Dangers of sugar addiction

• According to an article at the website yogabody.com, “Sugar itself is not the problem—we all need sugar. The problem is we’re eating it constantly, morning until evening. The poison is in the dose.”  Note the use of the word “poison.” That pretty much puts the dangers of too much sugar in a pretty scary spotlight.

• Everyone knows that poison kills. But many of us fail to recognize that too much sugar can also be deadly. We’ve already mentioned the negative effects sugar can have on your insulin levels, but let’s dig a little deeper into what that actually means.

• Most people are aware of the association of high levels of insulin and diabetes, but there is also a dangerous connection to cardiac problems.  If your insulin levels are continuously elevated, studies show that you have an increased risk of developing heart disease.

• In fact, according to Julie Corliss, executive editor of “Harvard Heart Letter,” one 15-year study concluded that people who ate a diet where their daily calories from sugar amounted to 25% of their total calories were over two times more inclined to die from heart disease compared to people who had less than 10% added sugar in their diets.

• The other major danger factor connected to sugar addiction is inflammation. Although refined sugar, with its empty calories, is a poor food choice for humans, bacteria thrive on the energy that sugar provides. As the sugar feeds the harmful bacteria in your stomach, your immune system responds with its go-to survival strategy, inflammation. Now there is the potential of having to cope with even more discomforts and diseases such as indigestion and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

• Even more sobering, a recent study indicates that there may even be a connection between elevated insulin levels and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. And, as we mentioned earlier, there is evidence that sustained high insulin levels are connected to some types of cancers, which as we know, often lead to death. But other diseases can also potentially become a problem as well, because when you eat too much sugar, your immune system is significantly impaired so that you lose about 50% of your ability to fight against any invading bacteria or viruses. You are not only more likely to get ill, but you’ll also have trouble getting over an illness quickly.

• Could you be addicted to sugar? Whether or not there’s conclusive scientific evidence that sugar addiction exists in humans, there are definitely tell-tale signs that are dead giveaways that you have a problem with sugar. If you experience five or more of the symptoms on this list, you most probably have a dysfunctional relationship with sugar.

• Frequent cravings Feeling hunger even after you’ve had plenty to eat Turning to sugar as consolation when you feel blue or troubled Eating sweets when you don’t even feel hungry Feeling embarrassed or ashamed about the way you eat Feeling fatigued or experiencing brain fog after

• eating Finding it difficult or impossible to lose weight Not being easily satisfied when you eat sweets Eating sweets until you’re full to the point of discomfort Going back for more sweets, or even bingeing Hiding evidence such as candy wrappers Finding it difficult or impossible to cut back on sweets Eating as a substitute for a social life or activity Feeling a need for a sweet dessert after a meal Why detox Now, granted, a full-out detox is pretty extreme, and you may be wondering why you can’t just gradually back off of sugar.

• Well, if you’ve never tried it before, it might work. But for most of us, even a little bit of sugar is going to set off the cravings monster. If you continue to have the mindset that you need to satisfy that craving, it’s going to be a very long time before you can pronounce yourself free of your sugar demons. ​A detox is hard, no question about it, but it puts you in the proper frame of mind to say ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY NO! when your brain starts begging you to give in and just have one chocolate chip cookie or half of a Snickers bar.

• When you totally commit to cutting out all added sugar for thirty days, you’re automatically setting yourself up for long-lasting success. Why? Because it’s the fastest, most effective way to take the sugar out of your system and completely retune and recharge your body chemistry. A detox will also reset your taste buds so that overly sweet foods just won’t be as appealing. You will be able to start out fresh with a whole new arsenal of healthy eating habits that will lower inflammation and elevate your degree of general wellness. ​

• Most important, you can say bye-bye to your addiction to sugar and refined carbs. According to Dr. Mark Hyman, author of the book Blood Sugar Solution, it’s possible to see results after a 10-day sugar detox. In a recent study of 600 participants, after 10 days they observed that they were not troubled as much by fatigue, stress and anxiety, pain in their joints, digestive problems like acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, and even skin rashes.

• ​So, if 10 days without sugar will do all that, why go any longer? It’s because we’re human, and humans tend to backslide in the short term. After 10 days, reintroducing sugar to the system doesn’t always go smoothly. The brain’s affection for that sweetness is still pretty fresh, and it’s too easy to revert back to the food we remember as making us so happy not that long ago. That’s why the greatest success is achieved by persevering for the entire 30 days.