Thursday, February 10, 2011

Breaking my Sugar Addiction

I love sugar. Well, not sugar so much as foods that have sugar in them. Doughnuts, cake, brownies, chocolate, all of it. But the more I learn about this sweet stuff, the more I am convinced that I need to break my addiction to it. So for the past week or so, I have been seriously cutting back on the amount of sugar I allow into my body. It's really HARD! I knew I loved sugar, but I didn't realize how seriously addicted I was to it. Here are some reasons why I feel the need to ease up (alot) on the sweet stuff.

* Sugar gives you a temporary "high" or burst of energy, but leaves you feeling depleted and lethargic when it wears off.

* Sugar can cause wide swings in your blood sugar levels which can lead to anxiety.

* Too much sugar can lead to vitamin B deficiencies, which leads to depression.

* Too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance, weight gain, and ultimately diabetes.

* Sugar suppresses the immune system which makes it harder for your body to fight off infections.

* A drop in blood sugar after a sugar "high" can cause neck, shoulder and head muscles to spasm which leads to tension headaches and migraines.

* Too much sugar causes yeast overgrowth which can lead to sinus infections.

Here are some easy ways to start cutting back on the amount of sugar in your diet:

* Check the label. If high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, fructose, glucose or sugar are one of the first three ingredients, put it back on the shelf! (Make sure you check everything, even salad dressings and whole wheat breads can have tons of sugar in them.

* Have healthy snacks that you actually like on hand. This will keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day and you'll be less likely to grab for that doughnut.

* Include a carbohydrate, a protein and a fat in every meal, and lots and lots of vegetables. Protein and healthy fats give you sustained energy, whole grain carbs help you feel full, and vegies add fiber which helps with digestion.

* If you are craving sugar, allow yourself one or two bites of your favorite treat instead of eating the whole thing.

2 comments:

  1. Cancer thrives on sugar. In fact a new way of testing for cancer gives the patient sugar water and radioactive isotopes then they do a PET scan. The sugar goes right to the cancer and the radioactive isotopes cling to the sugar and light up on the screen. Amazing huh. I heard about it on Fox News. Should be available in 2012.

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  2. Good for you! I so need to cut down my sugar intake. My stress level has been through the room the last couple weeks as well as headaches. Gotta cut back.

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