It seems as though sugar is in everything these days, from ketchup to salsa to soup. It's in everything, I suppose, because we have come to expect it to be.And it's not just the white stuff we need to worry about. "Refined carbohydrates," such as white bread and white flour products, produce the same reaction in our bodies.Researchers have linked sugar consumption to everything from cavities to wrinkly skin, as well as wide range of much more serious health problems.[]
So where exactly is this unneeded sugar found in? Milk, bread, rice, chips, candy bars, soda, fast food, processed foods and the list goes on and on.Milk contains lactose, a sugar that will be stored in your body as fat if you consume too much of it. Cereals, cookies, fast food, processed foods and soda contain high fructose corn syrup, which can be addictive. The more you eat, the harder it is to stop, and when you do stop, prepare to undergo a sugar withdrawal.
Sugar in wheat bread was a big surprise to me. If you look at regular wheat bread, you might find that it contains high fructose corn syrup in its ingredients. Why in bread? High fructose corn syrup helps to preserve it longer and gives it a better taste, and its addictive.The consequences of eating dozens of pounds of sugar a year are obesity, stress, cardiovascular disease, cancer and death. What's worse is that all this sugar is getting in the way of the messages that the body is trying to send to our brain. Those "I'm full" messages are drowned out by the over consumption of sugar.
How to Break Your Sugar Addiction.So how do you start to reduce your sugar intake? Here are some tips.Try decreasing your intake of added sugar gradually. It can be difficult to suddenly cut all added sugar and refined carbohydrates. Try taking a week-by-week approach. One week, add less sugar to your morning coffee. Next week, replace your afternoon soda with bottled water. The following week, replace white bread with a whole grain alternative. Before long, you will find that the foods (and drinks) you used to love now taste sickeningly sweet. And you will likely find it easier to keep your moods on an even keel, too.
Keep notes on your sugar intake in your journal or Daytimer. How does decreasing your sugar levels impact your energy levels? Your mood during the day? Your ability to fall asleep at night? When do sugar cravings hit? It might be helpful to start with a Sugar Fast for a day or two. See how one day without added sugars affects you.Make easy substitutions. Buy brown rice instead of white rice, for example. Brown rice has a nice, nutty flavor, and takes just a bit longer to cook. The next time you go to the store, experiment with all kinds of whole grain alternatives. You might find some new family favorites.Keep healthy snacks readily available, and rely on a bit of protein in your snacks to keep your energy levels high. Keep a small bowl of nuts on the table, along with fresh fruits. When you are hungry for a mid afternoon snack, opt for lean protein and complex carbs.
But it is. Dramatically. There have been oodles of studies done and the overall message is that diet soda can and does contribute to sugar cravings and to weight gain. As much as if you drank a regular soda! Why you ask? The studies are showing that it will trigger you to eat more calories when you have a diet soda. Here is a typical scenario of what happens:When I use to go through Burger King I would buy a Whopper, french fries, and to cut back on calories, a diet soda. Pretty typical of how we all start to drink the diet rather than the regular. Your body becomes conditioned to look for calories when it gets that sweet taste ( as it does when it gets regular soda or a sweet). So now it triggers you to crave additional calories ( energy) when it has a diet beverage. And thus the vicious cycle begins.Put another way: Your body needs energy to burn, so now it is suddenly not getting it when you drink the diet soda. So your body starts to crave more food, more energy and more calories. And that 0 calorie beverage is creating cravings that cost you more calories in the long run. It's like a furniture store that charges you no interest for the first year but get you big time on the back end and you wind up paying more.
Eating sweets such as cakes, cookies and candy aren't the only way to add a large amount of sugar to your diet. Breads, pastas and snacks made with white flour are processed carbs that turn to sugar in your body. This type of diet can lead to all kinds of illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, digestive problems and even certain cancers. There is also evidence that memory, concentration and focus may be affected.
Sugar dependency is along the same lines as addiction to smoking, gambling or alcohol. Anxiety, depression and phobias are some emotional imbalances that can be connected to sugar addiction. Sugar causes an immediate gratification making the person that's addicted feel like they can't live without it. The down part is that the good feeling doesn't last long. In a short, you go from being energetic to feeling tired. You may have tried to give up sugar because you wanted to lose weight or avoid illnesses. This might trigger the same withdrawal symptoms as some drug addicts experience. Some symptoms are sweating, trembling, weakness and dizziness.
Diabetics should consult their physicians. For others, refined sugar is so harmful that it is worth eating "too much" fruit in order to eat less refined sugar.Don't allow your blood sugar to fluctuate. Low blood sugar, known as hypoglycemia, provokes uncontrollable sugar cravings.Don't skip meals. Eat frequently. Eat enough food. Get enough protein.Healthy exercise that gives you a good appetite will help. However, over-exercising will deplete you and cause hypoglycemia and cravings.Healthy fats, especially unrefined coconut oil, help prevent blood sugar fluctuations. Fats slow the absorption of carbohydrates, increase the absorption of vitamins and minerals, and make you feel full.
Water is an important factor in total wellness; it contains many minerals and is needed for good nutrition. Water can help in controlling sugar cravings. Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.Begin your day by eating a balanced breakfast. Make sure you have protein and complex carbohydrates. This will keep up your blood sugar level and lessen your cravings later on in the day. Replace your caffeinated drink with juice or herbal tea. Caffeine will cause your blood sugar to go down.Eat small portions of complex carbohydrates during the day. This will keep your stomach satisfied. Fruits, vegetables, wheat, grains and rice are full of nutrients. You will feel fuller longer because they are assimilated at a slower rate.Think of an enjoyable option when you feel a strong craving for sugar coming on. Listen to your favorite music, work on a craft or do some exercise. It's impossible to give up sugar overnight. Take one step at a time and you will reach your goal.
