Youre Used To Having It
When youre in a routine of eating or drinking something every day, your body and brain come to expect it. This is a habit that becomes an automatic process, and you may find yourself wandering over to the refrigerator even when you dont feel particularly hungry or thirsty. The good news is that food cravings are usually brief, lasting only about three to five minutes. Distract yourself and wait it out until the urge passes. Or stock up on healthier or preferred alternatives like plant-based milk, sparkling water, or tea. When you feel the milk craving, reach for your alternative.
Kick The Habit In Baby Steps
If you make small, simple changes to your diet, it’s easy to keep them up. Start by eating more fruits and vegetables. Drink extra water. Check food labels, and pick those that don’t have a lot of sugar. Cut out a little bit of sugar each week. After a few weeks, you’ll be surprised at how little you miss it.
A Study Published In The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition Suggests That High Sugar High Glycemic Foods Are Just As Addictive As Table Sugar
David Ludwig and his colleagues at Harvard, did a study that showed that foods that raise blood sugar even more than table sugar such as white flour, white potatoes and refined starch, have a high glycemic index, and trigger a region in the brain nucleus accumbens which is the area in the brain that is ground zero for a drug abuse addiction.
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The Role Of Tryptophan
Tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor of serotonin. That means your body needs tryptophan to make serotonin. Tryptophan may also produce a calming effect through interactions that take place within the realm of the gut-brain axis.
Several studies have proposed that low levels of tryptophan can increase hunger and drive food cravings, as well as contribute to symptoms of depression.
A diet with plenty of high-tryptophan foods may be helpful in boosting mood and managing cravings. Tryptophan is naturally found in protein-rich foods such as seafood, eggs, and poultry, and can also be taken in the form of a supplement.
Is A Sugar Addiction As Powerful As Cocaine Addiction
I think wed all agree that cocaine is a very addictive substance. So how does sugar addication compare?
Consuming sugar sparks your nucleus accumbens , the area of the brain often referred to as the reward centre. When your nucleus accumbens is stimulated, it releases dopamine, and you begin to feel very good very quickly.
The more sugar your food contains, the more dopamine is released, and the bigger high you experience. But…
Just like cocaine and other addictive drugs, over time your brain requires more sugar in order to generate the same high. Your dopamine receptors become less sensitive to the presence of sugar, and your addiction to sugar grows stronger.
Some people even experience physiological changes within the brain when they eat sugary or highly refined foods . Their brains change and the sugar addiction gets stronger.
It is important to realize that sugar addiction is NOT just an emotional reliance on sweets and refined foods. If you cant resist sugar, dont be too hard on yourself. It has nothing to do with your willpower, or your desire to change your body has adapted to depend on sugar and, just like a cocaine addict experiences tremendous withdrawal symptoms if she were to cut out cocaine, removing sugar from your diet can feel impossible.
This can sound very depressing, but dont worry because there IS hope.There is a sugar addiction cure!
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Do You Ever Find Yourself Binging On Sweets Feeling Cravings For Sugar Or Experiencing Withdrawal Symptoms When You Can’t Get Your Hands On Them
Binging, withdrawal, and craving are the three stages of addiction, according to the American Psychiatric Association. It boils down to this: If you overeat sugar on more than a very occasional basis, or if you ever feel anxious when you can’t get your hands on it, you may be struggling with addiction.
Add Some Protein To A Carb
“A study that looked at MRI scans of people eating a high-protein breakfast found reduced activity in the regions of the brain associated with cravings,” Cassetty says. Try adding some protein to your breakfast and see if it helps you cut down on sugar later in the day. “You can serve your hot or cold cereal with some Greek yogurt, or have it with a couple of eggs on the side to boost your protein intake. If you’re eating a bagel or toast, include some smoked salmon to get the benefits of protein.”
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The Sugar Addiction Cycle
The liver is the part of the body that normally breaks down sugar into fructose and glucose. Eating sugar stimulates your dopamine receptors to create a pleasurable feeling thats similar to that found while having sex, taking drugs, listening to music, or drinking alcohol. And as discussed earlier, while the glucose from sugar is immediately used up by the bodys cells and creates a satiated feeling, fructose does not.
So when a person eats foods containing fructose or sucrose, these sugary foods trigger cravings for more sugar, urging them to reach for just one more cookie or slice of cake, just so that their brain can have one more feeling of pleasure aka a dopamine spike.
The more the individual eats, the more their tolerance for sugary food increases. So quite like drug addicts they start needing more sugar to get the same happy feeling that they once got from a few cookies or one slice of cake or a small chocolate bar. The circle continues to grow and expand till one biscuit has turned into the whole packet, and one slice of pie has turned into the whole pie.
