Sugar Addiction may be bigger than opiate addiction. The only reason why it may not be getting as much attention, is that there are many people invested in sugar. From farmers to candy companies, soda, baked goods. Sugar is everywhere. And sugar kills people slowly, allowing for the Western Medical System to thrive. But Opiates – they kill quite immediately.
Sugar is a substance extracted from plants like cane and sugar beet which is refined into a white crystalline substance. Since their effect on the blood stream, insulin, and brain are virtually the same, they are both considered sugar in the context of this video.
Sugars are addictive because they cause a supernatural release of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter involved in addiction.
In fact, multiple studies have now revealed that sugar and sweet rewards can not only substitute to addictive drugs, like cocaine but can even be more rewarding and attractive:
The brain chemistry of those addicted to drugs and those addicted to sugar are virtually identical!
Read more at STUDY: Sugar Is As Addictive As Cocaine & Heroin
7-Step Process to Breaking Sugar Addiction:
#1. Realize what’s going on with your brain your body, sugar, and flour.
People often stop consuming obvious sugar culprits like sodas and candy bars and trade them for bread and pasta. As previously discussed, those breads and pastas cause the same problems as sugar.
#2. Understand levels of addiction
Not everyone who drinks becomes an alcoholic. The same way not everyone who eats dessert becomes a sugar addict. We are individuals with different brain chemistry and the important thing is recognizing your own personal level of addiction. If just thinking about giving up sugar seems like a bleak, dark, and unhappy world, understand this is uniquely similar to how addicts feel about substances they abuse. You may be VERY addicted to sugar.
#3. Detox + Have Patience w/ Yourself!
You need to spend a period of time completely away from sugar and those dopamine spikes to break the addiction. This will often lead to an initial period of headaches, hormonal fluctuations, and just feeling like poop for a little while. The detox process can last from anywhere from 3 to 21 days. However, on the other side of breaking any addiction is a much healthier place.
#4. Become a nutrition label ninja.
Sugar is often hiding in places you don’t expect. Yogurt, pasta sauce, are protein bars often have TONS of added sugar You need to become a PRO a reading nutrition labels and feel free to check out my older video on the topic.
#5. Balance blood sugar levels by eating balanced meals
During the detox process, you need to focus on having balanced meals to keep your blood sugar levels steady to prevent crashes. You do this by eating meals that combine protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Whole egg omelets with lots of veggies, Chicken salads with olive oil dressing, and a grass fed beef stew are great examples of this. Protein, fiber, and healthy fat at every meal.
#6. Heal Your Gut
In an interesting study in Switzerland, men who were separated into two group based on chocolate cravings.
