Do you find it hard to stay away from sugar? Maybe you took our sugar addiction quiz and discovered – egads! – you’re actually addicted to the stuff?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. And interestingly, your sugar addiction might not be entirely your fault.
Emerging science is showing there are many reasons why we just can’t say no to that second slice of cake. Luckily though, there are ways to break the sugar addiction cycle and kick our reliance on the sweet stuff for good.
1. Fructose messes with your appetite.
Research has shown that fructose reduces the hormone leptin, which helps you feel full. It may also reduce your body’s natural suppression of ghrelin – the hunger hormone. Next thing you know, you’re ragingly hungry straight after lunch… and reaching for the nearest chocolate bar.
On top of that, large amounts of the sweet stuff can send your blood sugar levels sky high… and then send them crashing back to earth. When our blood sugar crashes, it makes us grumpy, tired and hungry – and round the blood sugar rollercoaster we go!
2. Your brain treats sugar as a reward.
Studies have shown that when we eat fructose, it releases dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is also known as a “reward hormone” and is linked to addiction. Shockingly, lab rats have actually chosen sugar over cocaine!
Want to know more? Check out this super informative TED video by neuroscientist Dr Nicole Avena.
3. You’re emotionally attached to sweet stuff.
Bingeing on sugar when you’re stressed, tired or upset? Yep, pretty much all of us have been there. A recent survey found that 83 per cent of obese and overweight people struggle with emotional eating.
Sugary foods represent instant gratification when we want to bury our feelings (or simply because we’re relapsing from a restrictive diet). If you think this could be an issue for you, have a read of psychologist Dr Ali Dale’s holistic techniques to combat emotional eating.
Need to break your sugar addiction? Here’s our solution…
Just Eat Real Food! When you fill up on fresh fruit and vegetables, healthy fats and proteins you leave less room for junk food to creep in. Your appetite resets, your blood sugar stabilises and you feel better.
We also recommend cutting out sweet tastes altogether… well, at least, for a few weeks on our I Quit Sugar: 8-Week Program. This gives your taste buds a chance to recalibrate so you’re not constantly craving your next sweet hit, so you can find freedom with food again.
0 comments :
Post a Comment