Sugar addiction affects millions of people globally. It is so insidious that most people don’t even realize that they are addicted to sugar. If one could simply sit down and write everything with sugar IN it in a food diary, they may see just how bad it really is.
Over the past 50 years, there have been more changes to our diet than there has been in the preceding centuries. A newcomer on this scene is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which has made its way into most processed foods.
The food manufacturing industry wants to keep people hooked on their food. They know the dangers of sugar addiction. They know how addictive sugar is. The unwary masses do not quite realize what is really happening and keep relishing these detrimental foods – which has led to obesity reaching epidemic proportions.
Dangers of Sugar Addiction #1
Table of Contents
Sugar is a Vicious Cycle
The more sugar you consume, the more sugar you will crave. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. But to see it this way, one must understand the dangers of sugar addiction. Simple carbs like white bread, white rice, pasta, etc. are all forms of sugar too. Did you get that? The simple starches in these “foods” are broken down in the body and quickly converted into glucose – glucose IS a sugar.
This is why it is so difficult to get yourself on a low carb diet. Your body constantly craves the glucose because it’s addicted to it.
A common danger of sugar addiction causes emotional eating, binge eating, food cravings and other undesirable eating habits. It is extremely difficult to break a sugar addiction – but it can be done, and it must be done if you wish to reclaim your health.
Dangers of Sugar Addiction #2
Negative health effects
There are so many negative consequences to excessive sugar consumption that books are being written about it. For starters, consuming foods that are high in sugar will cause insulin insensitivity.
Your pancreas will release more insulin than the body requires to cope with blood sugar spikes. The excess insulin gets stored as fat and you will just keep getting fatter. This will lead to obesity.
Over time, you will reach a pre-diabetic stage and may even get full blown diabetes. (which is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure and amputation) There is no cure for diabetes. But between diet and movement (exercise) it can be easily managed. So, cutting down your sugar intake is the best “first line of defense” to reverse the pre-diabetes state you may be in.
Dangers of Sugar Addiction #3
Besides accelerating aging and causing yeast infections, sugar also causes inflammation in the body. This is a very serious consequence because when your body is inflamed, your cholesterol levels will go up. This will lead to the hardening of arteries and possible cardiovascular disease. People often make the mistake of thinking that fatty foods like bacon and eggs cause high cholesterol levels. In reality, sugar is far more dangerous than most fatty foods.
In fact, our ancestors ate lots of meat and eggs and they did not suffer from obesity or the multitude of health problems we currently face. So what changed?
The answer is sugar.
The constant hits of dopamine that you get from consuming sugary foods will leave you craving for junk food round the clock. Sugar can be more addictive than cocaine. The only difference is that the ‘sugar high’ is not that visible and the damage it causes is only seen in your later years.
It’s never too late to cut down your consumption of sugar. You may do it cold turkey or go about it in a more gradual manner. As long as you’re proactively taking steps to reduce your sugar intake, you will do just fine.
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