I finally quit smoking 19 years ago. While it took years and years of false starts, I did it, eventually, and now I hardly ever think of cigarettes anymore.And when it came time to quit sugar, I looked back to what i had learned from my quest to become a non-smoker.Sugar is just as addictive as nicotine. And nicotine is more addictive than heroin, I've been told. So if it's hard to give up either substance, there's a good reason for that.[]
Most people don't realize that alcohol is actually the quickest acting sugar on the brain. In short, a "buzz" is actually a sugar high. The first research on sugar addiction in 2001 was conducted at Princeton University, and scientists have come so far since then that research is now focusing on how to address the problem (not whether or not it exists).
Eventually though, I managed to stay away. Among the last challenges: I really craved cigarettes when I was very stressed. And I was stressed a lot. And so I finally made a deal with myself. IF I simply HAD to smoke, I could -- ONE cigarette. And after that, it was back to all the Nicorette it took to get it back out of my system. It helped. Because, frankly, I didn't enjoy Nicorette at all.And finally, I started chewing a Nicorette instead of smoking a cigarette. And after a while, I stopped that too.Now with sugar, it's much the same thing. There's the taste, and then there's the physiological reaction. If you can manage to separate the two, it may take you along way on your path tame your sugar addiction.To eliminate the addiction factor, it was important to eliminate sugar completely, at least for a while. But would I really need to quit all the sweet stuff too?
Here's what I did instead. I experimented with "sugar-free" goodies. In moderate doses.It helped, believe me. Temptation was greatly reduced because sugar-free candy is harder to find than the regular kind, and the selection isn't quite as yummy either.Once I made the commitment to forego all sugar, it was easy. Eating sugar was not an option, yet I knew if I wanted a treat, I could get it later (or sometimes even bring it along). It's easy to say "no" when the answer is clear. It's much harder to negotiate portions, at least for me.
The holidays are over and with them the unrelenting onslaught of sugar-filled goodies. You know those treats aren't good for you but you probably couldn't resist them. How about a fresh start, though? Now may be the perfect time to start coming to grips with your sugar addiction. Because there will be more sugar even if it isn't quite a ubiquitous as it was during the prime of the holiday season.Why? Sugar can hurt you. If you have diabetes or even pre-diabetes, a season filled with sugary stuff can push you over the top and cause serious damage. If you're working at managing your weight, sugar addiction will definitely make your weight creep in the wrong direction. Unless, of course, you find a way off the roller coaster. If you haven't managed to do so before candied plums and company start making their entry, at least give it a shot now that the worst is over.
Here's the way I have weaned myself off sugar.First of all, for many of us, sugar is addictive. Period. Just accept it. You eat it, you want more. That's what it used to be like for me. Still is. Except I don't eat sugar anymore, and so I no longer have a problem.So, hard as it may seem, the easiest way to get off that roller coaster is to quit cold turkey. But you knew that and you didn't want to read THAT here, so I'm not going to stop there.
There's no reason you should have to put up with being so stressed that you feel the urge to self-medicate with sugar or cigarettes. Get the information you need to effectively get rid of excess stress right now. Just click on the link for Elisabeth Kuhn's FREE stress-busting strategies report and reclaim your inner calm, like countless others have done before you.It's a known fact that sugar contributes to obesity. High blood sugar, the result of eating large amounts of sugar, leads to the need for the body to store that extra sugar, and that storage occurs as fat, which most often leads to an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.
I have always loved sugar in any form, from fudgicles to birthday cake to spoonfuls of brown sugar right from the box. My early love affair with it never seemed a problem until my 20s when I developed constant headaches. They were present upon rising and going to bed, often erupting during the day into migraines. As a result, I ate analgesics (which contain 65 mg. of caffeine per tablet) by the handful, upwards of twelve a day, every day. In addition, my periods were getting worse with simulated labor pains and water-weight gain up to 10 pounds. Anxiety insinuated itself into my every thought.I worried about the occurrence of the improbable and impossible. Depression slowly settled a dark, suffocating blanket over me. By the time I was in my 30s, I had run the gamut of neurological tests, but nothing revealed itself or helped. (No one asked about my diet.) I was tired all the time, weak, and cried at a moment's notice. To comfort myself I ate some Brach's Bridge Mix, 'Nilla Wafers, or Breyer's Fudge Swirl Ice Milk, only now in larger portions and more frequently to round off the sharp corners.As I turned 40, I developed night sweats, a 120-beats-per-minute heart rate, and insomnia. A prescription for the generic beta-blocker propranolol slowed my racing heart in between binges. By this time I was eating all the sugar-laden food I could lay my hands on. If I did not have candy around, I would go to the store at any time in any weather to get it, bake a coffee cake, or eat raw sugar. Heartburn and gas were a constant problem.
