Sugar Junkies
by Leanne Ely, C.N.C.
Did you know that you could be an addict and have never taken drink, done drugs or smoked a cigarette? You could be addicted to sugar.
It’s easy to brush this one off. It’s not nearly as unacceptable as alcoholism or drug addiction. Its addictive traits are pictured beautifully in magazines, on television commercials and on the wrappers of the food itself: great big luscious looking cinnamon buns with melting icing dripping down the sides. Glossy chocolate bars waiting for us to sink our teeth into its brown richness. It’s overpowering and intoxicating!
But we have to understand this: sugar is most likely at the very heart and soul of our body clutter. No matter what form it takes, whether it be in the simple carb form of white rice or white flour, or something more obvious like ice cream, pie and chocolate, it has the same deleterious effect on our bodies: it makes us feel good for awhile, but then it tears us down to the ground—and just like an addict when she needs another fix, we go running back for more.
It’s time to get real and call food a drug when it acts like one and that is exactly what sugar is doing. A Princeton study found that fast food and sweets can be nearly as addictive as heroin because they set off hormonal changes in the body. They believe that eating a lot of foods that are high in fat and sugar can activate your brain the same way drugs can!!
That’s scary! But it doesn’t have to be that way! You can make some simple changes that will set you free from this bondage. And once again, it starts with incremental baby steps:
Here are some ways to help you kick the habit:
1) Eat good quality protein sources with each meal. Three meals a day, and two snacks in-between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner. Making sure you have protein will help stabilize your blood sugar. Stable blood sugar means you will feel better and are less likely to develop the cravings that pull you down.
2) Make an easy exchange. White flour, white sugar and white rice do nothing for you nutritionally. Nothing! Change them out for whole wheat flour, xylitol (see xylitol.org for info) and brown rice. Easy substitutes and you will notice a dramatic difference in how you feel. If it is difficult to completely change, start mixing the white with the brown and making the change gradually.
3) Supplements may help. Specifically, vitamin C, a B-complex, calcium with magnesium and chromium picolinate. Please understand: this is information I have gathered: I am not diagnosing nor prescribing anything to anyone! Please don’t email me asking me how to use these supplements or which ones to get.
4) Move! When you move, you produce endorphins. Endorphins make you happy and this will in turn also help to quell the desire and craving of sugar. (although you will crash later on sugar; you don’t when you move).
Above all, stay balanced when you eat! You need protein, complex carbohydrates (not the simple ones!), fats and water. My menus are designed to be very balanced and will help you get your nutritional self together for dinner. Go to the website and get a menu with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to see how to do this: www.savingdinner.com
You are your own expert. I’ve said that for years. Don’t get sucked down by nutritional gurus with yet another diet, gizmo or gadget to sell you. You need balanced eating, a healthy dose of common sense, a desire to build progressive healthy habits to pave your way to freedom from body clutter with an attitude to match! It’s amazing what we can accomplish with all of these things in sync.
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