Sweet Death : Sugar Addiction and Recovery
(sciencefocus.com)
You've just finished a delicious home-cooked meal and you're stuffed to the brim. You feel like you can't physically eat another bite but a few minutes later you find yourself digging in the cookie jar! Why do you feel these cravings on a full stomach? Let's find out.
When we eat a meal high in carbs we experience a blood sugar spike and then a sharp drop-off post-meal. This causes us to crave sugar when we aren't hungry at all. Another thing to be aware of is that most processed foods contain some amount of sugar (even ones you wouldn't think of as being sweet!).
An important part of recovery is learning to stop identifying with our addictions. We often subconsciously label ourselves as our pasts and convince ourselves that we can't change but this is a mental trap. We must realize that we make our own decisions every day and if we truly allow ourselves to be fully present in the now, we can make the right ones for our health.
Many people use positive affirmations and/or meditation to strengthen their resolves. It is important to realize sugar can cause serious addictions that can be devastating to one's health. Far too often we underestimate the dangers of sugar and even tease peers who open up to us about their struggles. Changing our mindset on the reality of sugar is vital to the recovery process of our society as a whole.
Fruit and exercise are possibly the most important tools in a recovering sugar addict's arsenal. Fruits contain sugar (fructose) but it is packaged within fibers to allow our bodies to digest it properly. Table sugar or sucrose (glucose+fructose) gets sent directly into the liver, overloading it and causing the body to create more fat. High fructose corn syrup and processed sugars are literally poison for the body! When we consume these toxins our bodies get confused because they weren't designed to process them.
Perhaps the moral of the story is to let nature be. Don't play god. Cocaine is extremely dangerous yet coca leaves are relatively safe. High fructose corn syrup is a toxin yet corn is a nutritious food. When we attempt to concentrate an ingredient of any plant for consumption it often results in disaster.
To conclude I feel we should take sugar addiction much more seriously and reach out to anyone who is struggling with recovery. If you are fighting sugar addiction remember to exercise, eat plenty of fruits, and stay aware of the present moment as well as your mindstate. Don't forget, you are not your addiction!
I would love to hear any of your tips for fighting sugar addiction as well as anything you struggle with! Thanks for reading! Let's get fit!