DOES the thought of living life
sugar-free fill you with horror? If so, you may unknowingly be addicted.
In
fact, sugar is believed to be eight times more addictive than cocaine. Some
people are more sensitive than others, but the more sugar you eat, the more
likely it has taken hold of your addictive pathways and is driving you to eat –
and drink – far too much. sugar-cocaine When sugar hits the bloodstream, it
stimulates release of a brain chemical called dopamine, which makes you feel
good. The feeling is usually short-lived. By the time you’re licking the
chocolate off your fingertips or picking the last crumbs of biscuit from the
plate, your dopamine levels will probably have fallen, taking you into a
mini-withdrawal. This can trigger cravings for more sugar, urging you, against
your better judgement, to pick up another biscuit or break off another square
of chocolate so your brain can have another hit of dopamine. Before long, the
biological signals that would normally control hunger and satiety (fullness)
are swiftly being overwhelmed by this dopamine stimulation, to the point where
your body (and brain) starts listening only to sugar’s cues and ignores the
fact that you have already eaten far more than you need. If you have even the
mildest addiction to sugar, there is every chance that your ‘off’ switch no
longer works properly in response to eating, either. That’s why one biscuit or
scoop of ice-cream never seems like enough, even after a huge meal. The more
sugar you eat, the more your tolerance adapts, so you end up needing more and
more sugar to get the same boost – drug addicts and alcoholics experience the
same cycle. QUIZ: ARE YOU A SUGAR ADDICT? ANSWER honestly yes or no to the
following questions … *CAN YOU eat sweet, starchy or fatty foods until you are
over- full? *DO YOU feel hungry even after eating a full meal *CAN YOU eat
large quantities of sweets or stodgy foods even when you’re not feeling
particularly hungry? *DO YOU ever feel ashamed (self-loathing, disgusted or
depressed) about your eating habits? *DO YOU ever turn to sugar when you are
feeling down or upset? *WHEN things are bad, do you find you need more and more
sweet foods to feel better? *DO YOU plan to eat a small portion (such as one
biscuit), but end up binge-eating (demolishing the whole packet)? *DO YOU find
starchy, sweet or fatty foods the most difficult to cut back on? *DO YOU find
it difficult to stop once you start eating starches, snack foods, junk foods or
sweets? *ARE your eating habits having an impact on your social life, work or
physical abilities? *DO YOU find it impossible to stick to healthy-eating
resolutions? *DO YOU feel you need to (have to) have something sweet after
lunch or dinner? *DO YOU eat sweets and chocolates secretly and hide the
wrappers because you don’t want anyone to know? *IF YOU cut yourself one piece
of cake, do you then find yourself coming back for more and more? *DO YOU get a
foggy head after big meals (or mid-afternoon)? IF YOU answered ‘yes’ to five or
more of these questions, you could be a sugar addict. This means that
understanding what to eat and how much to eat is only part of the story. Your
relationship with food may be stuck in a destructive pattern. Perhaps you
comfort eat or binge. Perhaps sugar (including processed carbs and junk food)
fills a greater void in your life than just satisfying a physical craving Sugar
addiction is far more common than you might think. It often triggers a
compulsive pursuit of foods rich in sugar and carbohydrates in response to both
positive (‘let’s all celebrate with cake!) and negative (‘only chocolate will
make me happy’) feelings. But quitting sugar is the nutritional reset that will
enable you to break the cycle of reliance and addiction. AVOID SWEETNERS
ALTHOUGH artificial sweeteners can confuse your system. and make it tougher to
quit sugar, if you rely on them long-term (they can ‘feed’ your sweet tooth and
spark sugar and carb cravings], on occasion they can make the change to a
sugar-free life easier. So avoid aspartame, Splenda and Canderel, don’t touch
diet drinks and only use more natural sweeteners such as stevia and xylitol.
If, however, after two or three weeks on your LCHF programme, you are still
feeling hungry or noticing sugar cravings, then sweeteners could be to blame,
so gradually reduce your intake. ANY WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS? YOU may experience
slight physical discomfort, such as a headache, or cravings for sugar and
carbs, but stick with the plan – this will pass. After a few days, you should
notice improved physical well- being, less bloating, a clearer head, increased
energy and improved mood. EXTRACTED from Sugar Free: 8 Weeks To Freedom From
Sugar And Carb Addiction, by Karen Thomson. Stranger Than Fiction (Humour} A
woman who had just taken a lease on a unit near the railway line rang the
estate agent to complain that passing trains rocked her bed so much she was in
fear of falling out of it. The agent came round. “But it’s so quiet,” he said,
“I can’t believe that passing trains rock the bed”. “Shakes the living daylight
out of me,” she persisted, looking at her watch. She heard a distant train
whistle. “Here’s the five-thirty-five’, lie down on the bed yourself,” and she
climbed on to the other side. That’s when her husband came in. “What do you
think you’re doing?” he roared, glaring at the estate agent. “Would you believe
waiting for a train?,” he ventured.
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