Sugar's Dirty Little Secret
Let's talk about food cravings. We all have them. Some are stronger than others. Not all cravings are bad. Sometimes we crave junk, but sometimes we crave healthy foods.
My two biggest weaknesses are delicious nachos and ice cream - specifically Ben & Jerry's Phish Food and The Tonight Dough. Yum-my!! I don't deny myself treats. I just eat them in moderation.
I have found two types of food cravings - physical and mental. When you are physically craving a certain food, it can mean several things.
If you are craving healthy foods, your body is lacking certain nutrients and it is trying to send you a message. LISTEN TO IT!
I want to focus on junk food cravings.
If you are craving junk, it is most likely due to a sugar addiction. You didn't know you had that problem, did you? Most people don't. A lot of people don't realize how much sugar is in their food and drinks. People also don't realize that sugar is highly addictive. Did you know that there is some research which points to sugar being as addictive as cocaine? There is even a study where rats chose sugar over cocaine because the rewards, or "high", were better! Check out this article from the New York Times for more info on that.
Sugar cravings can be really, REALLY hard to break. You are literally addicted to an unhealthy substance that is killing you. These days sugar is EVERYWHERE, even in foods that are marketed as healthy. Don't panic, I have some tips to help you get past this nasty addiction.
1. Quit drinking soda (and all other sugary drinks). RIGHT NOW. Seriously, they are SO BAD for you! One 20 oz. bottle of Coke has SIXTY FIVE grams of sugar in it, which is 240 calories from sugar. A 20 oz. Mountain Dew has SEVENTY SEVEN grams of sugar, equal to 290 calories!! Each of these is more than the total daily recommended allowance for men & women!! Sugarstacks.com does a great job of showing you how much sugar is in various drinks. I HIGHLY recommend you go check it out. You'll be surprised at how much sugar is in your flavored water!
2. Don't try to quit sugar cold turkey. While a select few people will be successful doing this, most of us just can't quit it like that. Why? Because it is an ADDICTION! You need to slowly wean yourself off. Start by giving up one sugary treat, like candy bars, donuts or ice cream. As you get used to not having this food in your daily diet, give up something else sugary. Over time you will notice that your taste buds have changed and those sugary foods don't taste as good.
3. Use healthier alternatives when cooking. Instead of using pure sugar, try using raw honey, pure maple syrup or agave nectar. Yes, these still have sugar in them but it is a healthier form.
4. READ NUTRITION LABELS! I'm telling you, you will be SHOCKED at how much sugar is in some of your favorite "healthy" foods. A 6 oz. strawberry Yoplait yogurt has TWENTY SEVEN grams of sugar, equal to 108 calories from sugar! This is more sugar than women are supposed to consume in an ENTIRE DAY!
How much sugar should you eat per day? Well technically you don't need sugar, but here are the guidelines from the American Heart Association, taken directly from their website:
"Although sugars are not harmful to the body, our bodies don’t need sugars to function properly. Added sugars contribute additional calories and zero nutrients to food."
"The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than half of your daily discretionary calorie allowance. For most American women, this is no more than 100 calories per day and no more than 150 calories per day for men (or about 6 teaspoons per day for women and 9 teaspoons per day for men)."
Once you get past the physical part of your cravings, you have to deal with the mental part. This is where I struggle more. My body isn't necessarily craving treats, but my brain is. At times it almost becomes a constant barrage of mental cravings. It can be really, really hard to ignore. Sometimes I give in, but I try to remain strong.
I was talking with a friend this week who had a bad day and binge-ate a bunch of junk. He didn't actually want the junk, but he found himself eating it anyways. I think most of us can relate to that. After all, sugar addiction is a real thing. It literally lights up our entire brain with happy vibes every time we eat it. We must fight these mental cravings. Every time we deny our brain sugar, we can work to slowly reduce our addiction to it.
While an occasional treat is fine, overindulging can lead to serious consequences. Sugar does bad things to us. It can cause all kinds of health issues. It can also have serious negative effects on your brain, as outlined in the Huffington Post. Sugar is no joke.
I'm not telling you it will be easy. It won't happen overnight. However, if you TRULY want to make some healthy changes, I know you can do it. Remember, make gradual changes and treat yourself in moderation.
