Are you aware that the average American consumes about 152 pounds of sugar annually?
That breaks down to roughly 22 teaspoons a day for each person in America.
High sugar intake has been directly related to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression, ADHD, acne, heart disease, infertility, and impotence.
The sad truth is that sugar addiction is not an emotional disorder - sugar cravings are a biological disorder fueled by the body’s hormones and neurotransmitters. This often leads to uncontrolled eating, which in turn gives cause to the reason why nearly 70 percent of Americans are considered overweight.
This blog post is for education and not for weight loss or to discourage you not listen to your body cues but to let you know what occurs when high amounts of sugar are consumed.
Aside from the toll sugar takes on your health, here are some other ways sugar affects you negatively:
Motivation Sugar affects motivation by reducing your body's natural creation of dopamine and hitting the same receptors as opioids, and this is a neurochemical reaction occurring in your brain.
Brain Fog Sugar causes brain fog by spiking the hormone insulin, which gives you a rush after you eat sugar. The spike, then, leads to a crash as your insulin plummets.
Insatiability Consuming sugar only provides temporary satisfaction, leading to overeating as we try to satiate ourselves by eating more.
Teeth Health High sugar consumption causes tooth decay.
Now that you have read some scary truths about sugar consumption, the best way to see sugar's effect on your body and mind is to try cutting it out for at least ten days.
Before you start a detox, it is a good idea to have a plan in place because the cravings will be shockingly intense for the first few days. Here are some steps to follow to help get you ready:
Get in the Right Mindset Prepare yourself by deciding to clear your body of sugar. This is important because you won’t have success if you don’t set your mind to it.
Eat a Healthy Diet Focus on eating healthy carbs, proteins, and fats. Eating healthily will help you feel better as your body starts its detox.
Build New Routines It is hard to stop any addictive behavior cold turkey, so to soften the withdrawal, it is best to approach your detox by gearing up with minor changes to your routine, such as cutting cream and sugar from your morning coffee or cutting down on any beverages with sugar throughout the day.
Throw Out the Sugar Get rid of all the candies and sweets you have in your pantry. And be sure to read those ingredient lists!
