Battling America’s Biggest Addiction

It seems harmless. After all, it’s naturally found in fruits, vegetables and just about everything else. But it's being called the most common addiction in our society today. What is it? Sugar.

The findings have proved that we don’t simply eat sugary foods because they tastes good; we’re addicted. The average American consumes 32 teaspoons a day!

Just like other addictive substances, when we eat it, our brain's “feel good” chemicals (including serotonin and dopamine) come into play. The more you eat, the more you need to eat in order to get the same high.

Soft Drinks: 20 oz. bottle – 65g of sugar Candy: Snickers bar – 30g; bag of Skittles – 47g Desserts: package of Twinkies – 37g; one cup of ice cream – 42g “Breakfast” Foods: package of pop tarts – 34g; cinnamon roll – 55g!

3 Reasons Not to Get Hooked

While you don’t have to cut it out of your diet completely (it would be hard to), it’s important to take a closer look at your daily intake. Here’s why sugar is often problematic:

-Reason #1 – When we eat sugar, we eat too much

Since we don’t feel full after eating foods filled with refined sugar, we just keep eating and eating, seeking that “reward.” Besides, we rarely realize just how much we consume, causing us to surpass the daily recommendation by a long shot.

Don’t be fooled by these foods either: fruit juice, sweetened iced tea and flavored water contain plenty of the pretty white crystals. For example, a 16-oz bottle of Minute Maid orange juice can pack 48g.

-Reason #2 – When we eat sugar, we aren’t eating healthy foods

Many of us reach for a sugary snack before a healthy one. It’s prepackaged and sounds tasty, but it’s taking us away from nutritious foods. If you have a hankering for something sugary, try eating a healthy snack first so you won’t attempt to (fruitlessly) fill up on sugary snacks.

In the end, artificial sweeteners are not much better for you than straight-up refined sugar. NutraSweet and Equal (Aspartame), Sweet n’ Low (Saccharin) and Splenda (Sucralose) come with their own slew of side effects. And people often use these as an excuse to consume double their favorite foods—which still contain other unhealthy ingredients!

What Rewards?

There’s nothing wrong with a little treat now and then, but it’s important to have a clear picture of how much you consume. Otherwise you may run away with your brain’s attempts to “reward” itself, seeking out one short-lived high after another. Without thinking about it, you might have office donuts in the morning, a daily soda with lunch, and dessert after dinner (were you really even still hungry?). That's a lot of sugar!

Sugar, especially refined white sugar (and don't' forget those pesky carbs!), are the enemy of your weight loss goals. But knowing its addictive properties, you also know that you probably don't want to cut it out of your diet cold-turkey. If you do, you’ll likely experience headaches, mood swings or flu-like symptoms. You also put yourself at a greater risk for relapse.

To avoid cravings, withdrawal and caving in, reduce your intake gradually. Start having small portions less often. Focus on the treat or two that you really want to have this week, and resist everything else. The Mastering the Mind self-hypnosis series is a powerful way to get your mind to work with you to battle cravings.

Another effective way to combat your cravings is to eliminate the availability of sugary foods. Don’t stockpile candy bars in the cabinet or buy a gallon tub of ice cream. Even if it would save you money to buy in bulk, it’s not worth it.

Take control of your sugar intake today. These small acts of change will make a big difference!