self-help for people who wouldn’t be caught dead doing self-help

How Sugar Addiction is like a Drug Addiction

If you read my stuff, then you (probably) already know that I’m a recovered stress eater and founder of the DO IT Program – a range of life-changing health video courses.

I’m passionate about helping people to STOP emotional eating on junk food!

I believe sugar is a bigtime SOCIOPATH!

It acts sweet – but it’s really poison!

Too much sugar not only makes us fat, it harms our liver, messes with our metabolism, impairs brain function, and leaves us susceptible to heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

But you probably knew a lot of that already…right?

So why can’t you stop eating sugar?

DOPAMINE MAKES YOU ACT DOPEY: First, you should know, you’re not alone in your urge to inhale a bag of candy or scarf down a box of Oreos. Your cravings for sugar go super deep. To examine the hold sugar can have over us, substance-abuse researchers have performed brain scans on subjects eating something sweet. What they’ve seen resembles the mind of a drug addict! When tasting sugar, the brain lights up in the same regions as it would in an alcoholic with a bottle of gin. Dopamine—the so-called reward chemical—spikes and reinforces the desire to have more.
YOUR BODY MADE YOU DO IT: Do you find you particularly crave candy midday? If so, it might be because your body’s biologically wired to crave simple carbohydrates when it’s feeling low on energy. Yep, your insightful, intuitive body recognizes that sugar will quickly turn into glucose in your bloodstream and energize you. Happily you can still eat something sweet without experiencing that blood sugar level spike. Simple carbs are also found in fruits, veggies, and dairy products. Unlike candy, syrup, soda, table sugar (etc) these have fiber and protein that slow the process of release – so you don’t spike and crash!

BEHAVIORAL ADDICTION: Sugar is biologically addictive – due to how it increases insulin levels. In the movie “Fed Up,” they called sugar the new cigarettes because of its addictive nature. In one study, 93% of lab rats chose sugar water over cocaine!

THE REWARD CENTER: Aside from the pleasure of eating itself, when you consume sugar your brain also sees sugar as a reward, which makes you keep wanting more of it. IIf you often eat a lot of sugar, you’re reinforcing that reward, which can make it tough to break the habit.

So how do we STOP SUGAR ADDICTION?

GET SAVVY ABOUT SUGAR’S HIDING PLACES. Avoid processed foods wherever possible. Look carefully at labels. The majority of sugar sweetened cereals contain at least 4 teaspoons of sugar per serving. Flavored yogurts and energy bars are other culprits – and so is store bought bread.
KNOW HIS ALIASES. This crazy sociopath sugar often goes by other names. Around 56 of them! High fructose corn syrup, sucrose and maltose are just a few of Sugar’s aliases. Be on the lookout.
MAKE ROOM FOR MAGNESIUM. Sugar cravings may be more prominent in people who aren’t getting enough of this crucial mineral. Your doctor can test your levels – but you can also help yourself! Start choosing magnesium rich foods, such as dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish and beans.
POWER UP WITH CINNAMON. A true superhero spice, cinnamon tastes wonderful and has powerful medicinal properties. Ceylon cinnamon is particularly beneficial. It offers lower amounts of coumarin – and not only lowers blood sugar levels, it also reduces heart disease risk factors! So get sprinkling!

Psssst….Get lots of empowering tools to stop sugar addiction – and stop eating crappy foods of all kinds! Click for more info – and snag a discount for a limited time only.

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Karen Salmansohn (Founder)

Hi I’m Karen Salmansohn, founder of NotSalmon. My mission is to offer you easy-to-understand insights and tools to empower you to bloom into your happiest, highest potential self. I use playful analogies, feisty humor, and stylish graphics to distill big ideas – going as far back as ancient wisdom from Aristotle, Buddhism and Darwin to the latest research studies from Cognitive Therapy, Neuro Linquistic Programming, Neuroscience, Positive Psychology, Quantum Physics, Nutritional Studies – and then some.