HEALTH AND WELLNESS
You Are Addicted To Sugar and You Don’t Even Know It
When it comes to substance abuse, sugar is probably not on your list. You may be thinking, “Sugar is delicious! It’s legal and it’s in our food so it can’t be that bad, right?” Well, let’s take a closer look at the history of sugar and how it affects us today.
Sugar Was Our Saving Grace
Sugar is actually quite healthy when consumed in moderate amounts and in its natural form.
Back in the pre-human primate days, starvation was a very real problem. Our ancestors would go for days at a time without finding food and as a means to avoid extinction, the brain evolved over time to release dopamine— the reward system of the brain — whenever we consumed sugar because it is more calorically dense than foods like vegetables.
Sweets, such as fruits, indicated to our ancestors that the food was safe to eat and that winter was right around the corner. The more sweets they consumed, the more insulin — the fat-storage hormone — their body produced, which meant more fat was being stored for future use.
Our body was designed for survival.
Fast forward to today where food is easily accessible and we don’t have to worry about starving to death. If we’re hungry, it’s a 20 step trip to the fridge. If we don’t have anything to eat at home we can make a trip to the grocery store or better yet, have food delivered to us. Unlike our ancestors, our options are bountiful.
The Advent of Refinement
For a good yielding sugar cane, about half the weight of it is juice and 20% of that juice is actual sugar. It is only when you start to refine it that it becomes an issue. Once you start the refinement process of sugar, it becomes 10 times sweeter than what you started with.
Today, the average American eats about 80g or 320 calories of sugar every day. To naturally consume this much sugar, one would have to chew through two pounds worth of sugar canes. That’s two pounds of fiber-rich plant material that our body expects to come along with all that sweetness.
Fiber slows the rate at which sugar is absorbed within your body and without it, the sugar is absorbed very rapidly. Sugar isn’t inherently bad, but as with anything, the dose makes the poison. Our bodies have not evolved to take this refinement process into account and as a result, it is actually killing us instead of saving us.
Refined sugar is linked to:
- Obesity
- Hypertension
- Hypoglycemia
- Depression
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Aching Limbs
- Diabetes
- Acne
- Cavities
- Skin Irritation
- Stiffening of Arteries
- Violent behavior
Refined sugar contains 0 vitamins, 0 minerals, 0 enzymes, and 0 fiber.
Needless to say, the refinement of sugar changed everything for the worse.
How Much Sugar Should We Be Eating?
According to the American Heart Association:
“Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day.
For women, the number is lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day.”
To put it into perspective, one can of Coke contains 140 calories from sugar. This would be an acceptable amount of sugar if this was the only sugar we were eating for the day. Here’s where the problem comes in.
Sugar activates the opiate receptors in our brains and triggers the dopamine system which leads to compulsive behavior.
Here’s what happens every time we bite into a glazed donut:
- Dopamine is released in the brain and mass insulin is secreted to help drop blood sugar levels.
- Your blood sugar levels fall rapidly. The high insulin levels cause immediate fat storage and your body starts to crave the lost sugar “high”.
- Hunger and cravings start to kick in. Low blood sugar levels cause increased appetite and cravings which has you reaching for another sugary treat.
- Rinse and repeat.
Every time we intake sugar, we are reinforcing those neuropathways and it causes the brain to become increasingly hardwired to crave sugar.
People never experience sugar withdrawals because they are constantly filling their addiction on a daily basis.
Our environment is designed to have us consume sugar on a daily basis and whether you’ve been doing it knowingly or unknowingly, just know that it is not your fault.
The Sugar Industry Needs You To Stay Addicted
Their very existence relies on consumers to intake as much sugar as possible.
80% of the 600,000 packaged food items have added sugar in them. They remove the fiber that is supposed to help control your blood sugar to improve the shelf life of their products. Do you know what the worst part of it all is?
The Sugar Industry Does Not Care About Your Health.
The sugar industry has such a powerful influence over what doctors publish in their medical journals. Oftentimes, these giant corporations fund the research to twist the data to fit their narrative. This is where the advent of “fats are bad for you” came from.
Less fat consumption means more carb consumption which means more sugar consumption. They manipulate the scientific data to fit their agenda. This false narrative has killed and continues to kill hundreds of thousands if not millions of people globally.
At the end of the day, the sugar industry will do anything for a quick buck. Their only goal is to get you addicted and keep you there so they can sell you more sugar in the form of processed and packaged goods.
I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” This notion was created by cereal producers and other breakfast food manufacturers to make us consume more unhealthy foods unnecessarily so they can turn a profit.
Morally, I wouldn’t have an issue with this if their products actually had our best health interests in mind, but that is clearly not the case.
Let’s take a look at the nutrition label of this carton of orange juice. One serving of orange juice contains 25 grams of sugar which is on par with a can of Coke. They market it as “healthy” by promoting high levels of Vitamin C and that is how they manipulate the masses to purchase their product.
Let’s think about that for a second. Orange juice has as much sugar as soda!!! And this isn’t even including the pancakes, syrup, cereal, and other sugary foods that people consume at the breakfast table. You’ve consumed well over your recommended daily intake of sugar in only a few short hours into the day.
Once you piece all of this together, you can see just how easy it is for one’s sugar consumption to spiral out of control. The good news is, even though the odds are stacked against us, there are actions we can take to overcome our addictions.
Knowing is half the battle.
If you know you are consuming more sugar than you should, try to cut it down. Read the nutrition labels and make conscious decisions about what you eat throughout the day. Spread awareness and create smarter alternatives to the sugary treats that you put into your body.
If you are addicted and you try to cut down on sugar, you may experience some of the following withdrawal symptoms:
- Mood Swings
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Depression
- Drowsiness
- Hunger
- Muscle aches
- Bloating/gassiness
- Insomnia
- Sweats/chills
- Anxiety
- Nausea
It’s going to suck at first, but just know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Take small baby steps. Opt for natural sugars such as fruits. Because of the fiber, the sugar will be released over time and your body doesn’t get that instant high. Another benefit is that fiber will help keep you feeling fuller throughout the day. On top of that, fruits are filled with nutritious vitamins and water which is very good for the body.
I find it very helpful to throw out all the temptations lying around your house. I’m talking Doritos, M&Ms, chocolate cakes, Gummy Bears, Fruit Roll-Ups, Jelly Beans, Reese’s Pieces. I used to be infamous for snacking so I’m speaking from personal experience when I say that if it’s within your reach, you’ll most likely succumb to the temptation. Do yourself a favor and take the “out of sight, out of mind” approach and keep them far away.
When you find yourself having serious cravings, try to take your mind off of it. The cravings will often come when you’re not doing anything so pick up a hobby or get your exercise in. As you find enjoyment in something else, your happy hormones will rise and you won’t feel as anxious or depressed about the lack of sugar in your system.
Final Thoughts
Just remember that sugar isn’t bad for you. It’s too much sugar that’ll get you. Keep your intake in moderation and be mindful of the choices you make throughout the day.
Cutting your bad eating habits and replacing them with healthier ones will help you make lifestyle changes that you can stick to long term. In doing so, you’ll be able to reach your ultimate goal — finding your happiest and healthiest self.
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