Taming the Sugar Monster

Taming the Sugar Monster

By Karrie Billets, Functional Nutrition Health Coach

 

Sugar is now considered by many to be a primary driver of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, cognitive decline, Type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and systemic inflammation.

 

Why, despite knowing the consequences, do we keep reaching for those peanut butter cups? Well, let’s face it, for many of us, sugar addiction began when we were kids. Breaking a sugar habit is difficult, but it’s totally possible.

Our daily sugar rollercoaster … we eat it, we crash, we crave it, and we eat it again! It’s an endless ride that we can’t seem to get off of.

Sugar is extra tricky because each time we give into sugar cravings, we’re feeding two different but interconnected cycles. The first is physiological. This is related to our hormonal system, our digestive system and our central nervous system. The second is our mental behavior. This relates to our habits around food generally and sweet stuff specifically. It includes what “we’re used to” and “comfortable with.” It’s what we expect—without really thinking about it.

These “two” cycles are part of a single larger whole cycle. Our physiological response reinforces our sense that sugar feels good, brings comfort, and is worth pursuing…and so reinforces our mental-behavioral patterns…which then strengthen physical pathways and—hardwires us to want more…and more!!! This is triggered by our happy hormones…dopamine and serotonin.

Does this sound like your week sometimes?

• You take your morning vitamins with a big glass of juice. Isn’t juice good for you? My mom always told me to drink my juice!
• Cookies are brought into meetings, so having a few is part of the meeting culture.
• You come home from work and have 2 glasses of wine to signal your brain it is time to relax (alcohol is metabolized just like sugar in your body).
• Mindlessly munching on that bag of organic… “wait for it” sweet plantain chips
• Ice cream staring at you every time you open the freezer. One pint gone in 15 minutes!

• Grabbing a Starbucks almond milk latte sweetened with one pump of simple syrup. Hey, it’s dairy free!
• How about a fat-free strawberry yogurt for breakfast with a little granola sprinkled on top…the labels says “all natural”, right?

The good news…you can reprogram your brain and reset your habits in a way that will work for you.

 Do you need guidance and support overcoming your sugar habit? Lets work together! We can discuss successful ways to “Tame Your Sugar Monster”. 

Sources:

https://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/the-toxic-truth/#.Y3ed9OzMJQO

https://www.newportinstitute.com/resources/mental-health/what-does-too-much-sugar-do-to-your-body/

****This article is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and is not a substitute for a conversation with a qualified healthcare provider. Individual health needs vary. If you have questions about your health, we invite you to schedule a consultation with one of our providers.