Kick Your Sugar Habit

So, you have an out-of-control sweet tooth. Does that mean you’re addicted to sugar – is it possible? According to the FDA, in order for a substance to be addictive, it has to cause a craving, be hazardous to your well-being – and knowing that, you’ll still use it. Using that definition, certain foods – like sugary ones – could fit. That’s the word from Dr. Allen Levine, director of the Obesity Program at the University of Minnesota. He says people claim to be “addicted” to sugar because they have a hard time giving it up. However, it’s more likely that these sweet cravings are NOT an addiction, but rather a potent combination of three things:

1. Nostalgia - the memory of mom’s cookies baking.
2. Habit - always having something for dessert.
3. A chemical attraction – the rush you get when your blood sugar spikes and releases feel good chemicals in your brain.
   
   

The problem is, eating too much sugar can have harmful results. The extra calories get stored as fat, leading to weight gain and putting you at risk for a variety of disease, including diabetes. So, if you want to kick your sugar dependence, here are some tips from Woman’s Day magazine.

• Read labels. The first five ingredients make up the majority of any packaged food. Levine says if sugar in any form is there, move on. That includes brown sugar, fructose, corn syrup, dextrose, honey, molasses, sucrose and turbinado, which is made by spinning sugar cane extract in a turbine to create large brown sugar crystals.
• Watch what you drink. Go with juices labeled “100% juice” rather than “cocktail” or “punch” and mix them with some water or seltzer.
• Choose homemade foods. These tend to have less sugar. Take tomato sauce, for example. When making your own, you might add a dash of sugar to cut the tomatoes’ acidity, but jarred brands are often loaded with sugar.
• Go easy on the fakes. Artificial sweeteners can actually encourage a taste for sweets. So, cut down on them gradually to fully kick the habit.
  
  

Follow these guidelines and you’ll reduce your cravings for sugar – so you won’t feel “addicted.”