Wired for Sweet
There is an old saying that goes something like, knowledge is powerful when applied correctly. Understanding how sugar impacts our lives gives us the opportunity to make alternative choices that can help us to feel more stable, both energetically and emotionally throughout the day.
Did you know that there are 61 different names for sugar variants on food labels?
Sugar is everywhere and impacts us more than we realize. We walk aimlessly into our kitchens looking for something, but we don’t know what we want? Why is that? What signals are our bodies sending to our brain or is it a signal from our brain to our body? Is it a craving that we are seeking to fill or are we fulfilling an emotional eating pattern?
The healthiest choice is to drink a glass of water and move, but often we will reach for the cake or cookie. This action satisfies a flavour, not hunger and we pass on the glass of water and movement that we really need.
So why do we go for the quick fix?
Sugar is absorbed relatively quickly into the bloodstream and gives us a boost almost instantly. It fills that void we have for stimulation by tapping into our brains in a manner that lights up a reward pathway. Effectively it is a pathway that drives craving, consumption, and reward… Sounds like an addiction pathway right?
The High
Experts Agree: Sugar might be as addictive as Cocaine. The link between sugar and addictive behaviour is tied to the fact that, when we eat sugar, opioids and dopamine are released. When a certain behaviour causes an excess release of dopamine, you feel a pleasurable “high” that you are inclined to re-experience, and so repeat the behaviour. As you repeat that behaviour more and more, your brain adjusts to release less dopamine. The only way to feel the same “high” as before is to repeat the behaviour in increasing amounts and frequency. This is known as substance abuse.
Understanding that food and beverage companies are fully aware of the innate human affinity to sweet things, especially scientific evidence such as the article above. Understanding this can help us discern their clever marketing and differentiating the various types of sweeteners on food labels that fuel the desire > consumption > reward pathway in our brain.
Survival Becomes Influence
This perhaps goes way back to the origins of man. Back to the days when food was scarce and as hunter-gatherers, nomadic tribespeople our ancestors would wander the earth for sustenance and survival. In this instance, finding a sweet tasty treat was a pretty good reward, especially when food was scarce. It allowed our bodies to store the excess energy as fat which is an essential store of fuel when food is scarce and as noted in the research earlier, we are wired to remember such experiences very well.
Essentially, this is a biological program that appreciates the energy volume that sweet items played in our diet and survival.
Could Sugar be a Socially Acceptable Addiction? It is an interesting thought.
A provocative excerpt from Eating: A Socially Acceptable Addiction
…Let's say that you are at your grandma's house at a family gathering. You can eat an apple pie right in front of your whole family, and nobody may even say a word to you. But if you busted out cocaine on that table, everybody is most likely going to have something to say to you! Both sugar and cocaine will kill you eventually. Maybe not immediately. (In fact, you might have less of a weight problem if you're addicted to cocaine vs. sugar.)
But both will kill you over time. And we've made it now socially acceptable to have a sugar addiction.”
It is interesting, particularly when our health is suffering how we make accommodations for consuming the sweet flavour. So how does too much sugar impact our health? What really goes on inside us?
Let’s take a look - How Does Too Much Sugar Affect Your Body?
The brain
Eating sugar gives your brain a huge surge of a feel-good chemical called dopamine, which explains why you’re more likely to crave a candy bar at 3 p.m. than an apple or a carrot.
Your mood
you’re reaching into the candy jar too often, sugar starts to have an effect on your mood beyond that 3 p.m. slump: Studies have linked high sugar intake to a greater risk of depression in adults.
Your teeth
Bacteria that cause cavities love to eat sugar lingering in your mouth after you eat something sweet.
Your joints
Eating lots of sweets has been shown to worsen joint pain because of the inflammation they cause in the body.
Your skin
Another side effect of inflammation - it may make your skin age faster.
Your liver
Fructose is processed in the liver and in large amounts can damage the liver.
Your heart
When you eat excess sugar, the extra insulin in your bloodstream can affect your arteries all over your body. It causes their walls to get inflamed, grow thicker than normal and more stiff, this stresses your heart and damages it over time
Your pancreas
When you eat, your pancreas pumps out insulin. But if you’re eating way too much sugar and your body stops responding properly to insulin, your pancreas starts pumping out even more insulin.
Your Kidneys
The kidneys play an important role in filtering your blood. Once blood sugar levels reach a certain amount, the kidneys start to release excess sugar into your urine.
Your body weight
One study even found that people who increased their sugar intake gained about 1.7 pounds in less than 2 months. Excess amounts of sugar can inflame fat cells causing them to release chemicals that increase weight.
Time for change?
How to Make Change
There many approaches and if you need support, contact a Nutritionist or Dietitian. If your intention is to give it a go on your own, it is worthwhile doing an analysis of where and how you are consuming it. Food and beverage labels is a good place to start ( 61 different types of sugar). Once you have identified sources of the many variants of sugar, you will be able to identify items that you can make changes with. Start small and be consistent - one item a week is great - over a year that adds up to 52 changes! Awesome!!
As a note of caution, going “cold turkey” can risk a likelihood of a hard bounce back towards sugar (addiction terminology - relapse).
Simple Ways to Decrease Your Sugar Intake
Less pop, more water. Try cutting back, for example, if you have 2 carbonated beverages in a day, exchange one of them for an extra glass of water. Maybe go for the sparkling water if it’s the “fizziness” that you’re after.
One less take-out meal per week - Meal planning can help.
Eat more fruits and vegetables - Keeping fresh fruit and vegetables on hand can help with this plus you get an increase in vitamins, minerals, and fibre.
Switch desserts for fruit.
Increase your protein and fibre intake- slow to digest and low in sugar.
Increase your physical activity levels.
Aside from the above, a special note of caution - be mindful of artificial sweeteners - they are demonstrating unintended health consequences of their own. There are around 5 different types of artificial sweeteners to avoid.
Basically, keep it natural and whole - fruits, vegetables, honey, drink plenty of water and move more and if you need more assistance, reach out to a Nutritionist or Dietitian.