Your Body On Sugar

To give up sugar is probably one of the hardest things to do – I say probably because I’ve not tried yet. Though as I write this I am preparing for a sugar detox – but I digress. As much as I love health and wellness and giving my body the kind of nutrients it really needs and desires I’m sure I’m going to find kicking this habit quite the challenge.

Here’s the thing, I really do want to give it up, I mean it’s linked to a whole host of issues such as concentration problems, candida, energy crashes, even cancer. Sugar really is disastrous for our health. So, by now we know that this “sugar epidemic” is rampant as it is hidden in so many foods so you can be forgiven for thinking that giving up the white stuff is just never going to happen. But hang on a second… Even if you don’t manage to quit sugar even just reducing how much you consume is going to do you the world of good.

Is Sugar Really That Bad?

Do you want the bad news or the bad news? Yep, it really is that bad. See for a few decades now we’ve been led to believe that added fat was the problem, it’s not – it’s the added sugar. And the problem is, is added sugar is everywhere. Everything from ketchup to bread has sugars in the mix.

What does it do to your brain?

In short, it triggers an addictive cycle. Eating foods with sugar release a neurotransmitter in the brain called dopamine, this controls the reward and pleasure centre of the brain, just like other drugs you will build up a tolerance to sugar and over time you will need more and more to trigger that same response. This is how biological sugar addiction begins.

And because of this you will likely experience some nasty withdrawal symptoms. You have to think of it like other additions, when you remove the stimulus your body will start to crave it, during this time it’s vital that you remain strong and see it through. The withdrawal time would last about 2 weeks with the first 3 days being the hardest. Your body will start to detox by way of headaches, you may be more tired than usual and experience some mood shifts. Just think of it like this – this is the body’s way of ridding the demon. Once you pass this point you will begin to feel more normal again and eventually you will start to feel amazing.

Ok… maybe there is some good news

There is something you can do to reduce or help ease these side effects, so if you’re thinking of giving up completely then start out by reducing sugar gradually, this will make the transition so much easier on you. Same goes for simply cutting back, don’t go all in straight away slowly reduce over time. There may be some withdrawals depending on how much you’re used to having but they won’t be nearly as bad.