Sugar addiction
I’m going to be blunt… There is absolutely no nutritional benefit of traditional white sugar in our diet. Sugar addiction is dangerous and life threatening. No point in dressing this up and saying there’s no harm in a little daily treat, because there is!
Refined sugar is inflammatory and it is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease. It’s been linked to type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and alzheimer’s.
But many of us still indulge in sugary foods and refined carbs, living in the moment not facing the consequences or connecting the dots. Eat healthy be healthy, or live to eat and be aware that there will likely be consequences.
Any sugar, whether it’s brown or white releases dopamine, thus making it highly-addictive. I recommend that you avoid putting sugar and refined carbs in your shopping trolley. If you can do this, you will be healthier for it and it doesn’t take too long before you feel the many benefits, plus you’ll stop craving anything sweet. Drip feeding yourself sweet goods may just lead to an addiction creeping in again.
What if I make my own goodies?
Okay so If you like baking, then opt for a healthier alternative like date syrup, brown rice syrup, but be aware that this still raises your blood sugar, so don’t overdo it. If you want to stay super healthy make your own date paste or syrup.
Here are some examples of refined carbs to avoid.
Bread containing white flour
Pastries
Cakes
Breakfast cereal
White rice
There are great alternatives if you have a little or lot of sugar addiction, or you love refined carbs of course!
Make your own banana bread and other desserts. I can recommend a great app for healthy dessert and baked goods recipes called Forks over Knives. It costs a few pounds and is always being updated. You’ll find it within apple or google play.
Do I just look out for sugar on labels?
No you need to read labels carefully on any packaged food. Foods can have refined sugar in but it may not be obvious to you. Here are some ingredients to avoid:
Lactose
Corn syrup
Sucrose
Glucose
Fructose
Dextrose
Fruit juice concentrates
Jo x.
