Do you love that slice of cake every night after dinner? Those morning muffins? How about those cookies and seemingly harmless pieces of candy you mindlessly enjoy throughout the day? If you’re regularly drawn to sweets, try going without them for a few days and see what happens. Are you having headaches, irritability, cravings, and symptoms that could only be described as withdrawal? Do you find yourself so uncomfortable that you’re drawn right back to those sugar-laden foods? It could be you’re trapped in what is called a cycle of sugar addiction.
Why We Crave
Food craving, particularly for sweets, is more involved than not being able to resist a second slice of chocolate cake. Researchers have discovered that ‘intense sweetness’ (from sugar or artificial sweetener) creates a biochemical change in the brain that is a lot like the response to addictive substances. Sugar actually alters the dopamine network – part of the brain’s ‘pleasure response.’ Other factors that play a role in the food we crave include stress, family habits, where we eat and whom we eat with, and time of day.
Curing the Cravings
Our thoughts affect how we feel, and how we feel affects our actions and the choices we make. If you’re struggling with food choices and having a hard time managing sugar intake, consider working with a counselor or health coach trained at helping you identify and transform the thoughts that influence your emotions. You’ll develop insight into how even the smallest choices allow a behavior to persist and what is getting in the way of changing your patterns. If you’re struggling with cravings, depression, anxiety or addition, it could make a profound difference in your way of life.
Resources
- Ahmed, S.H., Guillem, K., Vandaele, Y., ‘Sugar Addiction: Pushing the Drug-Sugar Analogy to the Limit.’ (2013, July) 16:4, 434-9. Accessed 5 Dec 2016: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23719144
- Dmitrijevic, L. Popovic, N. et al., ‘Food addiction diagnosis and treatment.’ Psyiatry Danub. (2015) 27:1, 101-6. Accessed 5 Dec 2016: http://www.hdbp.org/psychiatria_danubina/pdf/dnb_vol27_no1/dnb_vol27_no1_101.pdf (full text)
- DiabetesSelfManagement.com ‘CBT’ Accessed 5 Dec 2016: http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/diabetes-resources/definitions/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-cbt/
- MacGregor, G. & Pombo, S., ‘The amount of hidden sugar in your diet might shock you.’ (posted at TheConversation.com, January 2014). Accessed 5 Dec 2016: http://theconversation.com/the-amount-of-hidden-sugar-in-your-diet-might-shock-you-21867
- Cheren, M, Foushi, M. Gudmudsdotter, E. H., et al., ‘Physical Craving and Food Addiction: A Scientific Review: A Scientific Review Paper.’ (Food Addiction Institute, 2009). P.O Box 50126, Sarasota, FL 34232. Accessed 5 Dec 2016: http://foodaddictioninstitute.org/FAI-DOCS/Physical-Craving-and-Food-Addiction.pdf (full text)
- WorkingWellResources.com ‘Sugar Addiction–How Does That Happen and What Can You Do About It?’ (posted 25 Feb 2015) Accessed 5 Dec 2016: https://workingwellresources.com/2015/02/25/sugar-addiction-how-does-that-happen-and-what-can-you-do-about-it/