Discover How You Can Overcome Sugar Cravings And Addictions!

By Natalie Leavenworth      

Lose Weight Without Breaking a Sweat!

These are some of the indications you can look for to determine if you have a sugar problem:

* An inability to go without sugar for more than a day

* Pastries, candies and other sweets are very appealing to you even when you're not hungry

* Mood swings affected by your sugar intake, whether too high or too low

* Irregular eating habits

There are wide-ranging ways in which a sugar addiction can impact your life, many of which aren't easily visible. Sugar affects not only your energy level, but your mood as well, influencing your ability to focus, your self-esteem and your relationships with others.

These tips should help you stop not only sugar cravings, but addiction as well:

How to Stop Sugar Cravings Tip # 1 Toss temptation

Sweets lurking in your pantry are just temptations waiting to betray you - get rid of them! It's easier to give in to your cravings Think about it - how willing would you be, when dealing with a sugar craving, to walk or drive to a store to buy a sweet to snack on?

How to Stop Sugar Cravings Tip # 2 Switch from Sugar to Whole Grains

It's often overlooked that sugary sweets and beverages aren't the only sources of sugar. When we eat whole grains, the body processes them into their components, which include naturally-occurring sugar. Experiment with whole-grain foods like bread, cereals and pasta. Before long, you'll like them as much as you currently enjoy their processed counterparts, and they're much more healthy for you!

How to Stop Sugar Cravings Tip # 3 Many foods are available with no added sugar or sugar-free - buy them!

Cutting sugar out of your diet immediately might be too difficult to accomplish. In that case, look for "no sugar added" and "sugar-free" alternatives to your favorite foods. There are other alternatives available, such as artificial sweeteners like Equal, Splenda and Nutri-sweet. While it's true that these products don't offer any nutritional advantage over processed sugar, they'll help satisfy cravings and reduce your dependence on sugar.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings Tip #4 Increase your daily water intake

One of the characteristics of people with sugar problems is that they don't drink enough water. You need to drink at least three glasses of water daily.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings Tip # 5 Get plenty of exercise!

Exercising is an excellent element of any weight-loss program. It's easy to adopt a simple routine to workout your body's various muscle groups. Paradoxically, once you get into an exercise routine, it'll actually be easier to resist temptations like sugar cravings. Exercise will help you reduce the level of stress and tension in your life, and may also help you to overcome the urge to eat whenever you're bored.

How to Stop Sugar Cravings Tip # 6 Don't give up the war if you lose a battle

It's not uncommon to have a hard time giving up anything you like, no matter how much you're aware that it's not good for you. Feeling guilty over having a sweet snack, especially if you've succumbed near the end of an otherwise successful day, is counterproductive. Try to keep in mind to take your sugar-beating program going one day at a time - if you stumble today, you can try again tomorrow!

Gaining control over sugar cravings and addiction is tough. You don't need to eliminate sugar from your diet - that's pretty much impossible anyway - but you have to control your intake and keep track of how your disposition is affected by sugar. After a while, you'll also notice that some things seem to spark a sugar craving. You may find that some events will induce boredom, depression or stress, and then a sugar craving will start. You can look for better ways of dealing with these emotions than eating sweets, and you can also try to reduce how often these emotions occur in your life.

Natalie Leavenworth used to struggle with fad diets and exercise programs until discovering the secrets of effective weight loss. Now at her target weight, she enjoys helping others achieve their weight loss goals.

If your interested in learning more ways to lose weight and feel healthier, check out Unhealthy Eating Habits [http://www.easyweightlosspro.com/unhealthy-eating-habits/] and Diet Solution Program Review [http://www.easyweightlosspro.com/isabel-de-los-rios-diet-solution-program-review/].

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Natalie_Leavenworth/539838

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6102845

How Susceptible Are You to Sugar Addiction?

By Joan Kent  |   Submitted On July 21, 2019     

Quitting sugar was one of the most significant accomplishments of my life. I'm the World's Foremost Recovered Sugar Addict (!!).

While sugar is the most addictive food there is, it doesn't affect everyone that way. One of the key factors in sugar addiction is susceptibility.

I happen to be one of the susceptible people and have had strong reactions to sugar my whole life.

How Can You Tell If You're Susceptible to Sugar?

Well, it's often genetic.

Does either of your parents have hypertension? Diabetes? Obesity? Alcoholism?

