The Bitter Truth About Sugar Addiction | Healthy Living slideshows | Well Being center

Is Sugar Addiction Real?

Yes! Sugar addiction is as real as cocaine, nicotine or alcohol addiction! Though it is not been drastically spoken about or does not make the headlines of all newspapers, sugar addiction is very much real, and is capable of causing enough health problems to be taken more seriously than it is. Sugar surely makes our life sweeter, but excessive consumption is no good for you. Not only does it add you a few centimeters around your waist line (which makes your clothes fit tighter), it also increases your risk of developing Diabetes Mellitus, a chronic metabolic disease that could change your life for ever.

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Sugar Detox

Like it is the case with any other addictive substance, the first step in correcting the addiction is acknowledging the problem. Next in line is the "Detox" program. Detoxing from sugar addiction will allow you to eliminate the accumulated products of sugar metabolism, as well as all the toxins that came with it. Furthermore, a sugar detox will redirect you towards a healthy diet by helping you to control your cravings, reduce your sugar intake and eat better. When you have decided to go through a sugar detox, the first and most difficult step is to identify where the sugar is hiding. As you learn to read your products labels, you will be surprised to find out how many supposedly low fat snacks are rich in sugar!

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Symptoms

Craving for sweets is the most common symptom of sugar addiction. This includes anything (and we mean, "anything") that is sweet: from candies to cakes, ice-cream, biscuits, etc. People who are addicted to sugar also experience hunger swings (are constantly hungry) that could happen any minute. Alongside with the hunger swings, you have the energy spikes, with moments of high and low energy levels. You could also experience difficulty concentrating, inability to remain focused or simply overt feelings of laziness. Also, you might be unable to control what you eat, or simply "feel bad" when you miss your daily cupcake.

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Sugar Highs

What causes sugar highs? Well, let's put it this way: when you eat a candy bar for instance, the glucose that it contains is absorbed from your intestines into your blood, thus raising your blood sugar. That sugar is then distributed to all your organs including the brain, thus enhancing your functioning. Candy bars, table sugar, fruit juices, syrups and dairy products are essentially made of sugar, so they would give you a sugar high. However, foods that contain sugars and proteins or fibers would slow the process of sugar metabolism and absorption, and are less likely to give you a sugar rush!

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Starch Equals Sugar

Starchy foods such as potatoes, pasta, bread and rice can also give you a sugar high. Why? Because they are essentially made of sugar! In fact, a starch molecule is made of several molecules of sugar. Henceforth, even if you do not eat a "sweet" food per se, you can still get a sugar rush. This allows us to add another essential point: sugar addiction can also be manifested by cravings for foods such as french fries, pretzels or crackers.

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Sugar Detox Diet

The main goal of sugar detox diets is to clean up the body system from sugar toxins and implement proper nutrition. Sugar detox diets have two steps: first of all, eliminate all unnecessary and detrimental sources of sugar in one's diet, and then reincorporate sugar in meals in a fitting way. Generally, sugar is eliminated from the diet in a step-by-step fashion to avoid any sudden sign of sugar withdrawal, Furthermore, patients on sugar detox diets are given healthier alternatives to sugar, such as natural sweeteners (liquid stevia is one of them). Additionally, sugar detox diets allow you to reeducate yourself and retrain your taste buds in appreciating things that are less sweet than what you are used to.

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Choose Sweet Alternatives

There are a lot more nutrients and foods out there that are sweet, and much healthier for you than sugar; and that you could choose to replace sugar with. For instance, instead of sweetening your bowl of cornflakes or oatmeal with sugar, why don't you add some banana slices instead? Alternatively, you could add some fresh strawberries to your plain yogurt for a naturally sweet taste. All it takes is a little patience and creativity, and in no time you'll notice that "sugar" is neither part of your diet, not of your vocabulary anymore!

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Truth About Sugar Substitutes

Sometimes, weight loss programs encourage you to start eating "sugar substitutes" instead of sugar itself. The truth is, sugar substitutes will give you less calories than sugar. However, this does not correct your sugar craving problem. You still have urges to consume sugar and you consume it, but this time in a different shape or under a different name. The key in correcting sugar addiction is to retrain your taste buds into appreciating foods that are less sweet and still taste good. All it takes is patience and understanding of the working progress. So, do not fall into the trap of giving into sugar substitutes just because they are "said" to be better.

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Kick The Habit - Take Baby Steps

There is no need to rush, you need to take your time. While going through this process, it is essential that you understand that correcting an addiction will surely take time, especially if it is longstanding. Take it one day at a time, and congratulate yourself with every small success. You could start by reducing the amount of sugar you put in your daily morning drink (coffee, milk or tea). If you are used to five teaspoons a day, start taking 3 instead. Next, incorporate fruits and vegetables in your diet, as they are healthier forms of sugar. Then, you can decrease your intake of processed foods, as they hide a huge amounts of sugar. Slowly but surely, you will realize that you are progressively diminishing your sugar intake and your cravings do not occur as often as before.

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Get Fit!

Exercise, exercise and always exercise! Although physical exertion might not decrease your sugar cravings, it might help you look at your life and your diet in a healthier way. You will realize that as your body is getting cleaner and lighter, you will start craving for "healthier" foods, and this could be the sign of huge transition in your sugar detox diet. Even if you are not very keen of sports or exercise, this can work for you too: you just have to identify what you like. Swimming? Riding? Jogging? Walking? Whatever it is, as long as it makes you sweat and makes you feel healthier.