10 Tactics for Overcoming Sugar Addiction
This was such a great article, we are posting it from Rodale.com.
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10 Tactics for Overcoming Sugar Addiction
By Jeffrey Rossman, Ph.D., Rodale.com
Are you addicted to sugar?
When I ask that question, most people attending my weight-management lectures raise their hand. Addiction to sugar is stronger for some people than others, but the truth is sugar is a powerfully addictive substance. If you’ve overindulged in cookies, candy, cake, or ice cream—and who hasn’t, at some point—you know its seductive pull. Food manufacturers bank on it when they load sugar into soft drinks, breakfast cereal, soups, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, energy bars, and even catsup.
Addiction to sugar is probably more common than you think. Americans consume an average of 20 to 30 teaspoons (about ½ cup!) daily of this substance, which has been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), attention and memory problems, hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression. Every month a new study comes out adding to the list of dangers posed by consuming sugar and its cousins, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, and dextrose. Despite the risks, we continue to eat sugar because it is so addictive.
In fact, sugar meets all the criteria for an addictive substance:
- It stimulates release of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin, in a manner similar to alcohol, cocaine, and other drugs of abuse.
- People eat it compulsively, despite negative consequences and the intention to stop.
- With continued use, people develop a tolerance to its effects.
- Heavy sugar consumers have trouble functioning without it.
- When consumption ceases, withdrawal symptoms occur.
Breaking free from a dependency on sugar is easier said than done. Because the roots of sugar addiction are both physical and emotional, you need a combination of physical and psychological approaches. The less you eat sugar, the less you will crave it. If you get withdrawal symptoms, know they will only last a few days and then you’ll feel more balanced and energetic than ever.
These 10 recommendations will make it easier to get a sugar problem under control.
1. Keep sugar and sugar products out of your house. This includes white and brown sugar, corn syrup, and maple syrup.
2. Eat enough healthy food to satisfy your hunger. Eat healthy, whole food snacks like fruit, carrots, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, dates, and dried fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth. Drink plenty of water, too. Add a little fruit juice to sweeten iced tea, carbonated water, and other sugar-free drinks. Frozen fruit, whole or pureed, makes a delicious alternative to ice cream. Once you have cleared sugar from your system, your taste buds will become more sensitive, and these whole natural foods will taste sweeter and more satisfying. If you slow down and eat mindfully, you’ll enjoy these foods even more.
3. Eat three regular meals each day that combine complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains, and fruits), lean protein (poultry, fish, meat, dairy, tofu) and healthy fats (milk, cheese, omega-3′s, olive oil and other cold-pressed oils). This will help you maintain a steady blood sugar level throughout the day and reduce your sugar cravings. Eating a diet high in fiber also helps to reduce sugar cravings.
4. Take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Chromium picolinate and l-glutamine help to reduce cravings for some people.
5. When you go out, make sure you are not ravenously hungry, especially if sugary sweets will be the only food available. Bring your own healthy snacks with you, or eat before going out.
6. Get regular exercise, plenty of sunlight, and adequate sleep to reduce sugar cravings.
7. Learn to identify and manage cravings that are not a result of physical hunger, but instead are rooted in stress or anxiety. Develop alternative ways of managing stress: Take a walk, call a friend, read a book, play with your pet, watch a movie. Breathe, meditate, listen to music, or take a hot bath to activate your body’s relaxation response. Relaxation helps to balance your blood sugar and reduce cravings.
8. If you have turned to sugar to deal with uncomfortable feelings, learn to identify the specific feelings and respond appropriately to them. If you are tired, take a break or rest, rather than trying to persevere in the face of fatigue. If you are bored, find something stimulating to do. If you are lonely, reach out to a friend. Overcoming your sugar addiction involves really paying attention to what you are feeling, and giving yourself what you really need instead of using sugar as a substitute.
9. If you do overindulge in sugar, acknowledge that you slipped, and get back on track as soon as possible. Let go of the guilt and shame. Eating sugar is unhealthy, but it’s not a sin. As with other addictions, it doesn’t matter if you need multiple attempts to quit, just that you keep trying until it sticks.
10. Be kind to yourself. To end the struggle with sugar, learn to nourish your body well and respond compassionately to your own feelings. The best sugar substitute is genuine self-acceptance.
