Are You a Sugar Addict?

There is a fast growing scientific consensus that consuming too much sugar is a leading cause of nearly all of America's largest health problems, including obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. In his book "The Hacking of the American Mind", Dr Robert Lustig lays out a compelling case for how the effects of excessive sugar consumption on brain chemistry makes it addictive as well as damaging to your health.

As is true with sodium, some people are more sensitive to sugar's effects than others but for all of us it lights up the same areas of the brain as cocaine. If you have an admitted sweet tooth, a history of depression or have ever abused alcohol or drugs, it is likely that sugar has a powerful affect on dopamine levels in your brain.

Regardless of whether or not you are especially sensitive to sugar's mood altering magic, cutting down on it is probably a pretty good idea for just about all of us. Here are a few recommended tactics for doing to.

1. Eat Breakfast, but Thoughtfully.

Its not just a matter of eating breakfast, but of what you eat.  A doughnut or a white flower bagel probably does more harm than good. Build breakfast around protein. That means eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese or even last night's leftover chicken. Cottage cheese is high in protein and relatively low in calories so it is a great choice. Round it out with some complex carbs (whole grains like oatmeal or 100% whole wheat toast). This approach will minimize that "11 am crash" that white flour and sugar treat us to.

2. Eliminate "Added Sugar" as Much as You Can.

Sugar has become ubiquitous (that means it is in everything), so avoiding it entirely is probably impossible. Besides, some sugar is not a bad thing. It provides ready energy. But go for the naturally occurring sugars found in fruits, vegetables and dairy (mostly glucose and fructose) and try to avoid the sugar that is added by the manufacturer to make the food sweeter (mostly sucrose and high-fructose syrups). This is a lot easier since January 1, 2020, when the FCA began requiring added sugar to be listed explicitly on nutrition labels.

3. Go Brown.

Instead of white flour, rice and processed grains, make the switch to whole grains. Don't be fooled by the word "Wheat". Most flour is going to be wheat flour. Make sure it says "100% Whole Wheat" or that Whole Wheat Flour is the first listed ingredient.

4. Be Deliberate.

Don't eat on autopilot. Are you really hungry or does the very idea of those soft chew chocolate chip cookies in the cabinet set off cravings? There is nothing wrong with enjoying a cookie or a bowl of ice cream. But take a look at what a serving is (1 or 2 cookies or 1/2cup of ice cream) and stick to it. Make sweets a treat and not a habit. I know this is easier said than done. Limit what you have in the house if it is too challenging at first. It gets easier.

5. Ease Into It.

Curbing sugar consumption can be as difficult as quitting smoking for some people. Some people can go cold turkey. Most cannot. Don't beat yourself up over it. Take it step by step. Whatever you CAN accomplish will be an improvement and in time you will be able to do more. Its take some time to "re-educate" your taste (a couple of weeks) so be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress.

As with any change, the two most difficult steps are getting started and keeping going. The good news is that, perhaps after an initially uncomfortable few weeks, it does get easier and you will start to feel better for it. Yes, you will feel the difference.