How about depression? Or hypoglycemia (low blood glucose)?

Do you have an apple-shaped body type? (This really matters if you're a woman.)

Do you show any of these behaviors around sugar: compulsion to eat it, loss of control over how much you eat, unsuccessful efforts to quit, cravings?

Does sugar interfere with your health? Does it make you isolate yourself, miss important events, or use excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, or laxatives to counter the effects of the sugar you ate?

If any of these sound familiar, you may be sugar-addicted. But what if you were to quit sugar? How might that change your life?

What Sugar Recovery Can Do for You

Sugar - actually, the high insulin it triggers - promotes inflammation & disease: diabetes, pre-diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cholesterol, obesity, cancers and more. Quitting sugar can reverse many, if not most, of those. Really.

Sugar can cause mood swings, anxiety, depression, irritability. Quitting can help reverse mood issues and keep you feeling great.

Sugar messes with your energy. It can make you lethargic and sleepy all day. Quitting can restore your energy levels.

Sugar makes you eat more. Quitting sugar can help you regain control of your appetite.

Sugar makes you want junky food. It changes food preferences so you want sugary and/or high-fat foods. Quitting can make healthful food seem appetizing again.

What Else Can Recovery from Sugar Do?

If you've recently quit alcohol, sugar can make you crave alcohol and even lead to relapse. Quitting can help prevent that and keep you feeling much better during your (ongoing and hopefully permanent) recovery.

Quitting can make you a better role model for your kids.
• Showing them how you handled a big problem.
• Showing them that you do what you say.
• Reversing the health problems above so you'll be around for their key life events.
• Behaving differently so you treat them the way they deserve.
• Becoming more 'even' and less reactive so you handle other things better, as well.

In these ways and others, quitting sugar can be one of the best things you've ever done for your health, your attitude, your appetite, your behavior, your recovery, your kids.

If you'd like help quitting sugar so you feel better fast, perfect! That's what I do. Just visit http://www.LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Empowered Eating Consult. Discover how easy it can be to get things on track, regain control, and give yourself the freedom you'd love. You got this!

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar: 7 Simple Steps to Defeat Sugar Addiction, Lift Your Mood, and Transform Your Health.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Joan_Kent/1748388

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10151421

Levers? Brain Chem? What's the REAL Addiction Stimulus?

By Joan Kent    

A woman whose knowledge and expertise I greatly respect was recently interviewed on a podcast about sugar addiction.

At some point, the interviewer asked what makes some people more "addictable" to sugar.

I'm paraphrasing everything, but she said animal studies have shown that "addictable" rats develop greater attachment to the cue for food (sugar) delivery than non-addictable rats. Addictable rats nuzzled the lever that signaled the food delivery, for example, as opposed to simply waiting for the food, as non-addictable rats did.

Is That All There Is?

I felt something was missing. Attachment to the cue (lever) is behavioral, and doesn't necessarily get to the underlying facts in sugar addiction. What made these rats develop the attachment in the first place?

I wanted the brain chem piece.

To my knowledge, here it is - and this is more about alcoholism and sugar addiction than about food addiction generally. It's based partly on work by the brilliant Christina Gianoulakis, PhD, at McGill University.

Alcoholics have a genetic trait that spans several generations. They have low levels of certain brain chemicals, so they feel 'less good' on a day-to-day basis than non-addicts. And when they consume alcohol or sugar, they show an exaggerated release of those same chemicals.

That makes sugar and alcohol extra reinforcing for addictable types. They feel lousy without sugar and Beyond Great with it.

What About the Rats?

I submit that the lever-nuzzling of the addictable rats in the study is based on this trait. For clarity, every addiction involves release of the brain chemical dopamine.

In the study, a lever appeared in the cage and signaled the arrival of food (sugar). The sugar delivery was both consistent and quick (within seconds). That created 2 events that need to occur for dopamine to be released in large quantities: 
1) anticipation of a pleasurable experience. 
2) a realistic chance that the experience will occur.

The lever was event #1. The consistent, quick delivery was event #2. Result: big dopamine.

Yet There's More!

Scientists now call dopamine the "anticipation molecule" because research shows it's released in large quantities when those 2 events occur. So all of the rats probably got a big dopamine hit when the lever appeared.

But what made the addictable rats nuzzle the lever - to the point of sometimes missing the food delivery?

