OUR ADDICTION TO SUGAR

When we tell people all of us are addicted to sugar, they nearly all admit that they are addicted to the white stuff. When I tell them eating sugar is being compared to smoking cigarettes, they all laugh. “Surely,” they say, “I’m addicted to sugar, but there is no way that sugar is as harmful as cigarettes.” Sugar, we have to tell them, is not as harmful, but actually much more harmful than cigarettes.

Have you ever wondered why so many foods contain sugar? Addiction is a powerful to sell a product. Cigarettes manufacturers have proven this is a strategy that works. But while cigarette companies have been held responsible for adding addictive substances to their cigarettes to ensure that you are a customer for life, food companies have been doing the same thing for decades and getting away with it. The next time you are in a grocery store, read the food labels on products you are buying, you will be astounded how many of the foods you have purchased contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Chances are your favourite foods are either sugar-laden foods or foods that act like sugar in your body.

Sugar has a real impact on your life whether you know it or not. If you have ever struggled to lose weight or have a disease such as diabetes or heart disease, sugar has had an impact on your life. If you find that you have extreme food cravings and have a tendency to binge on certain foods, sugar has had an impact on your life.

The minute you stop eating sugar something will happen. You will have intense cravings, feel ravenously hungry, you will binge on all sorts of foods you will be grumpy and have a short temper. As you know, these are the specific signs of an addiction and a withdrawal pattern seen so often with other equally addictive substances.

The next time you are at the store, the airport, a sporting event, or anywhere, take a look at the people around you. We just don’t look so healthy anymore. If we ask people why they think they are overweight, they often shrug their shoulders and say. “I don’t know. I am eating what the doctor tells me to eat.” That, as you will find out is the problem.

SUGAR HAS A HOLD ON US THAT IS HARD TO BREAK, BUT BREAK IT YOU MUST IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A HEALTHY AND LONG LIFE

It has now been shown that the main course of heart disease is not high fat diets but high sugar diets instead. So what can you do to limit sugar intake.

A healthy eating regime such as the cave man diet or the Paleo diet is a good start. Limit the amount of processed foods you eat. Buy fresh and if you can organic foods. Stay clear from the big offenders (that we thinks id fine) such as pasta’s, bread and other grain products such as breakfast cereal. Eat more meat, green vegetables and good fats such as olives, avocado and nuts. This will keep you satisfied for longer and ensure that you do not crave those evil sugars.