Can people really be addicted to sugar?
Although the words sugar and addiction are not often seen together, yes, people can become a sugar addict. Rosalie Moscoe, RHN, RNCP, suffered from an addiction to sugar. When her kids were little she would bake them a batch of cookies and half of the batch of chocolate chip cookies would be gone by the time they got home from school.
She loved cheesecake and chocolate (she still likes chocolate, but now she gets the healthy kind). You can get to a point when you can't do without it.
What are some sugar addiction symptoms?
* You know you are a sugar addict if:
* You have your own private stash of candy, chocolate or g oodies
* You have to have a muffin or donut every day
* You go to a party and you are the first one at the dessert table, and you just can't wait until it comes
* You can't live without chocolate
* You need to have a sweet cereal every morning
There are some people who believe sugar addiction is akin to alcohol addiction. Rosalie has known people who have conquered their alcohol addiction only to become addicted to sugar. Really they are both carbohydrates- it's a carbohydrate addiction.
A general test for any type of addiction is, if you can't live without it, you are probably addicted.
What are some health problems associated with sugar addiction?
Sugar addicts can have a variety of health problems can include hypoglycemia, which is a low blood sugar health issue. What happens is you eat the sugar which gives you a hit to the brain, which influences a nerve transmitter serotonin and makes you feel really good. That's why people reach for something sweet, because it gives them a hit to their pleasure centre in their brain. The problem is that when you reach for a simple sugar like a candy, you only get that "high" for a short time and then you start to crash. By half an hour you may not be feeling so good and 2 hours later you may feel like you need another sugar hit.
Dr. JJ sees a lot of people in his clinic who, when he asks them about their energy level, say that by three or four pm, they feel like they are in a slump, or have mental fogginess. Then if Dr. JJ pulls them off of any carbohydrates or sugars, those patients tend to coast through the afternoon with plenty of energy.
Depression is another potential health problem for sugar addicts, as they are trying to bring their mood back up by reaching for something sweet.
Sometimes sugar can deplete your body of vitamins and minerals. Plus after eating a lot of sugar, your immune system can go down, so if you are eating a lot of sugar you can get a lot of colds.
How can you overcome sugar addiction?
Overcoming a sugar addiction is possible! To break sugar addiction, you need to:
Reach for complex carbohydrates, like whole grains or apples or berries (fruit that are not too sweet).
Have protein, like nuts or seeds, handy and eat this when you get a sugar craving or are going into sugar withdrawl. Protein is a good stabilizer for your body.
Exercise (it can help decrease your cravings and burn calories)
Take Vitamin C, B Vitamins and chromium to help reduce sugar cravings
To watch the video, click here.
What's Dr. JJ taking today?
Dr. JJ is taking a Multivitamin for blood sugar control (indirectly). Multivitamins contain B Vitamins, which are very good for carbohydrate metabolism, and minerals that help to manage your blood sugar levels, like chromium.