I would add a 3rd factor: the genetic trait uncovered by Dr. Gianoulakis - low dopamine plus exaggerated release in response to a stimulus.

My take on the rats-and-lever experiment is that the addictable rats nuzzled the lever because of their lower-than-normal level of dopamine, plus their exaggerated dopamine release when the lever appeared.

The lever-nuzzlers became as addicted to the anticipation as to the sugar. Or even more so. That can happen with foods - and with people. Due to the brain chemical similarities between alcoholism and sugar addiction, I've connected the dots on this. (Blast me if you must.)

I love the neurochemical explanation of addiction because it removes all the blame from us. It makes no more sense to blame your brain for its response to sugar than to blame your eyes for their color. We got what we got.

The good news is we can do something to reverse the effects. It's about food and it's easy, so you can do it.

If you feel stuck on sugar or other foods, I'd love to help. Just visit http://www.LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Empowered Eating Consult. Find out how easy it is to start moving things forward and feeling great - and great about you.

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar: 7 Simple Steps to Defeat Sugar Addiction, Lift Your Mood, and Transform Your Health.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Joan_Kent/1748388




Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10118721

Levers? Brain Chem? What's the REAL Addiction Stimulus?

By Joan Kent  

A woman whose knowledge and expertise I greatly respect was recently interviewed on a podcast about sugar addiction.

At some point, the interviewer asked what makes some people more "addictable" to sugar.

I'm paraphrasing everything, but she said animal studies have shown that "addictable" rats develop greater attachment to the cue for food (sugar) delivery than non-addictable rats. Addictable rats nuzzled the lever that signaled the food delivery, for example, as opposed to simply waiting for the food, as non-addictable rats did.

Is That All There Is?

I felt something was missing. Attachment to the cue (lever) is behavioral, and doesn't necessarily get to the underlying facts in sugar addiction. What made these rats develop the attachment in the first place?

I wanted the brain chem piece.

To my knowledge, here it is - and this is more about alcoholism and sugar addiction than about food addiction generally. It's based partly on work by the brilliant Christina Gianoulakis, PhD, at McGill University.

Alcoholics have a genetic trait that spans several generations. They have low levels of certain brain chemicals, so they feel 'less good' on a day-to-day basis than non-addicts. And when they consume alcohol or sugar, they show an exaggerated release of those same chemicals.

That makes sugar and alcohol extra reinforcing for addictable types. They feel lousy without sugar and Beyond Great with it.

What About the Rats?

I submit that the lever-nuzzling of the addictable rats in the study is based on this trait. For clarity, every addiction involves release of the brain chemical dopamine.

In the study, a lever appeared in the cage and signaled the arrival of food (sugar). The sugar delivery was both consistent and quick (within seconds). That created 2 events that need to occur for dopamine to be released in large quantities:
1) anticipation of a pleasurable experience.
2) a realistic chance that the experience will occur.

The lever was event #1. The consistent, quick delivery was event #2. Result: big dopamine.

Yet There's More!

Scientists now call dopamine the "anticipation molecule" because research shows it's released in large quantities when those 2 events occur. So all of the rats probably got a big dopamine hit when the lever appeared.

But what made the addictable rats nuzzle the lever - to the point of sometimes missing the food delivery?

I would add a 3rd factor: the genetic trait uncovered by Dr. Gianoulakis - low dopamine plus exaggerated release in response to a stimulus.

My take on the rats-and-lever experiment is that the addictable rats nuzzled the lever because of their lower-than-normal level of dopamine, plus their exaggerated dopamine release when the lever appeared.

The lever-nuzzlers became as addicted to the anticipation as to the sugar. Or even more so. That can happen with foods - and with people. Due to the brain chemical similarities between alcoholism and sugar addiction, I've connected the dots on this. (Blast me if you must.)

I love the neurochemical explanation of addiction because it removes all the blame from us. It makes no more sense to blame your brain for its response to sugar than to blame your eyes for their color. We got what we got.

The good news is we can do something to reverse the effects. It's about food and it's easy, so you can do it.

If you feel stuck on sugar or other foods, I'd love to help. Just visit http://www.LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Empowered Eating Consult. Find out how easy it is to start moving things forward and feeling great - and great about you.

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar: 7 Simple Steps to Defeat Sugar Addiction, Lift Your Mood, and Transform Your Health.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Joan_Kent/1748388

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10118721