Sugar – The New Dietary Demon

I think it’s safe to say that no one here gorges on sugar and junk food because they simply aren’t aware of its ill effects. We all know very well what it is and what it does to us, and yet we order a large coke with our cheese fries and burger, because we simply cannot resist.

Addiction to sugar is nothing new, nor is the knowledge of its degrading effects on the body. However, it’s the biggest dietary demon of today and for good reason too! Everyday there’s about a hundred articles and ads everywhere, telling you why you need to quit sugar and why it’s unhealthy and what it does to you. But the truth is, we don’t need anyone telling us what we already know. What we need is to understand our own mechanism and how sugar works in our system, so we can learn to control it!

But say what we may, sugar isn’t going away anytime soon! So, what makes sugar what it is? What makes it so addictive that we simply cannot stop at just one cookie? Or after a single bite of that chocolate bar? Here are a few reasons why sugar is demonized today and what you can do to help yourself;

Sugar, Sugar Everywhere

I think by now, you know very well that sugar is in almost everything you consume, from that obvious sweetness of that second can of soda, to the very salty fries that you’ve been munching on lately. Sugar isn’t just “sweet” anymore; it is an addition (albeit unnecessary) to everything we consume. As basic biology will tell you, sugar or “sweet” gives the sense of pleasure to your body and causes you to crave it more. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out then, that the widespread prevalence of so many lifestyle disorders today is because of an unconscious consumption of sugar.

Chronic Stress

This is the underlying culprit you wouldn’t even think of! The reason your body can’t stop craving sugar is because your stress levels are probably through the roof! You probably know something called “emotional eating”, which immediately conjures up the image of chocolates, ice creams, and the love for starchy food. Cut out the stress and you’ll probably lessen your cravings.

Borderline Drug Addiction

Sugar is addictive. Anyone who knows anything also knows that addiction is damaging. Sugar, like most abusive drugs, causes the levels of dopamine (a neurotransmitter which helps neurons to send signals from the brain) to spike high giving you a feeling of instant euphoria and gratification which causes you to seek the drug more. This is why the “moderation” part of it isn’t very effective because you’re still likely to get addicted to it.

Hinders Cognition

Supported by much backed up research, sugar affects the cognitive and behavioral development of children. It’s also agreed upon by parents who see a noticeable change in their child’s functioning after cutting out more than 50% of artificial sweeteners from their diet.

Silent Killer

Salt is what we’re all told to avoid but its sugar that causing your slow decay. One study also found that sugar does as much damage to the liver as alcohol and that’s all the reason you need to know why it’s the demon in your day to day diet.