Are you really addicted to sugar? Do you fiend for candy and other sugary substances? Did you know that sugar influences the same “feel-good” brain chemicals – including serotonin and dopamine as illicit drugs do? However, researchers aren’t quite ready to lump sugar in with heroin.
But, whether you call it an addiction, an eating disorder or simply a bad habit, there are signs of an unhealthy use of sugary foods. For example, if you miss your regular cookie fix, you can get low blood sugar symptoms. In lab studies, rats that binged on sugar had brain changes that mimicked those of drug withdrawal. When you eat a piece of cake (or candy bar, syrup, soda or table sugar) the sugar (a simple carb) is quickly converted to glucose in your bloodstream. All simple carbs are absorbed quickly and your blood sugar level rises and spikes. Your pancreas then releases the hormone insulin to move glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells for energy. As a result, your blood sugar levels usually drop dramatically. So, that candy or cake fix sets you up for more bad eating! The high spike followed by the sharp low drop makes you feeling hungry again! Also, low blood sugar leaves you feeling shaky, dizzy, and searching for more sweets to regain that sugar high! Starchy foods that are complex carbs (bagels, chips, pretzels, french-fries, white rice, white potatoes) can trigger the same surge and crash cycle of blood sugar seen with sugary foods.
If you try to change your diet dramatically, cutting sugar out cold turkey, it is not sustainable. Ultimately, you will go back to your old habits. If you wean yourself gradually, you can train your taste buds to enjoy foods that aren’t as sweet.
You don’t have to give up sweets, just get them from other healthy sources. Fresh fruit, low-fat milk, and yogurt can all satisfy the taste for sweet and they are packed with protein and calcium. It is interesting that simple carbs are also found in fruit, veggies, and dairy products. However, the fiber and protein slow down absorption and provide wholesome nutrients.
Additionally, eat more protein. This is an easy way to curb the craving for sugar. High-protein foods digest more slowly, keeping you feeling full longer. Protein doesn’t make your blood sugar spike (choose lean chicken, turkey, quinoa, low-fat yogurt, eggs, nuts or beans). Also, fill up on high fiber foods as they give you more energy and don’t raise your blood sugar so there isn’t a hunger crash after.
Exercise doesn’t cure “sugar addiction” but it could change the way you eat in general. Did you know that people who get into an exercise routine start to feel better about themselves and are more likely to try another healthy behavior, like eating less sugar.
The truth about sugar and the substitutes- the little yellow or blue packets really leave you wanting more sweets. So stop reaching for it! Also, “natural” sugars, such as honey, brown sugar and evaporated cane juice are not really any better than white table sugar. Sugar is sugar. And it causes blood sugar to rise. And, while these natural sugars are unrefined and slightly higher in nutrients, if you eat too much, it will surely go to your hips! You should be eating no more than six teaspoons (100 calories) daily for women and about 9 teaspoons (150 calories) for men. Most Americans eat 19 teaspoons or more of added sugar! What are some of the “names” of sugar- agave nectar, brown rice syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, glucose, lactose, malt syrup, molasses, and sucrose. Be careful of the hidden sugar in bbq sauce, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and salad dressing. Get in the habit of reading labels and you will be able to filter out high-sugar foods before they get into the shopping cart!
Make small changes by adding more fruits, vegetables, drinking more water, and using fewer processed foods.
When you first cut out sugar, you will go through a sort of withdrawal. You may feel tired, edgy, or listless. This feeling will be short-lived. For more information and tips on how to tame those sugar cravings, contact me at Rachel@livehealthynyc.com
