Experts Say That's The Average and That's WAY TOO MUCH!
Can You Really Be Hooked on Sugar?
Can you live without your daily sugar hit/s? Are you really 'addicted' to sugar?
If you find yourself in a pattern of avoiding and bingeing on sugar itself, it may lead to addict-like effects. Sugar even affects the same feel-good brain hormones as street drugs.
If you feel out of control around sugar, then sugar detoxing can be the best way to reduce your cravings, start eating real food, and bring sugar back to where it belongs: as an odd occasion treat that you may choose to eat in a mindful manner.
Sugar Addiction Symptoms
Anyone can use sugary foods in ways that aren't healthy, but if you are starting to question whether you have a problem, here are some signs to be vigilant in watching out for... You may lose control and eat more than you meant to, often. You may start to show physical symptoms when you skip your daily sugar fix. These low blood sugar symptoms include feeling a little to a lot nervous and/or shaky, and sometimes breaking out into a cold sweat.
Quick Sugar Highs
Why do you get a rush or a high when you have a midday sugar fix? The sugar in it called a simple carbohydrate. Cabohydrate is quickly turned into glucose in your bloodstream. Then your blood sugar levels hike upwards. These simple carbs are also found in fruits, dairy products and vegetables. But these have fiber and protein that slow the process.
…And Sugar Lows
Your body needs to quickly move glucose out of your bloodstream and into your cells for energy. To do this, your pancreas makes insulin which is a hormone. After that, your blood sugar level may have a sudden drop. When your blood sugar level drops like that, it can leave you feeling shaky and dizzy, and searching for another sugar fix to regain that sugar high. So that midday sugar fix has set you up in a cycle of high/low, constantly consuming your poor energy supplies! This sugar splurging cycle can also head you in the right direction for diabetes in the long run.
Says nutritionist Dr Sam Christie,"Food manufacturers have a lot to answer for.Over the past 30 years, they've doubled the amount of sugar they add to their products and our bodies haven't adapted at all. We absorb sugar very quickly, which causes our pancreas to produce insulin so our cells to turn the sugar into energy. If we eat a lot of sugar, over a long period of time our cells will become insulin resistant and will develop type-2 diabetes"
Starch Can Equal Sugar
Think you don't have a sweet tooth, but crave pretzels, any deep fried goodies from the local take out store? These starch filled foods are called complex carbohydrates. Your body breaks these down into simple sugar molecules. Eaten on their own, without nutrient rich foods, starches can make blood sugar surge and crash in exactly the same manner as a sugar high surges and crashes. White rice, flour and potatoes are medium rate offenders. Highly refined starches like white bread, pretzels, pasta and crackers are the worst offenders.
The Good News Is
It is very easy to reverse the impact of a sweet tooth by replacing it with natural foods including whole foods and grains, lots of veggies especially green and leafy types, and fish. All of which, contain nutrients to replenish our stores of insulin.
Choose Good Sweets
You don't have to give up the sweets! Just get it from other sources. Try organic fresh berries or pureed fruit on oatmeal instead of sugar. Explore some new fruits that are dried, frozen, or canned (in juice only!) A glass of milk or yoghurt can also help with the sweets cravings.
Let Protein Help You
High protein foods digest much more slowly than sugars, keeping you feeling fuller for longer. Protein will not make your blood sugars go through the roof the way refined carbs and sugars always do. Choose proteins like lean chicken, yogurt, eggs, whole nuts, or any types of beans.
Fill Up on Fiber
Fiber helps fight a sugar itch in many ways. Firstly, it keeps you full. High fiber foods also give you more long-bu
energy. Because they don't raise your blood sugar, there's no hungry crash afterwards.
What About Detox?
It important to remember that the fastest way forward is always cold turkey. Although it can be rough, I find it's the best way to kick anything out of life that isn't serving me anymore!