Sugar, ahh honey honey

You are my favorite snack….and you got me wanting you!

You — the gooey, fudgey, rich chocolate brownie, still warm from the oven, a dollop of vanilla ice cream melting down the sides and forming a sticky pool of sugary goodness….

The bowl of cinnamon toast crunch mixed with cold, vanilla milk. Crunchy and sweet and refreshing all at the same time. And that last slurp of milk at the bottom where all of the cinnamon and sugar has settled…

The delicious, half frozen cookie dough chunks you’ve been digging for in a tub of Ben and Jerry’s to soothe a broken heart, because 16-year-old-you was certain he was “the one”…

And that cold glass of pink lemonade your mom whipped up from a frozen can of Minute Maid. Taking that first refreshing sip as you wipe the sweat off your forehead, the salty product of two hours of fort-building under the hot, July sun.

Feeling nostalgic yet?

I thought so.

So how can the mere thought of sugar stir up so many emotions? Why do we find such comfort in these sweet treats? What happens in your brain when you bite into that gooey chocolate brownie?

Well, let’s break it down.

When you scoop that first bite of ice cream into your mouth, dopamine receptors in your brain immediately light up. Dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins are released. This cocktail of happy chemicals results in a surge of energy and pleasure. It’s this surge of pleasure that makes this simple carbohydrate so very addictive. Many people turn to sugary foods when sad, stressed, and/or fatigued in pursuit of that initial feeling of euphoria. Some studies actually suggest that sugar may be as addictive as cocaine.

Now I think we can all relate to the instant pleasure that floods our brain when we dig into a warm brownie or bowl of ice cream. But it’s not exactly the same when you bite into an apple, is it?

That’s because not all sugar is created equal.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard someone say they’re cutting back on fruit because “sugar makes you fat”. But that misconception is actually doing fruit a major disservice.

You see, fruit contains fructose (a type of sugar) but also water, fiber, and phytonutrients. Many fruits like peaches, plums, and apricots also contain phenols which protect against heart disease and cancer. These phenols can help with things like glucose metabolism and decreasing the oxidation of fatty acids, which in turn prevents plaque buildup in the arteries. So sure, fruit has sugar, but it also has incredible disease-fighting properties. Of course, you don’t want to over eat on anything, even some plants. But it’s also pretty difficult to overeat when your food is loaded with fiber and water. For perspective, there are 39 grams of sugar in a 12 oz can of Coca-Cola. You’d have to eat 39 strawberries in order to consume that much sugar. Have you ever tried eating 39 strawberries?

It’s quite hard to overeat on fruit, and even if you do, you’re getting an abundance of vitamins, minerals, fiber, water, and phenols. The fiber is especially important, as it slows down digestion which prevents a spike in blood-sugar.

Compare that to added sugar such as white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup which have been shown to cause inflammation and rapid spikes (followed by drops) in blood-sugar. These sugars have virtually zero health benefits and are one of the many drivers of obesity, heart disease, and chronic inflammation.

Of course, balance is essential. You can’t go through life scared to enjoy a sweet treat every now and then, but try to find some sweets that won’t leave you feeling bloated and sluggish.

Check out some of my favorite treats below that will satisfy your sweet tooth while still leaving you feeling light and energized.

See, plants provide us with the sweetest treats of all that won’t break the scale or the bank.