Jeffrey Rossman, Ph.D., is a Rodale.com advisor and director of life management at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA. His column, “Mind-Body-Mood Advisor,” appears weekly on Rodale.com.
Can I Eat Carbs?
Despite the common misconception that starchy carbohydrates promote weight gain, carbohydrates are – gram for gram – lower in calories than either protein or fat.
In fact, most of the body’s energy comes from starches; however, those carbohydrates known as refined are linked to health disorders and the risk of diabetes. Examples of refined carbohydrates include white bread, white rice, white pasta and peeled potatoes.
Always opt for unrefined or whole-grain or brown rice, grains and pasta and potatoes in their skins, for excellent sources of energy, nutrition and fiber.
Short & Sweet
A recent study by scientists at Canada’s McMaster University reports that it’s possible to get equal benefits while exercising for less time. The key is Intensity.
According to this latest research, doing 10 one-minute sprints on a standard stationary bike with about one minute of rest in between, three times a week, works as well in improving muscle as hours of conventional long-term biking less strenuously—you just have to be at about 95% of maximal heart rate when you do the sprints.¹
If biking is not your thing, try sprinting on the treadmill or in the pool, or going full-throttle on an elliptical trainer (better for your joints), the rowing machine or anything that gets your heart racing. But before you try this new approach, make sure you and your doctor discuss the level of heart rate intensity involved to make sure it is okay for you. If you are not sure how to find your maximum heart rate, click on this link to the American Heart Association: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4736.
So in short, you do have enough time to benefit from exercise. So get moving!
¹Jonathan P Little, Adeel S Safdar, Geoffrey P Wilkin, Mark a Tarnopolsky, and Martin J Gibala. “A practical model of low-volume high-intensity interval training induces mitochondrial biogenesis in human skeletal muscle: potential mechanisms.” The Journal of Physiology, 2010; DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.181743
Fitness Fridays at Advantig
Fitness Friday: exercise 1 day a week?
Not exactly. I’ve declared “Fitness Fridays” at Advantig not just to encourage regular exercise, but to use Fridays as an assessment day to review goals, find & plan something active to do on the weekend & review the meal plan (going out & quick meals) – for the sake of good mental & physical well-being. Not only does it make me feel great, but I notice that everyone around me feels more motivated and productive.
So if you need time for a brisk walk, make it and bring your furry friend too. Fido is dependent upon you for his healthy longevity!
You Can Tell When People Exercise Regularly or Occasionally!
And not just from their body tone, but also from the tone of their voice and mental outlook. Exercise is the catalyst for important physical and brain chemistry that keeps your engine running smoothly. (OK, I love cars and love to listen to “Car Talk” on NPR)
The Mayo Clinic has posted a nice article on the benefits of exercise that we’ve summarized below or you can read in detail here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676.
(Condensed Version) 7 Benefits of Exercise
- Exercise improves your mood. Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or brisk 30 minute walk can help you calm down.
- Exercise combats chronic diseases. Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent osteoporosis? Physical activity may be the ticket.
- Exercise helps you manage your weight. Want to drop those excess pounds? Trade some couch time for walking or other physical activities.
- Exercise boosts your energy level. Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues which helps your entire cardiovascular system. You’ll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.
- Exercise promotes better sleep. A good night’s sleep can improve your concentration, productivity and mood. Physical activity is sometimes the key to better sleep helping you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep.
- Exercise can put the spark back in your sex life. Are you too tired or out of shake to have sex? Physical activity to the rescue.
- Exercise can be – gasp – fun! Physical activity doesn’t have to be drudgery. Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Find a physical activity you enjoy and go for it!
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A note from the doctor…
It doesn’t matter if you’re an accomplished athlete or just value regular activity, Advantig has products to help your body hydrate & your muscles recover more efficiently. I recommend drinking ProSport or ProSport MAX 30 minutes before exercise or any physical activity that will push your body. If you’re working for more than 2 hours, drink 1 more to optimize muscle recovery and nutrient replenishment.
Stay away from artificial colors, flavors, sugar & salt marketed as “electrolytes” that don’t nourish the body and deliver far more salt than you typically need.
http://www.advantig.net/products/prosport