You realize that feeling once you’re making an attempt to eat wholesome and also you’re completely crushing it…after which out of nowhere, you’re hit with this irresistible CRAVING for one thing candy?
And instantly, it’s ALL you may take into consideration—that donut you noticed within the break room, or the pint of ice cream in your freezer, or the leftover halloween sweet you hid out of your youngsters.
Welcome to sugar dependancy and—information flash—even when your cravings aren’t for candy issues, however different excessive carb meals like bread or pasta or potato chips—it nonetheless comes right down to sugar.
The excellent news is that there IS a strategy to break away and retrain your mind, which is why immediately, we’re going to take a dive deep into the science of sugar dependancy, and speak about what’s actually happening in your physique and your mind once you eat sugar, and the way you need to use that information to your benefit to really RESET your mind and get off the sugar rollercoaster for good.
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As a result of possibly you’re like me and also you’ve tried to persuade your self that you just simply have a “candy tooth,” and that it’s completely regular to have these cravings on a regular basis. And actually, for a very long time, I felt completely HELPLESS to vary.
Perhaps that’s how you’re feeling proper now. Such as you attempt so laborious to be good, however you all the time find yourself again at sq. one—craving sugar like loopy and feeling completely uncontrolled.
And whereas most of us most likely perceive, no less than on some degree, that sugar is addictive, I don’t assume most of us have actually stopped to consider simply how devastating and harmful this dependancy actually is.
Perhaps you’ve heard the tales about lab mice who select sugar water over cocaine, otherwise you’ve learn an article about how sugar dependancy is simply as dangerous as heroin dependancy. Or possibly you’ve simply skilled these intense cravings and questioned why it’s so laborious to say no.
However on the identical time, it may be laborious you wrap your head round the concept one thing SO frequent, one thing we eat actually daily, might really be that dangerous for us.
And so we simply hold consuming it. And we hold feeding it to our children.
And we hold getting fatter and sicker and extra addicted.
The Harsh Actuality of Sugar Dependancy
As a result of the tough actuality is, sugar IS addictive.
However not solely that it’s in just about EVERYTHING we eat. The truth is, the meals trade has labored actually laborious to verify of it, as a result of they know that the extra sugar they put of their merchandise, the extra merchandise we’ll purchase.
And we’re shopping for it, alright.
People alone eat over 11 million metric tons of added sugar yearly. That’s 11 MILLION TONS. Or to place it in perspective, that’s the equal of over 2 TRILLION kilos of sugar. Yearly. In simply america.
And in case you’re questioning, that breaks right down to about 152 kilos of sugar per particular person, per 12 months. That’s virtually half a pound of sugar each single day.
It’s a CRAZY quantity of sugar.
And it’s killing us. And I don’t say that mildly.
Added sugar is kind of actually the brand new tobacco. It’s the brand new silent killer. It’s the brand new factor that’s slowly, and typically virtually imperceptibly, destroying our well being from the within out.
And it’s not so new, really.
A quick historical past of fructose
All of it goes again to a single molecule—one thing referred to as fructose.
Fructose, as it’s possible you’ll or might not know, is the sugar that’s present in fruit. And in small quantities, like what you’d discover in a bit of complete fruit, it’s probably not an enormous deal. Your physique can deal with it simply high quality. The truth is, it really has lots of well being advantages, as a result of it’s additionally accompanied by dietary fiber and different vitamins that assist your physique course of it correctly.
However within the late 70s and early 80s, the meals trade found out the best way to begin extracting fructose from corn and different sources, after which including it to just about EVERYTHING. And that’s when all hell broke unfastened.
As a result of the issue with this “added” fructose is that it’s not sure to anything. It’s not present in nature. It’s not accompanied by fiber or some other vitamins. It’s simply pure, unadulterated sugar. And it’s extremely concentrated and extremely addictive. The truth is, it’s estimated that it’s 10 occasions extra addictive than cocaine.
And we’re consuming it in RECORD quantities. Like I stated earlier than, People alone are consuming over 11 million metric tons of added sugar yearly. And that’s 11 million tons of fructose. Simply in america.
That’s a LOT of fructose.
It’s not simply in candy stuff, both. It’s added to bread, ketchup, sauces, salad dressings, and just about any processed meals you may consider. Potato chips. Cereal. Granola bars. Even issues like yogurt and sports activities drinks. And it’s doing a little severe injury.