Then one day I chanced to see physician on television, talking about the controversy over sugar's hypothesized effect on mood and behavior. I began my research and found a description of my own health picture. With a glimmer of hope, I copied all the names in which processed sugar (simple sugar) appears: Sucrose,Dextrose,Lactose,Fructose,Crystalline fructose,Corn syrup,High-fructose corn syrup,Turbinado,Raw sugar,Brown sugar,Molasses,Malt syrup,Maltol,Maltodextrin.Immediately I eliminated from my diet all processed foods that contained any of the list. The only "sugar" I consumed was moderate amounts of fresh fruits (complex sugars) and carbohydrate vegetables, but only in combination with protein, to mitigate any minor sugar reaction, and with lots of water. The first several days without my precious sugar I was screaming inside my skull. Something down deep inside like a caged rat gnawed at my soul, eating me alive from within. I would find myself physically doubled over, hugging myself, rocking back and forth in psychic agony. Then, on the fourth day of my self-torture as I awoke and habitually reached for my analgesics, I realized I did not have a headache. Wow! This was the first time in 20 years.
Having had my first heart attack at 48, in 1985, and eventually having more attacks and trips to the hospital to have a total of 6 stents* inserted in my heart, I began a pilgrimage to improve my health.A stent is a small metal mesh tube that acts as a scaffold to provide support inside your coronary artery. A balloon catheter, placed over a guide wire, is used to insert the stent into the narrowed coronary artery.Presently I am 74, thankful for the stents to give me better heart health and for the extensive research I've done to learn about the power of food to heal. I've come to believe that good nutrition can increase all areas of your life such as energy, awareness, inhibit and/or delay Alzheimer's, and make living longer a joy filled experience.It isn't just about looking good, it's about living longer and healthier. It's about having healthier children and especially about not having your children live less years than you. Think about it.
[Sugar Addiction Treatment]
Most people don't realize that alcohol is actually the quickest acting sugar on the brain. In short, a "buzz" is actually a sugar high. The first research on sugar addiction in 2001 was conducted at Princeton University, and scientists have come so far since then that research is now focusing on how to address the problem (not whether or not it exists).
Eventually though, I managed to stay away. Among the last challenges: I really craved cigarettes when I was very stressed. And I was stressed a lot. And so I finally made a deal with myself. IF I simply HAD to smoke, I could -- ONE cigarette. And after that, it was back to all the Nicorette it took to get it back out of my system. It helped. Because, frankly, I didn't enjoy Nicorette at all.And finally, I started chewing a Nicorette instead of smoking a cigarette. And after a while, I stopped that too.Now with sugar, it's much the same thing. There's the taste, and then there's the physiological reaction. If you can manage to separate the two, it may take you along way on your path tame your sugar addiction.To eliminate the addiction factor, it was important to eliminate sugar completely, at least for a while. But would I really need to quit all the sweet stuff too?
Here's what I did instead. I experimented with "sugar-free" goodies. In moderate doses.It helped, believe me. Temptation was greatly reduced because sugar-free candy is harder to find than the regular kind, and the selection isn't quite as yummy either.Once I made the commitment to forego all sugar, it was easy. Eating sugar was not an option, yet I knew if I wanted a treat, I could get it later (or sometimes even bring it along). It's easy to say "no" when the answer is clear. It's much harder to negotiate portions, at least for me.
The holidays are over and with them the unrelenting onslaught of sugar-filled goodies. You know those treats aren't good for you but you probably couldn't resist them. How about a fresh start, though? Now may be the perfect time to start coming to grips with your sugar addiction. Because there will be more sugar even if it isn't quite a ubiquitous as it was during the prime of the holiday season.Why? Sugar can hurt you. If you have diabetes or even pre-diabetes, a season filled with sugary stuff can push you over the top and cause serious damage. If you're working at managing your weight, sugar addiction will definitely make your weight creep in the wrong direction. Unless, of course, you find a way off the roller coaster. If you haven't managed to do so before candied plums and company start making their entry, at least give it a shot now that the worst is over.
