Could You Be Addicted to Sugar?

No one wants to admit to herself that her sugar cravings could be something more. At Cooking Healthy Academy, we have enough experience to know the havoc that sugar can wreak on a body’s health.

Sugar is one of the most addictive substances on earth.

If you find that you simply can’t resist sugar, understand that it has little to do with your willpower; your body has actually started to depend on sugar. That’s what makes cutting it out of your diet – or even cutting down – so difficult.

Sugar fuels every cell in the brain. As a simple carbohydrate, sugar can give you a “rush” because it quickly turns to glucose in your bloodstream. The problem with giving your body a rush of glucose is this: Once insulin helps move glucose into your cells for energy, you can experience a rapid drop in blood sugar, which leaves you feeling more tired than you were before. Unlike when you turn to fruit or other good-for-you foods, you’re not receiving health benefits like protein or fiber. Your body begins to crave more sweets to recapture that “high.” According to Dr. Nora Volkow, a psychiatrist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, sugar activates the same regions in the brain that are “turned on” when someone uses cocaine. As your body adapts to rely on that sugar high, your addiction can get stronger.

Did you know that most people in the United States eat over twice the amount of sugar than they should each day? While women need no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar daily, according to the American Heart Association, most get 19 teaspoons or more. Even if you think you don’t have a sweet tooth, you still may be getting more sugar than you need in the form of starches. Foods like french fries, bagels and pasta can also send your blood sugar soaring and crashing. Highly refined starches like these contain way more sugar than your body really needs. That’s why we believe that changing your entire relationship with food is so important.

If you realize that you …

• Crave sweets or carbs, or are simply unable to resist food that you know contains too much sugar.
• Eat more sugar than you need to, often binging on ice cream, cookies, or other sugary foods
• Feel a sense of guilt or shame after you binge, but find yourself unable to stop

… you may have more than just a sweet tooth; you may have a sugar addiction.

Have you found yourself turning to detox programs that don’t work for the long term? It takes longer, and it takes more sustainable methods, to retrain your body to seek out healthy foods instead of junk. We uncover the triggers that cause you to reach for that doughnut or carton of ice cream and help you put an end to emotional eating. By eating mindfully, you can take the power away from sugary treats and give yourself choices and increased self-control. The ultimate goal is to create a healthy relationship with food.

Are you ready to develop healthy habits? Fill out the form below and we will reach out shortly.