You Use Sugar To Soothe
If youre craving something sweet after a break-up, sad movie or a bad day, watch out. A psychological symptom of a sugar addiction is when individuals continuously turn to sugar as a means to cope with life stressors, boredom or other psychological issues such as depression or anxiety, says Lin Anderson, LMHC, M.A., Ed.M and Aaron Sternlicht, LMHC, CASAC, licensed therapists specializing in addiction at their private practice Family Addiction Specialist. Indulging in sugar to acquire such emotional relief is unhealthy, as it does not allow the individual to feel their emotions or deal with them properly. And one recent study suggests it doesnt even boost your mood.
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You Need To Eat Every 2 Or 3 Hours
Ok, I know that youve been told that eating every 2-3 hour is ideal as it helps to boost metabolism, but not only is that false, but the need to eat every 2-3 hours is a sign that your blood sugar is disrupted. It is important to keep in mind that sugar comes in many forms, not just sweets, and the need to eat every 2-3 hours for energy or to avoid getting hangry is a good sign you are dependent on it. If you find yourself munching on breakfast at 8:00 am, a snack at 10:00 am, lunch at noon, another snack at 2:00 pm, dinner at 6:00 pm, and a late-night snack before bed just to get through the day, it is a very good sign that your insulin is resistant to sugar and you are unable to metabolize fat for energy. So, if you find yourself mindlessly snacking or constantly thinking about the next time that you will be eating, it is actually one of the leading signs youre addicted to sugar.
Sugar Activates The Brains Reward System
Sweet foods are highly desirable due the powerful impact sugar has on the reward system in the brain called the mesolimbic dopamine system. The neurotransmitter dopamine is released by neurons in this system in response to a rewarding event.
Drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines and nicotine hijack this brain system. Activation of this system leads to intense feelings of reward that can result in cravings and addiction. So drugs and sugar both activate the same reward system in the brain, causing the release of dopamine.
This chemical circuit is activated by natural rewards and behaviours that are essential to continuing the species, such as eating tasty, high energy foods, having sex and interacting socially. Activating this system makes you want to carry out the behaviour again, as it feels good.
The criteria for substance use disorders by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders cites a variety of problems that arise when addicted to a substance. This includes craving, continuing use despite negative consequences, trying to quit but not managing to, tolerance and withdrawal. Although sugary foods are easily available, excessive consumption can lead to a number of problems similar to that of addiction. So it appears sugar may have addictive qualities. There is no concrete evidence that links sugar with an addiction/withdrawal system in humans currently, but studies using rats suggest the possibility.
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Extraordinary Awakenings And The Disappearance Of Addiction
The deconditioning process is the same regardless of the food category. The idea is to slowly and methodically reduce the amount of sugar or sweetener in the foods that you eat. As you reduce, you will notice your palette changing to prefer less sweet. If you worry that you will end up doomed to a bland diet, dont. Remember, you are doing this slowly, which means that you will gradually come to prefer less sugar. Tony may have helped create your sweet tooth, but you can be the one to undo it.
Ditch Drinks Loaded With Sugar
You might not know but most drinks are loaded with sugar. This can add to a huge number of calories to your diet. Most carbonated drinks and packed juices are loaded with sugar and calories. Water is the best drink to choose from. If you want to drink fruit juice you must choose only fresh fruit juice.
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Eating Sugar When Youre Not Hungry
Turning to sugar when youre not physically hungry is a clear sign of sugar addiction.
You may have just eaten a filling meal, but youd never dream of skipping dessert.
Your brain is wired to end with something sweet, and it automatically triggers sugar cravings.
To make matters worse, food digestion consumes energy, so your sugar cravings grow even stronger.
Research shows that negative moods can also trigger sugar cravings, like:
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Anxiety
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Stress
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Loneliness
Try and tune into your cravings to determine whether its true hunger, emotional eating, or habit.
Why Am I Addicted To Sugar
Sugar is a nutrient that is essential for our survival. Our body can harvest it by breaking down carbohydrates and polysaccharides. In addition, we can consume sweets to take a shortcut and get the glucose we need by eating. What happens when you eat glucose-rich food? Your tongue receptors send positive signals to your brain. The small intestine will absorb the supplements and inject them into your bloodstream. A highly concentrated dose of sweetener causes the brain to stimulate the cerebral cortex. This part of the brain will then produce dopamine, the chemical associated with pleasure and satisfaction.
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Our Uncontrollable Sweet Tooth Wasn’t Always Like This
Two hundred years ago, the average American ate two pounds of sugar per year — today, we’re up to 152 pounds per year. How did that much added sugar get into our diet in the first place?
