Sugar is NOT your friend

Did you know that two-thirds of Americans are now overweight and one in four are either diabetic or pre-diabetic? That is a frightening fact. It makes me sick to my stomach. There are many different factors that lead to obesity not just a bad diet, including lack of exercise, poor sleeping habits and stress. However, what you eat significantly affects how you look, think and feel. That is why it's SO important to monitor what you put in your mouth. 

Sugar is a silent killer. Seriously. A bit dramatic? Maybe. Do I enjoy the occasional cookie or slice of cake? For sure. I am definitely not going to sit here and pretend I eat a bundle of kale when I'm craving something sweet. BUT it's only on occasion. However, when eaten often sugar takes over the body and it's craving systems. Meaning, the more sugar you consume, the more your body craves it. Picture a day where you sort of "fell off the wagon" and ate whatever you wanted. How did you feel the next day? And I'm not talking about feelings of guilt or regret although those may be present too. Did you wake up stumbling to get out of bed to get to that protein shake or a mixed greens juice? Probably not. You most likely wanted a breakfast burrito, not spinach. The same goes for alcohol which is loaded with sugar. After a night of drinking do you wake up and crave something healthy? Not usually. You want something carby and greasy. This is not just a coincidence. Research has demonstrated that refined sugar is more addictive than cocaine.

Check out this quote from Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics:

  

"The brain's pleasure center, called the nucleus accumbens, is essential for our survival as a species... Turn off pleasure, and you turn off the will to live... But long-term stimulation of the pleasure center drives the process of addiction... When you consume any substance of abuse, including sugar, the nucleus accumbens receives a dopamine signal, from which you experience pleasure. And so you consume more.

The problem is that with prolonged exposure, the signal attenuates, gets weaker. So you have to consume more to get the same effect -- tolerance. And if you pull back on the substance, you go into withdrawal. Tolerance and withdrawal constitute addiction. And make no mistake, sugar is addictive."

So, what does this mean exactly?

It means that every time you have sugar, your brain receives the "feel good" sensors a.k.a. dopamine which is why we crave it and consume more and more. It's a viscous cycle. The more sugar you consume over time, the weaker the signal gets thus creating the need for more. Once you become aware of the actual science behind this and realize the dramatic effects it can have on you, you can better manage your intake. The problem is most people are unaware of these facts. They just think "I don't want to eat this because it will make me fat" when it really is so much more than that. It’s also important to realize that sugar is not confined to junky snack foods and can be found in foods we would never think had boatloads of sugar in them. Refined carbs like breakfast cereals, bagels and pretzels are a few examples, not just brownies and cake. Again, knowledge is power. Break the cycle. Try to stick with raw whole foods and a limit the amount of processed foods and sugar you consume. Your waistline and happiness will benefit from it. As always, moderation and balance are the key factors here.

For more information on the effects of sugar, ways to combat food addiction and more research studies click here

Healthy body = Healthy mind = Happiness

-Kate