The Lure of Sugar

As a graphic designer, my work load has definitely been impacted by the coronavirus. Associations I do work for are having to cancel meetings, and that means all the associated design work is cancelled. Businesses have less income to use for marketing. The flip side of that is, I have time to tend to what I love. So, my blog, which I have ignored for two years, is seeing a re-birth.

 

So, I was going through some of my old posts and came across this little gem. In it, I address the idea of reducing your dependence on animal products and processed foods. I’m a vegan, so I would love to see you eliminate animal products, but understand that people need to take small steps. I go on to say that there is one food that I strongly suggest you eliminate and that is sugar. UGH! At the time I had been sugar free for 7 months.

 

That was back in 2017. Somewhere in between then and now, I fell of the wagon and ain’t nothing pretty down that road. Sugar really is highly addictive.

 

Did you know that the average American adult consumes 24 teaspoons of sugar PER DAY (kids are consuming event more)? That’s 182 cups a year, about 86 pounds or about 21 four pounds bags. And that’s AVERAGE! It’s a leading cause of inflammation leading to chronic illnesses, as well as type 2 diabetes. It can lead to obesity, cavities and trouble sleeping.

 

So why is it so hard for me to give up sugar, when I know how unhealthy it is? I don’t have any other addictions, never have, so just what makes sugar so addictive and why is it so hard for me to stay away from it? And we’re talking sugar in all it’s processed and artificial forms. If you’re not sure what that means, it’s pretty much any sweetener that isn’t a whole food (like a piece of fruit for instance).

 

First of all, we’re hard wired to want sugar. It gave us the rush we needed (thanks to a rise in our adrenaline and epinephrine lever) to outrun a sabre tooth tiger and other dangers. The problem is, sabre tooth tigers are extinct and we now have cars to make our get-aways.

 

Okay, now let’s explore the effect of eating sugar on your brain. Sugar releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a role in how we feel pleasure. It’s part of the reward circuit that leads to addictive behavior. It’s part of what explains the high that you may feel from eating a sugary food. It’s also what makes you want to do it again and again.

 

As you repeat it however, your brain adjusts to release less dopamine, which means you must eat more in order to feel the same high. It’s interesting to note that many studies indicate that sugar is more addictive than cocaine, but the jury is still out on that one.

 

Sugar also activates the opiate receptors in our brain, which affects our reward centers, leading to compulsive behavior. And every time we do this we are strengthening the neural pathways that lead us to want more.

 

Meanwhile, when you eat sugar, which is easily digested and hits the bloodstream quickly, your pancreas responds by pumping out insulin to push the sugar to the cells. You get a drop in blood sugar leading to sluggishness, so our adrenal gland kicks in to secrete adrenaline and pick us back up. This leads to a vicious cycle of blood sugar regulation problems and adrenal fatigue.

 

I’m aware of all this and still I find myself craving sugar. In fact, I find that the more I eat, the more I want. So I’m recommitting to a sugar-free life.

 

Coincidentally, as I’m writing this post, my sweet husband came home with a double chocolate cupcake from his sweet customer, just for me. I kid you not. That’s an actual picture of what’s left of it. So that whole giving up sugar thing? That will have to wait until tomorrow. Hey, what can I say, I’m only human.