Sugar is a product that passes through our throats every day, usually in large quantities. It has become very common for sugar to be included in our diet. Sometimes we are not even aware of the presence and amount of sugar in our diet. That is why we often consume more sugar than our body needs. This can even lead to a true sugar addiction. The seriousness of this is highly underestimated.
Sugar addiction
Sugar addiction is the urge to eat sugary foods. Craving tasty things is also, to a lesser extent, a form of addiction. However, the sugar is accepted and absorbed by the body and then stored as fat. This is usually stored around the abdominal area. When the body needs this energy, it will use these fat reserves.
Sugar addiction is not really considered a real addiction like nicotine and alcohol addiction, even though more and more people are suffering from it. However, you do become dependent on it and it completely disrupts the functioning of the body, just like other recognized addictions.
The causes
This urge to eat sugary foods has a cause. When a lot of sugar is consumed, blood sugar levels rise significantly. To lower these sugar levels and prevent damage to the body, insulin is produced by the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that ensures that excess blood sugar is converted into body fat. This should ensure that blood sugar levels become stable again. The problem of addiction is the fact that the high production of insulin due to high sugar consumption causes blood sugar to be too low. This causes the brain to send a signal that it is time to eat again. The desire for sugary food becomes great again. This is the addict’s biggest problem.
Insulin also has the effect of disrupting the signal from the brain that you are full. When consuming sugary food, you eat more than your body actually needs. The brain cannot transmit that signal clearly, which means you remain hungry and eat more than necessary.
Another cause is that the taste buds of sugar addicts work less well. Overweight people have a different taste experience. The taste buds are affected and they are then unable to taste the taste properly. The result of this is that more people will eat to maintain that taste experience. More sugar is then needed to get that sweet taste experience. There will be more food to eat. This damage to taste buds will not change unless the person takes measures, for example by losing weight and eating healthily.
Hormones also play a role in overeating. There is a hormone called Leptin that signals to the body that the body has received sufficient energy. If not enough of these hormones are produced, the body will not receive a stop signal. It can also happen that someone is resistant to this hormone. The body then no longer responds to it. Too much of the Leptin hormone has been produced. This often occurs in overweight people.
The consequences
Eating too much sugar can have serious consequences. For example, it seriously disrupts the blood sugar level because the sugar level only consists of peaks and valleys and the pancreas has to work against it to produce enough insulin. Other complaints that may occur are:
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Depression
- Dizziness
- Mood swings,
- Insomnia
- Short fuse
- Aggression
- Hyperactivity
- Vaginal infections
- Allergies
- PMS
- Concentration problems
- Excessive sweating
- Deterioration of the teeth
- More need for sugar
- muscle strain
In addition to the above complaints, excessive sugar consumption can lead to a number of other complications:
Vitamin and mineral deficiency
In most cases, sugar-rich food contains no or insufficient vitamins or minerals that the body needs. These are necessary for the combustion of the food and therefore also the sugar. This causes vitamin and mineral deficiencies that the body needs to function properly.
Disturbed blood sugar levels
Due to sugar consumption, the sugar level consists of only peaks and valleys. Because this happens many times in a row if you suffer from sugar addiction, chronic complaints will develop. For example, a sugar addict will regularly suffer from headaches, dizziness, excessive yawning and an afternoon dip.
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Overweight
Eating excessively can also cause the person to become overweight. When consumed in excess, sugar is immediately converted into (belly) fat.
Type 2 diabetes
Due to obesity, which can partly be caused by excessive sugar consumption, it is possible that type 2 diabetes will develop. Because someone is overweight, the cell recipients that have to respond to the hormone insulin to regulate blood sugar levels become less sensitive to it. The pancreas must then produce more insulin to achieve the same effect. This can overload the pancreas and damage insulin production. The pancreas then no longer produces enough insulin to regulate sugar levels. This will cause type 2 diabetes.
Poorer resistance
In some cases, the sugar molecules stick to the white blood cells. These white blood cells ensure that bacteria and viruses are neutralized. They cannot do their job properly due to the sugar molecules, which means that bacteria and viruses can spread more quickly in the body.
Poorer intestinal flora and disruption of digestion
Due to the fermentation of the sugar in the intestines, flatulence, a swollen abdomen and abdominal cramps can occur. The intestines and digestion will be disturbed. The lack of fiber in processed sugar can also cause constipation.
What can you do about it?
It is not easy to get rid of an addiction. A sugar addiction can be difficult to quit. It takes a lot of willpower and discipline. You may also experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and moodiness during the process. If you follow the tips below, you will be free of this addiction before you know it.
Stop immediately or reduce it
The way you stop depends on the person. Some people can cope more easily with abruptly stopping eating sugar, while others have more difficulty with it. You will suffer from withdrawal symptoms. If you cannot tolerate this and give in too quickly after you abruptly stop consuming sugar, it is advisable to gradually reduce your sugar consumption. Which approach you choose ultimately depends on your character and qualities.
Make a schedule
Draw up an action plan. Do this per day. Keep track of which products you are going to avoid and which ones you are still going to eat. Also write down the exact quantity. When you write an action plan, you are more likely to succeed than not.
Throw away sugary foods
Immediately throw away any processed sugar foods you have in your home. These include cookies, candy, jam, chocolate, soft drinks and fruit drinks. Ready-made meals also contain a lot of sugars and preservatives and should also be thrown away.
Stop buying sugary foods
If you no longer have sugary foods at home, you will be less tempted to grab something. If you do have foods with refined sugar, try to hide them well so that you have to make an effort to get them. These thresholds will make you less likely to make a mistake.
Eat natural products
There is hardly any sugar in natural products. It is full of nutrients that the body really needs. Vegetables, fruit, meat, nuts, eggs and nut butter are examples of healthy products. After about three weeks your taste will increase and the craving for sugar will have completely decreased.
Exercise
Eating sugar gives you a temporary good feeling. Because this feeling disappears by limiting sugar consumption, you should be able to get a good feeling from something else. Exercise is a good solution. Because you exercise, you will produce endorphins that make your body feel good. Try to do this regularly for about three weeks so that you make it a habit.
Sugar addiction is different from other addictions
Sugar addiction is very different from other types of addictions such as nicotine and alcohol addiction. You can easily stop nicotine and alcohol addiction by no longer smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. With a sugar addiction it is more difficult. Sugar is contained in many products. It is not always clear which products contain added sugars. From a practical point of view, it is almost impossible to stop eating sugar completely. Banning sugar completely is not feasible, so you should limit sugar consumption very much.
