disease as a result of increased LDL cholesterol
- Colon cancer
- Type 2 diabetes
Quitting the addiction may be harder than other drugs too. With sugar you actually have to be vigilant to avoid it. It is not as if your local supermarket is selling cocaine covered oatmeal as a healthy alternative. It is true, sugar is everywhere, and companies spend millions to try to trick consumers into thinking that eating their products will make them happy. In the 1970's there was a major health push to reduce fat intake. Since products without fat have little taste, companies compensated with increased sugar. Now you can find sugar in almost every packaged food on the shelf. Here are some items you may not have realized are high in sugar:
- Bread
- Yogurt
- Peanut Butter
- Sauces
- Flavored Oatmeal
- Granola Bars
- Fruit Bars
- Frozen Waffles
- Protein Bars
Another important thing to remember is that to your body sugar by any other name is sugar. Make sure you are familiar with the different forms of sugar in foods and avoid products with one form listed as one of the first five ingredients. Some common forms of sugar are:
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Corn Syrup
- Sucrose
- Maple Syrup
- Honey
- Lactose
So you may be wondering if you can ever have sugar again. To quote my own Mother, "everything in moderation". You may however, need to detox to get your sugar addiction under control. Avoid all sugars for at least a week. Be careful if you're considering switching to sugar substitutes. Studies have shown that sugar substitutes may increase cravings for sugar, so your best bet is to go cold turkey.
Once you have the habit kicked, how much sugar can you have? The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends daily sugar consumption at about 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men. The better alternative is to just avoid it. Remember that a typical can of soda has about 10 teaspoons. If you're not willing to go cold turkey the best first step is eliminating sugary drinks. Unless you are blending your own veggie shakes you should eat your calories not drink them.
Get a strong support system and remember if you fall off the wagon, pick yourself back up; Live Fit, Be Fit...
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