Are you bombarded with cravings for sweets or salty foods? A slave to desserts, soft drinks and even chips? Do you rely on that mid-afternoon sugar rush to get you through the day? Then you may be addicted to sugar.
Sugar comes in all forms. Most people are aware that sugar is found in candy, chocolate, soft drinks, etc. but what
many may not know is that sugar is also found in potatoes, flour, rice, canned fruit, cereals, bottled spaghetti sauce, condiments, bottled teas and energy drinks, yogurt, frozen breakfast foods, dried fruits, crackers, and many other foods.
So how much sugar should the average person eat per day? A report released in 2006 by the World Health Organization (WHO) urges people to limit their daily consumption of free (added) sugars to less than 10 percent of their total energy intake (Diet Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases; TRS916). This recommendation adds up to approximately 12 teaspoons (48 grams) of added (free) sugar a day based on an average 2000-calorie diet. U.S. adults consume 22.2 teaspoons of sugar daily -- or 355 calories, reports UPI. That wildly exceeds the daily recommended amount, says Phil Lempert, a food industry analyst. He says average-sized women should be consuming no more than 6.25 teaspoons; men 9.4.
So what’s the big deal with splurging a little during the day? Well, it’s evident that sugar affects our waistline, but let’s examine how sugar can also contribute to skin issues, wrinkles, and your overall health and longevity.
1. Sugars can contribute to several skin issues:
Right after eating a meal, blood glucose levels begin rising. Your body reacts by releasing insulin, which is a hormone that escorts sugar from your blood into the cells and consequently lowers blood sugar levels. This process also affects other hormones. Insulin and other hormones also indirectly influence your complexion. In a nutshell they
increase sebum production and cause clogged skin which can result in acne. Sugar also promotes puffiness in the skin and can also trigger rosacea flare ups, as well as contribute to premature aging. For more anti-aging solutions, check out UltraPure Cosmetics anti-aging skin care and mineral makeup.
When you eat a lot of sugars in food, it creates a process called glycation. Glycation is a process when sugar attaches to collagen, making the skin tough and inflexible. The skin then becomes more susceptible to wrinkling. Skin that maintains its elasticity, doesn’t wrinkle very easily, but an overabundance of sugars can greatly reduce elasticity and resilience in skin. Sugar alters the skin rejuvenation process, which leads to lax and sagging skin. Fructose is the key component that aids in the breakdown of skin, depleting the skin’s resources.
2. Eating sugar changes the chemistry in the brain:
Not only can this affect day to day life, but it can significantly impact overall health. After eating sweets, the levels of dopamine in the brain increases (The body's own happy, feel good, chemical). Dopamine is at the heart of many addictive behaviors and quite possibly explains the presence of an addiction. Sugar addiction is not a character defect. It’s often due to biology, imprinting, long ingrained habits, our environment. After cutting out sugar for a period of time, the brain will begin to produce dopamine on its own. This takes some time, however. The problem lies in the fact that much of the default food is high in refined sugar and carbohydrates. High blood sugar is very dangerous. If it is allowed to continue, it can cause severe health risks, the most common being diabetes.
Here are five steps to help break your sugar addiction:
1. Get moving & keep busy. Before eliminating anything from your life - add to your life, so that you are operating from an overflow, not a deficit. Start an exercise program, even if it’s simply taking a walk after dinner. Call a friend, go outside, or to the library. Do something to change your environment so you can switch gears. Make exercise a daily
habit, not just a New Year’s resolution.
2. Educate yourself about Low Glycemic eating to keep your blood sugar in check. Eat balanced meals at regular intervals (A protein, a low glycemic carbohydrate and a healthy fat). All of these things will minimize cravings and stabilize your blood sugar, so that your moods and energy are consistent. Try delicious and low glycemic protein shakes and protein bars (USANA Health Sciences offers some good choices). These are designed to stabilize your blood sugar and keep you feeling energized and satiated. Contact Kristen Davis for further details!
3. Plan ahead. The first week of sugar abstinence is most difficult, when the cravings are at their most powerful. To set yourself up for success, plan ahead. Prepare your meals and snacks ahead of time so that you have healthy foods in reach.
4. Don’t focus on your weight. While weight loss is usually a natural consequence of giving up sugar, don’t make it your focus. For now, try to focus on getting sugar free. Allow weight loss to be a side effect of freeing yourself from food addiction; not the focus. Furthermore, you might be delightfully surprised to see how much easier it is to lose weight when you’re not eating sugar.
5. Be kind to yourself. While yes, your body may crave sugar, and you may give in to those cravings from time to time, you’re not a failure. Sugar can be a coping mechanism: how you learned to comfort yourself when you felt overwhelmed or stressed, probably when you were very young. It isn’t indicative of failure, it’s simply a habit. As you work to stop the sugar bingeing; take care of yourself in ways that don’t work against you. Get a facial or
meet up with friends.