The Sugar / Cocaine Connection
Here’s a scary fact. When scientists took
MRI images of the brains of people consuming sugar and highly addictive drugs
like cocaine, the same pleasure centers in the brain started lighting up.
Sounds pretty, scary, doesn’t it? But what does it actually mean to your brain
and your overall health?
Sugar is truly addictive. That means that
it will alter your brain chemistry and over time you start to crave more and
more sugar. The urge for your next sweet fix comes more frequently and you need
to consume it in larger quantities and like any other drug, it comes with some
pretty scary side effects. Not being able to fit into your favorite pair of
jeans because of your cookie addiction is going to be the least of your
problems. Like gluten, sugar will impact your immune system for hours after you have had some.
Yes, there will be weight gain, but with
it, and particularly because this weight gain is brought on by consuming too
much sugar, you’ll increase your risk of developing Type II Diabetes, heart
disease, high blood pressure and with it, an increased risk of stroke. Add to
that the extra stress the added weight puts on your joints and tendons and how
much harder it is to get enough oxygen pumping through your body, it’s no
wonder you feel crappy as you put on weight. All these various health
conditions are referred to as metabolic syndrome and it’s just one of the
things you can look forward to as you continue to feed your sugar addiction.
But like with a cocaine addiction, harming
your body and compromising your health doesn’t really matter all that much when
you’re faced with a box of donuts. That’s a serious problem. Then, as with any
highly addictive drug, there will be unpleasant withdrawal symptoms as you
start to wean your body off of sugar. Don’t believe me? Give it a try.
Cut out all added sugar for a couple of
days. No more soda, no more sugar in your coffee, no candy, no cookies, no
donuts. That’s just the beginning.
You’ll also want to avoid all foods with added sugars like bread, most
salad dressings, ketchup etc. Cut all those foods out and don’t eat anything
without checking the label for added sugars. See how you feel after a few
hours.
It will start with a little headache and
then the headaches will begin. You’ll
start craving something sweet. We’re talking serious cravings. Next, that
little headache will start to grow into a full blown pounding head along with
joint aches. You may also experience some nausea and don’t be surprised to
experience mood swings, too. Some people
will even have flu like symptoms and start to shake a day into their sugar
detox.
Doesn't that sound a lot like the
withdrawal symptoms of a “serious” drug addiction? That’s because sugar
addiction is just that. A serious addiction. Just like we ease off of caffeine before we start a Shred group, it's important to make sure you have lots of fresh fruit in your diet when you ease off of sugar.
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