Unfortunately, American sugar addiction has less than sweet roots. Back in olden times, sugarcane was a labor-intensive crop that had to be cut by hand and immediately harvested for juices. In 1795, a New Orleans farmer figured out how to granulate the first sugar crystals, and it became a product that could last longer than just a few days before spoiling. Sugar plantations appeared on both sides of the Mississippi River, and thus the proliferation of the sweet stuff became just another marker of the United States’ legacy of slave labor.
The factors that led to our state of sugar consumption are further entwined with American history. During the Prohibition of the 1920s and ’30s, people turned to soda to replace their nightcaps, and sugary drinks became a staple in the American diet. By the time Prohibition ended, we were too hooked on soda to let go.
When we added alcohol back into our drinks post Prohibition, we kept the soda and sugary juice too.
Long story short, sugar addiction has its roots in the foundation of the United States. Even though it’s hard to beat, that doesn’t mean we should stop trying.
Youre On The Safe Side
You have 100 percent control and no excessive glucose on your diet. You seem to be aware of your diet and the effects it has in the long run. The healthy habits that youve developed keep you strong and attractive. People who have a properly balanced diet live longer and happier lives, so congratulations on being such an intelligent person.
Dont stop being perfect encourage your friends and family to follow your lead and shift towards a more responsible lifestyle.
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Dont Focus On Weight Loss
While weight loss can be a natural consequence of giving up sugar, please dont make it your focus. Its better to channel your energy towards one goal at a time. So put aside your weight loss goals for now and focus your energy on healing your sugar addiction. Then, after youve found healing with sugar, you can decide how you want to approach any extra weight youd like to lose.
Weight loss is often a pleasant, natural side effect of taking loving care of your body and freeing yourself from food addiction. In my experience, making it the focus puts too much pressure on your tender heart to lose weight quickly and easily which can lead to a binge/restrict/binge/restrict cycle with sugar.
Overcoming Sugar Addiction
Why Are We Addicted To Sugar
So maybe now you’ve accepted that sugar addiction isn’t a hoax, or even admitted that you have at least a small addiction to sugar — but if it’s so dangerously addictive, why are sugary foods so commonplace?
One reason that we eat so many sugary items is because of the global rise in sugar-rich fast food consumption. The fast food market was worth more than $539 billion in 2016, and is expected to top $690 billion in 2022. Not only is the fast food economy growing, but the portions are too — an analysis of serving sizes at 10 popular US fast food restaurants showed that entrees, sides and desserts increased significantly in size and calories from 1986 to 2016. Almost all fast food meals, including everything from a cheeseburger to a Chipotle burrito bowl, contain a surprisingly high amount of sugar.
Any fast food meal is loaded with added sugar.
But even if you cook for yourself most of the time, it’s still harder than you think to completely avoid sugar. For starters, food with added sugar is easy on the wallet — one comprehensive study found that grains and sugar food groups were cheaper than vegetables and fruits per calorie.
So, even if you try to avoid obvious culprits such as donuts and ice cream, sugar is lurking in more of your staple groceries than you may think. Foods often labeled “healthy” such as fruit-flavored yogurt, granola, dried fruit and canned soup all contain a significant amount of added sugar.
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You Crave Salty Foods
Cravings for salty foods are one sign that your body is not getting the nutrition that it needs. This is surprisingly common among those who are addicted to sugary foods, as these people are often deficient in key nutrients, says Lisa Richards, a nutritionist and creator of the Candida Diet. If you find yourself regularly eating sugary snacks, youre probably not eating enough of the healthy proteins and fats that your body needs. Cravings for salty and savory foods are one way that your body might be telling you to take a break from the sugar and eat something more nutritious.
The inverse is true too, she adds. If you eat too much salty food, you might find yourself craving sugary foods or simple carbohydrates. The key is balanceeating foods that are rich in the micronutrients and macronutrients that your body needs to function and thrive.
Make Sure You’re Eating Enough Fat
Do you remember the fat-free trend in the ’90s? Suddenly we were bombarded with fat-free cookies and crackers, and they seemed healthy. We avoided fats, because we assumed eating fat made us fat. However, food companies simply replaced the fat in their products with sugar.
Our bodies need fat to feel full and satisfied, so it is crucial to consume enough when giving up sugar. “When you’re cutting back on sugar, pay attention to your fat intake,” Registered Dietitian with Virta Health Catherine Metzgar told me. “Not only does fat keep you full longer and provide greater satiety than sugar and carbohydrates, fat can also help manage your hunger and cravings. Try a square of 86 percent dark chocolate with a bit of peanut butter or even some berries with some heavy cream.”
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