Sugar is highly addictive. When you consume an intensely sugary snack or beverage, dopamine is released into your brain, which gives you a momentary high, followed by a crashing low. It’s a drug – the more you eat, the more you need! Studies on rats found that given the choice between cocaine and sugar (when they had hitherto been totally hooked on the cocaine), they went straight to the sugar.
Here’s the problem: We are now conditioned to eat way more sugar than is healthy for us. A few hundred years ago, people rarely ate sugar at all – maybe a little raw honey once in a while. The truth is that the amount of sugar found in one soda today is the amount of sugar that most people would consume in an entire year a few hundred years ago. Add to that our modern sedentary lifestyle, and it’s no wonder that we are dying like flies in the West: Heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, Liver Disease, and Obesity are the result of our sugar-laden diet.
It seems innocent, right? I mean come ON – what the heck is wrong with a Mocha Latte, a chilled soda or the odd Crispy Creme doughnut? The thing is folks – these items that used to be rare and occasional treats are now a part of our daily diet, and these sweet beverages come in servings that only a giant should eat! They are truly evil because they are getting our children sick – really sick and grossly overweight.
And it’s not just the obvious things like cookies and Coke – did you know that sugar is in 75% of processed foods. The government subsidizes corn, and thus High Fructose Corn Syrup (the mainstay of cheap processed foods and drinks), is cheaper than sugar. Moreover, it gives consumers what they are looking for: a sweet kick.
I could go on and on about this. But the simple fact is that all of us are better off without refined sugar (and its many forms). I invite you to give it up for just one week, and then if that wasn’t too bad, try another week…and than another.
DON’T GIVE UP BEFORE THE MIRACLE HAPPENS – remember it’s a drug and so if you are addicted, you might suffer withdrawal symptoms: You may feel sluggish, depressed and even get headaches, but my experience is that it’s best to go cold turkey. Just weather the first few days and know that the cravings will go. It can take anything from 1 to 3 weeks to get over the hump, but when you’re over you will find a new freedom, happiness and high.
If you do get headaches, make sure that you: eat enough plant-based protein, always have healthy snacks such as nuts to hand so your blood sugar doesn’t drop, try deep yoga breathing (or even better – go do a class), and get plenty of sleep. The key is to avoid getting wigged out, which will bring on a stress headache before you know it. Treat yourself gently. And if all else fails, take an Ibuprofen – the headaches will be short-lived.
Here are 5 tips to help you out of the sugar trap:
1. You can eat fruit! Fruit is filled with fiber and water, which buffer the effect of the sugar release. This means that it won’t jack your blood sugar up in the same way that refined sugar does. But everything in moderation, and avoid too many dried fruits such as dates and raisins because they contain a lot of sugar, even if it’s natural. If you’re diabetic, you should always check with your doc first.
2. Eat Chocolate! But it’s gotta be dark, and it should be stevia sweetened. Before you freak out saying you hate the taste of stevia, you might want to try one of these two outstanding bars: Coco Polo or Lily’s. This way you’ll satisfy your sweet tooth without getting the bad stuff. And I can vouch for the fact that both these brands of chocolate are creamy and addictive is a good way, so order a few boxes and keep them in your fridge. They make great gifts to all your diabetic friends, and they never stay long in my fridge anyway!
3. Exercise like a loon! When you find yourself craving, pull on your running shoes and get moving. Do anything – rebounder, run, hike or even jumping-fricking-jacks! You just need to get the endorphins pumping through your brain. The hormones that are released during intense exercise are similar to the high you get from sugar BUT you’ll feel amazing when you’re done (instead of shitty).
4. Load up on good carbs/fats: It’s silly how scared we’ve all become of carbs and fats. We are still so afraid that we’ll get fat, but I’m hear to tell you that unless I load up on good carbs from whole foods, I won’t get the energy and the brain power that I need. I load up on starchy veggies like fresh corn, squash and sweet potatoes with every meal. I also love to eat healthy grains. Good fats are important for brain function and good skin and hair. I eat an avocado almost everyday because it’s packed with protein and good fat. I also eat loads of nuts and seeds, which fill me up and make me less likely to crave sweets.
5. Don’t be fake: I don’t recommend that you subsist on artificial sweeteners because they are 500 x sweeter than naturally-occurring sugar and can train your taste buds to become accustomed to an unnatural taste. This is turn will have your taste buds revolting when you eat a handful of berries or an apple – they won’t be happy because you’ve trained them to expect something way sweeter. I recommend slowly cutting back on your artificial sweeteners. First, switch to a more natural version such as monk fruit or stevia, and then begin to lessen the amount you use by a tiny bit each day.
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