Like I stated, it’s actually killing us.
As a result of fructose is extremely poisonous to the physique. It’s poisonous to the liver, to the cardiovascular system, and to the pancreas. And since it’s in just about EVERYTHING we eat, it’s slowly wreaking havoc on our our bodies and our well being.
The truth is, it’s what’s behind just about each main well being drawback we face immediately—weight problems, diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart illness, stroke, most cancers, autoimmune illness, Alzheimer’s, dementia. You title it. Fructose is the underlying trigger.
How fructose impacts your mind
And if that each one sounds a bit of bit miserable, then buckle up, as a result of we’re sadly simply getting began. As a result of the issue with fructose goes even deeper than all of that. As a result of after we eat it, it really adjustments our BRAIN.
That’s proper—fructose is a strong psychoactive substance, which means it has a direct impact on the central nervous system. In different phrases, it’s a drug. And it impacts our mind in a lot the identical approach that medication like cocaine or heroin do.
It releases a surge of dopamine—that “really feel good” neurotransmitter that offers us a way of enjoyment and reward. And that dopamine launch is what creates that quick and virtually insatiable longing for MORE.
But it surely doesn’t cease there. As a result of the extra fructose we eat, the extra our mind turns into desensitized to dopamine. And which means we want an increasing number of fructose to get that very same excessive. We have to hold feeding the beast.
And that, my buddies, is the definition of dependancy. It’s actually a cycle of craving, indulging, after which needing extra to get the identical impact.
And that is the place it’s actually vital to know what’s happening in our mind, as a result of the mind is a difficult factor. It’s hard-wired to hunt out pleasure and reward, and to keep away from ache. And it’s additionally hard-wired to type habits and create neural pathways that develop into virtually inconceivable to interrupt.
And that’s why, as soon as we begin consuming fructose regularly, it’s so laborious to STOP. As a result of our mind has shaped this highly effective connection between the pleasure and reward of dopamine, and the consumption of sugar. And people neural pathways develop into so ingrained that it’s virtually like an computerized response. We don’t even give it some thought. We simply do it.
And that’s additionally why, once you determine that you just need to begin consuming more healthy, and also you attempt to lower out the sugar and the carbs, you’re feeling such as you’re going CRAZY. As a result of your mind is actually sending you all of those alerts that say “FEED ME SUGAR!” And it’s virtually inconceivable to disregard.
The truth is, research have proven that when folks attempt to lower out sugar, they expertise intense cravings and withdrawal signs which can be similar to what drug addicts expertise once they attempt to stop. They get irritable and moody. They’ve complications. They really feel drained and torpid. They will’t focus. They really feel depressed.
It’s not enjoyable. And it’s not straightforward.
The best way to break away from the sugar dependancy cycle
However the excellent news in all of that is that it IS doable to interrupt free from the sugar cycle. As a result of whereas sugar dependancy could be very actual, it’s additionally one thing that may be overcome. It may not be straightforward, nevertheless it CAN be performed.
And step one in doing that’s actually simply understanding what’s occurring in our physique and our mind, after which making a acutely aware determination to vary and take again management. In different phrases, we have to retrain our mind.
So how can we do this? How can we overcome one thing as highly effective as sugar dependancy? Effectively, it begins with just a few easy adjustments that may have a BIG affect in your mind and your physique.
Shift your strategy to meals
The very first thing that you must do is begin taking a look at meals as FUEL, not as a supply of enjoyment or reward. It is a mindset shift that may be actually laborious, particularly in the event you’ve spent most of your life utilizing meals to consolation you or to have fun or to deal with stress. But it surely’s a very vital one.
As a result of after we have a look at meals as gas, it turns into rather a lot simpler to make wholesome decisions. We begin to acknowledge that sugar and processed carbohydrates don’t really DO something for our physique. The truth is, they do the OPPOSITE. They make us sick, and fats, and addicted. They actually steal our vitality and our vitality and our well being. They rob us of the flexibility to reside our life to the fullest.
And once you begin to see it that approach, then hastily that donut simply doesn’t look so good anymore. As a result of it’s not a deal with. It’s poison. And also you wouldn’t willingly eat poison.
Cut back your sugar consumption
The second factor that you must do is definitely begin decreasing your sugar consumption in a approach that’s sustainable. Now, I notice which may sound a bit of bit odd, coming from somebody who has constructed a complete program round a way of life that’s primarily sugar and carb-free.
