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SUGAR ADDICTION:  EFFECTS AND CURES
 
Most of us love sugary treats, but how many are aware that sugar is bad for you? The debate as to whether or not sugar addiction is a real condition continues. However, a study at Princeton University fed rats normal food as well as 25% sugar solution, about the same as in some commercial soft drinks. The rats began to prefer the sugar to the normal food and after one month the sugar was withdrawn. The rats displayed typical withdrawal symptoms such as teeth chattering, paw tremors and shaking heads. Whether or not this addiction would transfer to humans has not been universally agreed, but the evidence for sugar addiction is there, and it is likely that humans can become sugar-dependent. Blood sugar is normally in a delicate balance in the body. This is what happens when you consume a food high in sugar:
  1. You eat a sugary foodstuff.
  2. Your blood sugar level spikes up.
  3. In response, you body secrets a large amount of insulin.
  4. The insulin rapidly lowers your blood sugar level.
  5. This leaves you irritable and sluggish.
  6. It can lead to hypoglycaemia.
  7. This causes hunger.
  8. You eat a sugary foodstuff, and so on a roller coaster of high and low sugar levels.
This is how you can have the unlikely result of have too low a blood sugar level simply by eating too much sugar. But is there anything wrong with being a sugar addict other than being fat and having rotten teeth?  Sugar causes lots of other nasty effects in addition to the well known dental problems and obesity. It is unknown to most that excess sugar can cause:
  • Hyperactivity in children.
     
  • Alcoholism.
  • Arthritis.
  • Some cancers.
  • Increased cholesterol and blood pressure.
  • Cataracts.
  • Chromium deficiency.
  • Ageing of the skin.
  • Heart disease.
and over a hundred other health problems. Whether official or not, people become addicted to sugar. They cannot go a day without a ‘sugar fix’. If this is not a sugar addiction then what is?

This can manifest either in the form of a mild desire to intense cravings for sugary, sweet foods. Some, perhaps you are among them, say it calms them and helps them deal with the stresses of life. Several reasons have been suggested for this, such as the fact that sugars (and other carbohydrates) help to promote the production of serotonin which can give many people a comfortable ‘satisfied’ feeling. It also results in the production of beta endorphin which makes you feel good, but when it wears off it can make you feel down and depressed. This, in turn, can lead to you eat more sugary food to get your mood back.

How Much Sugar Should I Eat?
Some bodies suggest limiting your daily sugar intake to 12 teaspoons. The average person in the USA and Europe eats and drinks the equivalent of over
30 teaspoons per day. Sugar is found in virtually all processed foods including soups, canned vegetables, all ready meals, ketchup, sauces, bread, alcoholic and soft drinks; you name it, it will have sugar in it.

I Could Be A Sugar Addict:  How Do I Get Off Sugar?
There are many things sugar addicts can do to reduce their sugar intake, and the first is to switch from white to brown. White bread has more sugar than brown; eat brown rice rather than white, wholemeal pastas, that sort of thing. Also, eat a breakfast in the morning containing protein and a complex carbohydrate. Many sugar addicts miss breakfast because doing so can increase your level of beta endorphin. Try a potato at bedtime with some olive oil. These will keep your serotonin and endorphin levels maintained at a reasonable level without you overdoing it. Don’t go overboard: reduce your sugar a little at a time. If you think you have a sugar addiction, here are some further steps you can take:
  • Read the labels and choose foods without added sugars.
  • Satisfy your craving for sweets with a piece of fruit.
  • Stop buying pre-sweetened cereals. Add a banana or some other fruit to your cereal rather than sugar.
  • Gradually decrease the amount of sugar you use in your coffee or tea.
  • Do not use artificial sweeteners. They fool the brain, not your body. They will not alter your desire for sweets. Sugar addiction can make you crave all sweet things.
  • Try to drink water, flavoured or otherwise, that are sugar free, rather than sweetened soft drinks.
  • If you feel the necessity for something sweet try an energy bar rather than a candy bar.
  • Give yourself a treat now and again. Set a time to have it and you will look forward to it. It will make abstinence much easier if you know that you don’t have to completely give up. Once a day is normally not too much.  A daily sweet treat to look forward to can make sugar addiction tolerabale and actually help the sugar addict to overcome it.
Sugar addiction, if there is such a thing, is not like other addictions. One slight misdemeanour does not start you off again. It is not too difficult to achieve. People who have been newly diagnosed with diabetes have to reduce their sugar intake, and they frequently find that foods such as fresh fruit taste a lot better, and they feel a lot fitter, once they have stopped cloying up their innards with sweet sugary foods. It is not necessary to cut out sugar altogether – in fact that is not advisable. Just change your diet to more complex carbohydrates and protein and reduce the simple carbohydrates such as sugar, white bread and pasta.

A suitable breakfat, high in protein, complex carbohydrates and vitamnins would be lean bacon and egg with wholemeal granary toast and freshly squeezed orange juice.  WOW!!

Sugar addiction can be beaten and there is no need for the sugar addict to go hungry while doing so.  Some people would die for bacon, egg and toast every morning!