Sugar is one of the biggest culprits of weight gain and is the silent cause of many other health issues. And many people are much more addicted to sugar than they think. We’ll take a look at why sugar is so addictive, the effects of sugar on your body and how you can tell whether you are among the sugar addicts.

What is Sugar?

Sugar is a natural carbohydrate that provides quick energy for the body. There is a necessary component of sugar that your body has to have to function properly. It provides energy to your brain, your muscles and your major organs.

There are many different forms of sugar. The most common ones include fructose and glucose (found in fruit and honey), sucrose (made from the combination of fructose and glucose), lactose (found in milk and dairy products), and maltose (found in malted drinks and beer).

So if sugar is necessary for your body, then why does it get such a bad rap? 

What Effects Does Sugar Have On Your Body and Why Is It So Addictive?

We’ve already discussed how your body uses sugar positively to create the energy it needs to function, but what about the other effects of sugar? When you consume too much sugar, it has a negative effect on just about every organ in your body.

When you eat, your pancreas produces a hormone called insulin that helps regulate your blood sugar level and prevents it from becoming too high or too low. Insulin converts the carbohydrates in your food into useable energy. It also knows to store sugar in your liver for future use if it has more than it needs. When you eat too much sugar over a period of time, your liver becomes insulin resistant and the carbohydrates you take in are no longer converted into energy and are automatically stored as body fat. This leads to obesity, Type II Diabetes, and other health complications.

Your heart experiences negative effects from too much sugar because it causes your artery walls to grow more quickly and become tense, stressing your heart. This can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Your kidneys are responsible for filtering your blood and when your blood sugar is too high, your kidneys have trouble filtering out everything they should and they can start to release sugar in your urine, eventually leading to kidney failure.

Your joints also experience negative effects because sugar causes inflammation in your body which results in sore, achy, stiff joints.

Your brain is also affected when you eat sugar. Sugar releases a feel-good chemical in your brain called dopamine. But just like any other addictive drug, your body gets used to it and the more sugar you have, the more you need to reach the same level of feel-good chemicals. This can also affect your mood over time because your body gets used to the energy boost you get from sugar and once your blood sugar level drops back down, it can make you feel not so good and over time, this can lead to depression. It’s almost like the withdrawal symptoms a drug addict feels when they are deprived of their addiction. That’s why it’s so hard to put down that bag of candy once you get used to eating it.

What About Sugar-Free Foods?

With all of the negative effects of sugar, it seems logical to consider sugar-free foods as a healthy alternative.

BUT THAT COULDN’T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!!

Sugar-free foods are even worse for you than foods that contain sugar. This is because they are chemically processed and essentially trick your body. When you consume artificial sweeteners like sucralose (Splenda), aspartame (Equal), and sacchrin (Sweet’N Low) you diminish your body’s ability to process sugar. You’re giving your body something sweet and it thinks should contain carbohydrates that can be converted for energy, but because most of these sweeteners are zero calorie, there’s nothing to convert. Your body can’t distinguish between sweeteners and sugar so it starts to treat sugars like sweeteners and doesn’t process it correctly, which can lead to insulin resistance.

There are a few sweeteners that are zero calorie that are considered more natural, and therefore, safer. These include stevia, xylitol and sorbitol. Even though these sweeteners are considered more natural, they should still be consumed in moderation. If you’ve read any of my recipes, you’ll know I’m a fan of using stevia, but I still only consume it in moderation, or as a substitute for other sweeteners and sugars.

Are You Addicted To Sugar?

So how do you know if you’re addicted to sugar? There are a few basic habits that you can check yourself on to find out.

Do you regularly eat sugary foods?

It may sound obvious, but if your breakfast consists of fruit loops or Reese puffs, instead of oatmeal or an omelet, it’s a fair sign that you may be addicted to sugar. Another sign is whether you love carbs. After all, carbohydrates turn into sugar in your body and just because it may not seem like sugar, it can add to your sugar addiction.

Do you ever eat sugary foods secretly or hide sugary foods for later?

This is a huge indication that you are addicted to sugar AND that you understand that it is not good for you. Your conscious is telling you not to eat the foods, or that these foods are not accepted by societal norms, but you have to have it, so you do it in private. Hoarding sugary foods for later is a red flag, too.

Can You Stop At Just One?

Whenever you do snack or eat sweets, is one piece of chocolate enough or one scoop of ice cream? Or do you have to have multiple bowls or the whole box of candy? That’s a definite sign that you are addicted to sugar. According to Google, the very definition of being addicted is being “physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring effects.” if you feel that way about sugar, you need to break the addiction fast! Or you could be on your way to various health problems and complications.

If you want more information on determining whether you’re addicted to sugar, check out this quiz. 

So What Do You Do?

So you’ve determined that you are addicted to sugar. Now what? Now it’s time to break the addiction! The only way to overcome a sugar addiction is to CUT IT OUT! Try these 5 simple steps to begin cutting sugar out of your life and your gut today!

1. Look at your daily diet and figure out where you’re consuming the most sugar and start there. Typically, this is breakfast, an afternoon pick-me-up snack, or a late-night snack. Consider your beverages too! Soda, fancy coffee drinks, or even “healthy” drinks can be loaded with sugar. Read your labels and look for sugar in all it’s forms.
2. Don’t substitute! We’ve already discussed the negative effects of artificial sweeteners and the harm they can cause your body. If you’re trying to break your sugar addiction, you’re trying to cleanse your body and reset it’s process of converting sugar into energy effectively. Artificial sweeteners will simply not do this.
3. Increase your protein consumption. Many times, we reach for sugary snacks because we’re craving quick energy or feeling hungry. Protein accomplishes both of those goals in a much more efficient way than sugar. Plus, it takes longer to metabolize protein and it burns more calories than metabolizing sugar, so you will burn more fat and have more energy overall.
4. Get enough sleep! When you don’t sleep, your metabolism slows and your hunger increases. A lack of sleep also increases your stress level and increases your desire to reach for those comfort foods. Getting more sleep will help you feel more relaxed, calm, and less anxious. These can all lead to less sugar consumption.
5. Don’t completely deprive yourself. While it can be very beneficial to go cold turkey and completely cut out sugar temporarily, it’s no fun to do in the long run. And you really don’t have to. Once your body can adequately metabolize sugars and function properly, it can handle a little sugar and convert it appropriately. Focus on natural sources of sugar, like fruit and honey. Also focus on snacks that provide additional benefits besides just being sugar, like dark chocolate. The antioxidants it provides help balance out your snacks. Check out some other benefits of dark chocolate.

Now if you do want to go cold turkey, even just initially to reset your metabolism, try my 10 Day Total Body Cleanse. It will cleanse your system and get your body functioning like it should. And once you complete the cleanse, you can begin to incorporate some of your favorite snacks back into your diet in moderation.