Sugar Addiction

Americans are addicted to sugar.  Myself included.  Sugar is added into almost everything we eat.  Did you know there are over 50 names for sugar. Sugar is hiding in so many items found at the grocery store.  It's hidden in all these foods because as we all know sugar make things taste good! 

Why is too much sugar a bad thing?  Your waistline!  When you eat simple sugars (think white pasta and bread, candy, cookies, baked goods, etc) your body releases insulin quickly.  The insulin removes the sugar from your bloodstream quickly which leaves you feeling tired and hungry.  

Not to mention one of the more common fungal infection Candida (aka yeast) feeds off of sugar.  Candida infections can cause a variety of symptoms such as fatigue, allergies, chemical sensitivities, irritable bowel syndrome, autoimmune disorders, intolerance to alcohol, and other GI related problems.  As someone who suffers from terrible allergies (think weekly allergy injections), fatigue, and stomach problems I think it's worth a try to cut out sugar.  

Another scary little factoid is that cancer feeds off of sugar!  Studies done on poor little lab mice (this makes me mad) show that the lower sugar diet the animal was on the better the survival rate.  That's another good reason to quit the addiction.

Now how to stop...

1.) Eat a high protein diet.  Our bodies tell us we are lacking certain food groups by giving us certain cravings.  When you get a craving for sugar try having some protein.  Like hard boiled eggs or a chocolate peanut butter protein shake. 

2.) Remove temptations!  Clear out your cupboards of junk.  Oh and ditch the ice cream treats from the freezer.  I have found this to be particularly helpful.  I love to bake too which is so detrimental.  Even if I tell myself I'll have only one cookie if they are there I will eat them!  So I ditched the bag of sugar I had.  Now in order to bake something I'll have to go to the store to buy sugar.

3.) Eat a piece of fruit.  An apple is a good choice here.  Very sweet yet filling due to all the fiber.  My favorite apples are Honeycrisp.  They are so yummy and sweet. 

4.) Prevent a drop in blood sugar.  Eat 5 to 6 times a day.  This will prevent a drop in blood sugar.  When your blood sugar drops you will begin to crave sugar.  Make sure when you snack you pair a protein up with a complex carb.  So think apple with cottage cheese, yogurt with peaches, peanut butter and celery.  This will keep you full and satisfied longer.

5.) Drink some water.  Sometimes we mistake hunger for thirst.  Drink a glass of H2O and wait 20 minutes to see if you are still feeling hungry.

6.) Stop drinking sugar.  Ditch the soda, juice, and flavored coffee drinks.  Our body doesn't need them! 

7.)  Look at your labels.  Make sure you buy food unsweetened.  Almond milk is my favorite thing to add to my smoothies and protein shakes but they sell sweetened and unsweetened versions.  I also like peanut butter for extra protein but again some have sugar added in.  Make your own marinades.  Most marinades add sugar and let me tell you what, when you make your own without sugar they are just as good!  Look for hidden sugars... they usually end in -ose (dextrose, sucrose, maltose) or -tol (maltol, sorbitol), syrup, dextran, etc.  Here is a list http://www.dietriffic.com/2009/03/26/names-for-sugar/