Overcoming Sugar Addiction With Proper Information On Sugar
July 19, 2010 – 2:20 pmBecause of genetics, we have a general inclination towards sugar. Sugar is processed in the body as complex carbohydrates, to provide large amounts of energy quickly. A lot of the foods that are good for us, like fruits and honey, also have sugar. Sugarcane, in its pure form, is also filled with fiber and has various health benefits.
However, what has happened is that sugar gets too synthesized by its production process, taking out all the fiber and nutrients and leaving just the flavor. It seems that when sugar is eaten in these greater concentrations, our inclination towards it becomes full blown addiction.
There is still some debate over whether it is even correct to look at is as an addiction. After all, we are not all addicted, although sugar is a common ingredient in everyday foods. Studies have been able to establish that sugar affects the same neurochemicals activated by other addictive substances, such as drugs.
If you are a sugar addict, overcoming sugar addiction may be a matter of handling psychological issues. You may be using food to handle mood or anxiety disorders, which should be dealt with in other ways. On the other hand, if you are just impulsive, you may be able to conquer it when you train your emotional self-regulation. The psychological treatment you should get is based on the degree of your addiction.
On the other hand, you can more easily and immediately make changes to your diet. Simply limiting the amount of sugar you consume daily will have a huge effect on your health. You should confirm if sugar is hiding in your food under a different name, such as high fructose corn syrup. Take advantage of the variety of sugars substitutes available, like sorbitol, xylitol and sucralose. You can also replace sugar with unrefined sweeteners like honey and agave.
Overcoming sugar addiction is not yet an exact science, but for people who have it, it really is too difficult to handle. People who have not been addicted simply would not understand how easy it is to be overpowered by it. It is imperative that a qualified medical professional willing to listen to you assess and plan your recovery from addiction.
If you are a sugar addict, overcoming sugar addiction may require psychological analysis. The psychological treatment you should get is based on the degree of your addiction. On the other hand, you can more easily and immediately make changes to your diet like restricting the amount of sugar you ingest, confirming if sugar is hiding in your food and utilizing the variety of sugars substitutes available.