As a result of YES, the easiest way to beat sugar dependancy is to really ELIMINATE the sugar. It’s to get to a spot the place your physique is not depending on sugar for gas, and also you’re capable of swap to burning fats as an alternative. That’s the entire concept behind our program—to get your physique tailored to burning fats as an alternative of sugar.
However on the identical time, I additionally acknowledge that it’s not all the time practical to assume that you could simply fully STOP consuming sugar and processed carbs, particularly in the event you’ve spent most of your life hooked on them. It’s simply not going to occur. You’re going to get overwhelmed and pissed off, and also you’re going to surrender.
And that’s not what I need for you. As a result of though I’m an enormous believer within the energy of TOTAL transformation, I additionally know that change is a course of, and that it must occur at a tempo that you just’re snug with. I do know that you must be READY to vary, and that there needs to be a sure degree of inner motivation for it to really stick.
So in the event you’re not fairly prepared for the massive adjustments, then begin small. Begin by chopping out the obvious sources of added sugar out of your food plan—issues like soda, and juice, and sweet, and cookies, and cake. The stuff that you just KNOW is simply loaded with sugar.
After which, when you’ve performed that, begin trying on the labels of the opposite meals you eat, and attempt to discover the hidden sources of added sugar. As a result of I assure you they’re there. They’re in your ketchup and your marinara sauce, in your salad dressing and your yogurt. They’re in your protein bars and your granola and your “wholesome” smoothies. They’re in your bread and your pasta and your hamburger buns.
And as you begin to establish these hidden sources of added sugar, begin on the lookout for more healthy options. Discover a sugar-free ketchup, or a salad dressing that doesn’t have any added sugar. Swap to a yogurt that has no added sweeteners. Purchase a bread that’s made with almond flour as an alternative of wheat flour. Make small, sustainable adjustments that gained’t really feel overwhelming, however will nonetheless have a big effect in your well being.
And the extra you do this, the better it is going to develop into to make even larger adjustments, as a result of your mind will begin to type new neural pathways, and your physique will begin to heal.
Heal your physique from the injury you’ve performed
And talking of therapeutic, the third factor that you must do to beat sugar dependancy is to really HEAL your physique from the injury that’s been performed. As a result of an enormous a part of the explanation we develop into hooked on sugar within the first place is as a result of our our bodies are so out of whack.
We’re consuming a extremely processed food plan that’s stuffed with sugar and toxins, and that’s inflicting irritation and leaky intestine and all kinds of different issues. We’re not getting sufficient sleep, or sufficient vitamins. We’re wired and overworked. All of these items are contributing to our dependancy.
And so so as to overcome it, we’ve received to begin therapeutic from the within out. We’ve received to begin taking good care of our physique and giving it the issues it must operate correctly. Which means getting sufficient sleep and decreasing stress. It means consuming a food plan that’s wealthy in complete, unprocessed meals. It means staying hydrated and getting sufficient nutritional vitamins and minerals. It means taking good care of your intestine well being and your liver well being.
And it additionally means being affected person, and giving your self grace. As a result of therapeutic takes time, and alter doesn’t occur in a single day. But it surely DOES occur, in the event you’re constant and you retain working at it.
Remaining Ideas
Sugar dependancy is an actual factor, and it’s really much more frequent than you most likely assume. But it surely CAN be overcome, in the event you’re prepared to make the mandatory adjustments and retrain your mind.
Step one in doing that’s to begin taking a look at meals as gas, not as a supply of enjoyment or reward. The second step is to really begin decreasing your sugar consumption in a approach that’s sustainable for you, whether or not that’s by chopping out the obvious sources of added sugar, or by making small adjustments to your food plan that may have a big effect. And the third step is to concentrate on really HEALING your physique from the within out, by taking good care of your intestine well being and your liver well being, in addition to ensuring you’re getting sufficient sleep and decreasing stress.However if you need extra info, remember to take a look at our free coaching video–Wholesome, Completely satisfied & Free in 2024, particularly in the event you’re severe about reworking your well being or reaching your weight reduction targets this 12 months. In it, I’ll stroll you thru creating your individual personalised well being plan and in addition clarify a bit of bit extra about why so lots of the belongings you’ve tried previously to get wholesome and drop some pounds haven’t really labored, and what you are able to do as an alternative.
