Cutting back on the sweet stuff can be hard! Sugar is an addiction, triggering the reward center of the brain. When we eat sugar, feel-good hormones are released, just like when we exercise or become addicted to drugs. Frequent sugar intake causes the brain to become less sensitive requiring higher amounts overtime to give you the same feel-good rush.
There are ways to help break the sugar cycle. Just as excess sugar rewired your brain in the first place, cutting back can reverse the dependence. Here are some things to be aware of when trying to cut back:
-added sugar is in over 70% of packaged foods
-sugar goes by many names such as anything ending in “-ose”
-liquid sugar will put you over the daily intake with just a single serving (this can include juice with added sugar)
To break the cycle:
-try preparing your own meals with whole foods and skip the packaged goods
-check labels, everything from breakfast cereals to BBQ sauce, to salad dressings and granola bars can be laden with added sugars
-stick to water or herbal teas, flavor with fresh fruit and herbs if you want something with flavor (mint or rosemary with lemon are delightful)
-cut back on the amount of sugar in your coffee, instead, try adding cinnamon
-avoid juice that isn’t fresh-pressed and unsweetened
“He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.” -Arabian Proverb