I have been off sugar and flour for over 18 years. When I gave it up we were smack dab in the middle of the low fat craze. Do you know that 18 years ago the rate of obesity has skyrocketed and so has people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Yet it is only recently that the media is finally addressing the real culprit of heart disease, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and obesity — SUGAR.
Sugar is a dangerous drug that is destroying your health. In fact, research came out recently demonstrating how sugar causes heart disease NOT fat. When you eat sugar your body converts it into glucose. Our pancreas creates the master hormone, “insulin” that transports that glucose into energy. However, because sugar and flour is processed into glucose so quickly the pancreas is over worked and thus not able to use the glucose as energy so it is converted into FAT – visceral fat, like the kind that is surrounding your heart.
Sugar also has a heavily addictive quality. It stimulates the part of your brain that is activated with addiction and drug abuse and studies have demonstrated it is more addictive than cocaine. Additionally, there are behavioral components of addiction like tolerance, withdrawal and cravings.
How do you kick it? COLD TURKEY is the only way to kick an addiction. You can’t wean yourself slowly because eating sugar activates the brain reward system so if you eat less you are still perpetuating your addiction so you can’t stop that powerful association.
In order to stop sugar cold turkey you have to deal with a whole plethora of issues, including withdrawal, grief, difficult situations, associations, bad days, controlling spouses and sabotaging thoughts, just to name a few.
Addiction is a very powerful way of learning. We have learned to associate a lot of food cues with sugar and flour. You have to learn to deal with those food cues that will entice you to eat those foods that make you fat and sick. If you need help making these transitions – help learning to be a Skinny Girl – fill out Sugar Addiction Quiz and schedule a time to talk with me.