So where exactly is this unneeded sugar found in? Milk, bread, rice, chips, candy bars, soda, fast food, processed foods and the list goes on and on.Milk contains lactose, a sugar that will be stored in your body as fat if you consume too much of it. Cereals, cookies, fast food, processed foods and soda contain high fructose corn syrup, which can be addictive. The more you eat, the harder it is to stop, and when you do stop, prepare to undergo a sugar withdrawal.
Sugar in wheat bread was a big surprise to me. If you look at regular wheat bread, you might find that it contains high fructose corn syrup in its ingredients. Why in bread? High fructose corn syrup helps to preserve it longer and gives it a better taste, and its addictive.The consequences of eating dozens of pounds of sugar a year are obesity, stress, cardiovascular disease, cancer and death. What's worse is that all this sugar is getting in the way of the messages that the body is trying to send to our brain. Those "I'm full" messages are drowned out by the over consumption of sugar.
How to Break Your Sugar Addiction.So how do you start to reduce your sugar intake? Here are some tips.Try decreasing your intake of added sugar gradually. It can be difficult to suddenly cut all added sugar and refined carbohydrates. Try taking a week-by-week approach. One week, add less sugar to your morning coffee. Next week, replace your afternoon soda with bottled water. The following week, replace white bread with a whole grain alternative. Before long, you will find that the foods (and drinks) you used to love now taste sickeningly sweet. And you will likely find it easier to keep your moods on an even keel, too.
Keep notes on your sugar intake in your journal or Daytimer. How does decreasing your sugar levels impact your energy levels? Your mood during the day? Your ability to fall asleep at night? When do sugar cravings hit? It might be helpful to start with a Sugar Fast for a day or two. See how one day without added sugars affects you.Make easy substitutions. Buy brown rice instead of white rice, for example. Brown rice has a nice, nutty flavor, and takes just a bit longer to cook. The next time you go to the store, experiment with all kinds of whole grain alternatives. You might find some new family favorites.Keep healthy snacks readily available, and rely on a bit of protein in your snacks to keep your energy levels high. Keep a small bowl of nuts on the table, along with fresh fruits. When you are hungry for a mid afternoon snack, opt for lean protein and complex carbs.
But it is. Dramatically. There have been oodles of studies done and the overall message is that diet soda can and does contribute to sugar cravings and to weight gain. As much as if you drank a regular soda! Why you ask? The studies are showing that it will trigger you to eat more calories when you have a diet soda. Here is a typical scenario of what happens:When I use to go through Burger King I would buy a Whopper, french fries, and to cut back on calories, a diet soda. Pretty typical of how we all start to drink the diet rather than the regular. Your body becomes conditioned to look for calories when it gets that sweet taste ( as it does when it gets regular soda or a sweet). So now it triggers you to crave additional calories ( energy) when it has a diet beverage. And thus the vicious cycle begins.Put another way: Your body needs energy to burn, so now it is suddenly not getting it when you drink the diet soda. So your body starts to crave more food, more energy and more calories. And that 0 calorie beverage is creating cravings that cost you more calories in the long run. It's like a furniture store that charges you no interest for the first year but get you big time on the back end and you wind up paying more.
Eating sweets such as cakes, cookies and candy aren't the only way to add a large amount of sugar to your diet. Breads, pastas and snacks made with white flour are processed carbs that turn to sugar in your body. This type of diet can lead to all kinds of illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, digestive problems and even certain cancers. There is also evidence that memory, concentration and focus may be affected.
Sugar dependency is along the same lines as addiction to smoking, gambling or alcohol. Anxiety, depression and phobias are some emotional imbalances that can be connected to sugar addiction. Sugar causes an immediate gratification making the person that's addicted feel like they can't live without it. The down part is that the good feeling doesn't last long. In a short, you go from being energetic to feeling tired. You may have tried to give up sugar because you wanted to lose weight or avoid illnesses. This might trigger the same withdrawal symptoms as some drug addicts experience. Some symptoms are sweating, trembling, weakness and dizziness.
Diabetics should consult their physicians. For others, refined sugar is so harmful that it is worth eating "too much" fruit in order to eat less refined sugar.Don't allow your blood sugar to fluctuate. Low blood sugar, known as hypoglycemia, provokes uncontrollable sugar cravings.Don't skip meals. Eat frequently. Eat enough food. Get enough protein.Healthy exercise that gives you a good appetite will help. However, over-exercising will deplete you and cause hypoglycemia and cravings.Healthy fats, especially unrefined coconut oil, help prevent blood sugar fluctuations. Fats slow the absorption of carbohydrates, increase the absorption of vitamins and minerals, and make you feel full.
Water is an important factor in total wellness; it contains many minerals and is needed for good nutrition. Water can help in controlling sugar cravings. Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day.Begin your day by eating a balanced breakfast. Make sure you have protein and complex carbohydrates. This will keep up your blood sugar level and lessen your cravings later on in the day. Replace your caffeinated drink with juice or herbal tea. Caffeine will cause your blood sugar to go down.Eat small portions of complex carbohydrates during the day. This will keep your stomach satisfied. Fruits, vegetables, wheat, grains and rice are full of nutrients. You will feel fuller longer because they are assimilated at a slower rate.Think of an enjoyable option when you feel a strong craving for sugar coming on. Listen to your favorite music, work on a craft or do some exercise. It's impossible to give up sugar overnight. Take one step at a time and you will reach your goal.
About the Author:
Learn more about Beat Sugar Addiction Now as well as over coming sugar addiction , now.
0 comments:
Post a Comment