Here's the way I have weaned myself off sugar.First of all, for many of us, sugar is addictive. Period. Just accept it. You eat it, you want more. That's what it used to be like for me. Still is. Except I don't eat sugar anymore, and so I no longer have a problem.So, hard as it may seem, the easiest way to get off that roller coaster is to quit cold turkey. But you knew that and you didn't want to read THAT here, so I'm not going to stop there.
There's no reason you should have to put up with being so stressed that you feel the urge to self-medicate with sugar or cigarettes. Get the information you need to effectively get rid of excess stress right now. Just click on the link for Elisabeth Kuhn's FREE stress-busting strategies report and reclaim your inner calm, like countless others have done before you.It's a known fact that sugar contributes to obesity. High blood sugar, the result of eating large amounts of sugar, leads to the need for the body to store that extra sugar, and that storage occurs as fat, which most often leads to an increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some cancers.
I have always loved sugar in any form, from fudgicles to birthday cake to spoonfuls of brown sugar right from the box. My early love affair with it never seemed a problem until my 20s when I developed constant headaches. They were present upon rising and going to bed, often erupting during the day into migraines. As a result, I ate analgesics (which contain 65 mg. of caffeine per tablet) by the handful, upwards of twelve a day, every day. In addition, my periods were getting worse with simulated labor pains and water-weight gain up to 10 pounds. Anxiety insinuated itself into my every thought.I worried about the occurrence of the improbable and impossible. Depression slowly settled a dark, suffocating blanket over me. By the time I was in my 30s, I had run the gamut of neurological tests, but nothing revealed itself or helped. (No one asked about my diet.) I was tired all the time, weak, and cried at a moment's notice. To comfort myself I ate some Brach's Bridge Mix, 'Nilla Wafers, or Breyer's Fudge Swirl Ice Milk, only now in larger portions and more frequently to round off the sharp corners.As I turned 40, I developed night sweats, a 120-beats-per-minute heart rate, and insomnia. A prescription for the generic beta-blocker propranolol slowed my racing heart in between binges. By this time I was eating all the sugar-laden food I could lay my hands on. If I did not have candy around, I would go to the store at any time in any weather to get it, bake a coffee cake, or eat raw sugar. Heartburn and gas were a constant problem.
Then one day I chanced to see physician on television, talking about the controversy over sugar's hypothesized effect on mood and behavior. I began my research and found a description of my own health picture. With a glimmer of hope, I copied all the names in which processed sugar (simple sugar) appears: Sucrose,Dextrose,Lactose,Fructose,Crystalline fructose,Corn syrup,High-fructose corn syrup,Turbinado,Raw sugar,Brown sugar,Molasses,Malt syrup,Maltol,Maltodextrin.Immediately I eliminated from my diet all processed foods that contained any of the list. The only "sugar" I consumed was moderate amounts of fresh fruits (complex sugars) and carbohydrate vegetables, but only in combination with protein, to mitigate any minor sugar reaction, and with lots of water. The first several days without my precious sugar I was screaming inside my skull. Something down deep inside like a caged rat gnawed at my soul, eating me alive from within. I would find myself physically doubled over, hugging myself, rocking back and forth in psychic agony. Then, on the fourth day of my self-torture as I awoke and habitually reached for my analgesics, I realized I did not have a headache. Wow! This was the first time in 20 years.
Having had my first heart attack at 48, in 1985, and eventually having more attacks and trips to the hospital to have a total of 6 stents* inserted in my heart, I began a pilgrimage to improve my health.A stent is a small metal mesh tube that acts as a scaffold to provide support inside your coronary artery. A balloon catheter, placed over a guide wire, is used to insert the stent into the narrowed coronary artery.Presently I am 74, thankful for the stents to give me better heart health and for the extensive research I've done to learn about the power of food to heal. I've come to believe that good nutrition can increase all areas of your life such as energy, awareness, inhibit and/or delay Alzheimer's, and make living longer a joy filled experience.It isn't just about looking good, it's about living longer and healthier. It's about having healthier children and especially about not having your children live less years than you. Think about it.
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