In spite of many health campaigns to encourage us to cut back, sugar still makes it’s way into our food and drink with a big splash! Health experts are very concerned because our bodies are not designed for this hefty sugar overload. Numerous studies show it’s contributing to a variety of modern diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Here’s the problem: sugar is highly addictive, as study after study has shown. In fact, the studies show it’s as addictive as cocaine. Researchers at Yale University revealed that dramatic falls in blood sugar, which occur after eating unhealthy carbohydrates such as sweets and biscuits, affect the part of the brain that controls impulse. We lose self control and a subsequent craving for more unhealthy, high-calorie foods follows the first helping. The researchers said this may explain the rising global obesity epidemic.
Robert Lustig, a leading obesity expert believes that this addictive toxin should be regulated in the same way as cigarettes. Dr Jacob Teitelbaum in his book, Beat Sugar Addiction Now! (Fairwinds Press). describes sugar addiction as the “canary in the coal mine,” saying it often points to an undiagnosed problem such as failing adrenal glands (which pump out key hormones) to too much yeast in the gut. Dr Teitelbaum describes four types of sugar addiction, which are triggered by different causes, from hormonal changes to infections. According to the type that best describes you, he suggests a specific action plan to tackle the problem. I’ve added more information, based on my nutrition practice to the “solutions.”
1. Thyroid failure
The signs: You’re stressed, tired,m and craving sweets throughout the day – all signs that indicate an under-active thyroid gland, which leads to fatigue. Tension in the muscles – which are also not getting the energy they need to function – can cause frequent headaches.
The solution: Drink more water to help flush your system. Cut back on caffeine, until you are on one cup a day, then switch to herbal teas or green tea. Ditch processed food and switch to whole organic foods and foods high in fiber, which take longer for the body to digest, keeping blood sugar levels stable. Eat good quality fat like extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. Get more sleep; this optimizes your energy level, reduces appetite and cuts sugar cravings. When you are tired, you are more likely to crave sugar to generate energy artificially. Drink veggie juices that have dark leafy greens added. Increase iodine rich foods and/or take a drop or two of iodine (Lugol’s is a good brand) mixed in juice. Increase coconut oil, Get my book The Juice Lady’s Remedies for Thyroid Disorders.
2. Yeast infection
The signs: You cannot get through the day without bread, starch such as rice or potatoes, or sugar. You’ve had more than your fair share of antibiotics or antacids, which could have triggered an overgrowth of bad bacteria.
Antibiotics kill “good” bacteria in the gut, while antacids neutralize the stomach acid that normally tackles bad bacteria. The yeast over-population feeds on sugar. This triggers cravings for sugar, starch, or bread because the body quickly converts these to glucose.
Eating sugar causes the yeast to multiply, thus intensifying cravings and creating a vicious circle. Steroids and stress, which increase your body’s secretion of the hormone cortisol, can suppress your immune system, allowing yeast to become systemic, making sugar cravings constant.
The solution: Cut out all forms of sweets including fruit as well as caffeine, and switch to a low-carb yeast-free diet. Take a probiotic supplement (twice a day for five months) to support a healthy gut. Take Yeast Max.
4. Adrenaline Overload
The signs: You’re irritable when hungry, you often feel stressed or dizzy when standing up too quickly. You suffer frequently from a sore throat or other upper respiratory infection, and may often be thirsty and have to urinate frequently.
The problem: You could be suffering from adrenal stress. Adrenal glands pump out the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol when we’re under pressure. When under constant stress, these glands can become sluggish, tired, and so we often turn to sugar for a short burst of energy.
The solution: Eat small, high-protein meals throughout the day such as nuts, sliced turkey, or eggs). This should keep energy levels steady, making it easier to cut back on sugar. Work on reducing stress levels too. Get my book The Juice Lady’s Remedies for Stress and Adrenal Fatigue along with the supplement Vitality Renew.
Menopause or PMT
The signs: You experience low mood and reduced sex drive, with irregular or changing periods. The week before your period starts, you experience insomnia, headaches, fatigue, and hot flushes.
The problem: You may be experiencing menopause, perimenopause (the lead-up to the menopause) or premenstrual tension (PMT). As levels of estrogen and progesterone drop, women become more prone to insulin resistance. This can cause sugar cravings to soar, leaving you tired and irritable. As hormone levels change, the body attempts to raise levels of the feel-good hormone serotonin, and since sugar triggers a serotonin release, this can cause you to crave sweets.
The solution: Cut out sugar as much as possible. If you suffer from premenstrual tension, try taking vitamin B6 (200mg a day). This helps ease the deficiency of the “feel good” hormone prostaglandin E1. When this hormone is low, irritability and sugar cravings can result.
If mood swings are a problem, it could be from excess sugar that is blocking your ability to turn a substance called GLA (gamma linoleic acid) into the DGLA (dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid, which is) needed to produce prostaglandins that improve mood. Cutting out sugar allows your body to make prostaglandin more effectively.1
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