Are you addicted to sugar? According to Julia Ross, when sugar was first refined it was kept under lock and key and was called "crack."
When big business found out about it they had dollar signs flashing in their eyes. Here was a substance that was cheap and addictive.
In 1800, each American consumed 18 pounds of sugar in one year. Now that number has reached 130 pounds each year
How is it addictive?
1. It lights up the same place in the brain as cocaine.
A new study has shown that sugar lights up the same reward- addiction area as cocaine, or any other addictive drug.
2. Too much causes glucose levels to spike, creating a desire for more.
The body is only made to have 4 grams (1 teaspoon) of glucose in the blood at any one time.
There are 43 grams of sugar in just one 12-ounce can of soda.
If you ingest too much of this or refined carbohydrates (which turn into sugars) at one time, the body has to deal with this excess. Your body secretes a hormone from the pancreas called insulin, which keeps your blood sugar regulated by sending it to the areas of your body
When you ingest too much, over time, one of 2 things happens:
1. The pancreas starts over-reacting and shunting too much glucose out of the blood which results in a condition call hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar.
2. Your cells can be come resistant to insulin and you can develop diabetes because the glucose stays in the blood.
Plus, the excess is still turned into fat in both conditions. "How's that?" You might wonder. Say you eat a doughnut (10 grams of sugar), and then later in the day, you have a candy bar (24 grams of sugar). Your body is frantically trying to deal with this. The pancreas overreacts and the blood sugar gets a little low. You don't have the high any more so you grab a cola or another candy bar. This shoots your blood sugar level up again and the whole thing starts over. If you don't get your "sugar fix," you are tired, irritable, and can't think straight.
So how does this become an addictive cycle? The more sugar you eat the less you taste the sweetness. And as your body continues to go through these blood sugar swings, damaging your cells, you need more and more to even feel normal.
When you consume complex sugars and carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and reduce or eliminate simple sugars and carbohydrates such as donuts, sweetened drinks, and white flour products, your blood sugar is regulated and you won't be craving the simple sugars anymore. You will no longer be addicted to this substance and will have all the energy and clear thinking you need to have a productive and happy life.
Ready to start feeling enough energy to enjoy your life? If you have any questions, I would be glad to answer them. Here is where to contact me .
Ruth Sanders
Certified Health Coach