Yes, that is hard question to ask, “Could I possibly be addicted to sugar?” Or, “Are my kids addicted to sugar?” Many people who love sugar don’t really ask themselves that question. Yet when they stop to think about it and they honestly look at the role of sugar in their life, they think, “Oh my gosh, I think I am addicted to sugar!” It can be a rather shocking moment because you knew you liked it but you surely didn’t connect that you were addicted to sugar, I mean, come on…it’s only sugar, right?
That’s NOT to say everyone is addicted to sugar . . . BUT . . .
I have women contact me regularly with sad and emotional stories about their out of control eating habits, typically wrapped around sugar. It can be a very challenging and overwhelming relationship.
Well documented studies have proven the addictive qualities of sugar. Just like with drugs or alcohol, it’s only addictive to certain people. Some people can have one donut and it’s no big deal, whereas someone who struggles with a sensitivity to sugar, that donut can turn into 4 more, then cake or cookies later that same day. In my last post, I talked about my colleague, Samantha Taylor. What I did not tell you was Samantha was a sugar addict for 30 years. She has overcome her addiction and is now known as the Sugar Addiction Specialist. She says, “For a sugar addict, eating sugar turns into eating more and more sugar and it the craving just won’t stop.”
Have you ever just been sitting there at work or home and a thought pops into your head about a dessert you like? You start to see yourself eating it and then all of a sudden your brain kicks into gear of how you are going to fulfill that vision? That dream…that fantasy….yes, you get whisked off into the sunset with you and your sugar and all is great until….the ‘come down’, the sugar crash. Dah, dah, daaaaahhhhh…..
The ride up is great, it sure tastes good but boy, when it’s over and the high of the sugar wears off and the joy of the flavor is long gone, you are left with plummeting blood sugar levels that totally mess with your body on all levels – from your mood, to how clear you can think, to your energy level, to hot flashes, to snapping at the kids, or to needing to take a nap. Yes, that is how some sugar addicts live.
It’s a unhealthy, dysfunctional relationship where the sugar addict is fun to be with for a little while, then something happens as the sugar impacts them and it can get odd, awkward, uncomfortable. Do you know what that is like?
Many people who are addicted to sugar have been for many, many years. Samantha has seen that the average person addicted to sugar has been since childhood or at least for the last 10-20 years. Many of them didn’t think they were addicted until they actually heard about a sugar addiction until seeking the help of a nutritionist or fitness professional, like Samantha. They found that once they learned how to overcome the addiction, they did NOT crave sugar anymore.
“That is the main fear people have,” Samantha says, “when they think of overcoming their sugar addiction. They think they will always crave it but what they find out is they actually don’t crave it when it’s out of their system. It really is an amazing thing to experience when it has messed with your life for so long!”
I know I’ve noticed this even on a small scale. I see how my body reacts if I have sugar a few days in a row. I start to really want it and rely on it. But, once I consciously break the cycle, I am free from the cravings. That is a small scale, but very real example.
There is a big difference between someone who eats sugar every once in a while and it’s no big deal, compared to someone who eats it constantly, craves it like all get out, and over-consumes it until it is beginning to negatively affect their life, their health and how they feel physically and emotionally. If any of this resonates with you, you may or may not be addicted to sugar – take ‘The Quiz’ to decide for yourself See link at the end of this post.
Sugar seems so innocent. How can you actually be addicted to it? How can it be that bad for you? Keep reading to hear answers to both of those questions….
Samantha says, “When you look up the word ‘addiction’ in the dictionary and study the characteristics of what an addiction is, people that struggle with eating too much sugar absolutely fit the criteria of having an addiction. You decide for yourself by checking this out….”
The word addiction means the condition of being abnormally dependent on some habit…
Huh, have you ever felt abnormally dependent on sugar? Always wanting it? Eating it emotionally when you had a bad day, eating it daily or just down right gorging on it?
Look at the definition of a drug: Something and often an illicit substance that causes addiction or habituation…
Yes, excess sugar can definitely cause addiction and habituation where you do it out of habit.
Samantha has studied sugar for many years and she says, “Research shows that sugar in excess can be very toxic to the body. It has been linked to the three main killers in this country: heart disease, cancer and diabetes. It also is highly linked to osteoporosis, fatigue, headaches, joint pain, weakened immune system, mental fogginess, PMS symptoms, moodiness, hot flashes, depression, ADD-like symptoms, excess wrinkles and the list goes on and on.”
Considering these are many of the main health issues our country deals with, it’s not surprising that the average American consumes 155 pounds of sugar EVERY YEAR!
My goal in writing this post is to help shed some light on the reality of sugar addiction and hopefully inspire some of you to look at your relationship with it. If you are at all concerned you may be addicted to sugar, the best thing to do is take this short quiz so you can self-diagnose yourself. Who knows you better than you? No one. That is why YOU get to decide if you are addicted to sugar or not. No one else can you tell you, so take a minute to take the quiz and find out if you are addicted to sugar. Click here to take the quiz.
PS: If you’re not sure about your relationship with sugar, you may find the quiz to give you peace of mind. You may find that you are in control of your relationship with sugar.
Comments
Powered by Facebook Comments
