An excerpt from Laura's upcoming book,
Reflective Journaling, A Guide to Personal and Spiritual Growth
Sugar cane, and all its relations, brown sugar, evaporated cane juice, raw sugar, organic sugar, corn syrup sweeteners, fructose, glucose, dextrose, maltose, etc, can be addicting. Not everyone who uses such sugars becomes addicted, just as not everyone who uses alcohol becomes addicted. What is so very sad, however, is that although so many know about alcohol addiction, so few know about sugar addiction. Sugar addiction is most likely the cause of the rising epidemic of obesity in America. Other health problems such as hypoglycemia, diabetes, and the host of food cravings that plague so many are probably related to refined sugars as well. Refined sugars are found in many, many foods. They are quietly hidden in salted peanuts and mayonnaise, and blatantly obvious in sodas and pastries. Manufacturers put it in there because they know their customers: sugar addicts.
Sugar is so very appealing because it gives us a sweet high. Upon ingestion, refined sugar enters the bloodstream rather quickly, which takes us soaring on a sugar high. During the sugar high the pancreas secretes large quantities of insulin to normalize the blood sugar, or glucose, level. Then, when the sugar has finished surging through our veins, we feel depleted, and we addicts crave nothing more than another jolt of the simple sweet stuff to balance all the insulin. Giving the body more sugar at this time only exacerbates the glucose swings from sugar highs to abysmal lows. The sugar high feels great! But the sugar low, anywhere from one to twelve hours after ingesting this sweet stuff, brings on the sugar blues.
Sugar blues can manifest through symptoms such as lethargy, irritability, headache, constant hunger, an inability to think clearly, and, of course, craving more sweets. On some level the body knows that refined sugars, and refined sugars alone, will remedy, at least temporarily, the feelings of fatigue, nervousness, and even nausea that can accompany the hypoglycemic doldrums. However, more refined sugars can and will tax the pancreas to exhaustion. Due to being overworked, the pancreas may eventually quit working, and this constitutes diabetes.
If you think you may be addicted to sugar, you probably are. As an experiment consider giving up all refined sugars for two months. See if you notice a difference. Look closely at labels and eliminate from your diet all products that contain processed sugars (dried cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, etc.) such as breads, juices, crackers, meats, ketchup, salad dressings, peanut butter, and even iodized salt (dextrose is a sugar often included in iodized salt). Eliminating refined sugars from your diet can be very challenging physically and emotionally, but the resultant strength and stamina are well worth it.
If you are reducing your use of, or even giving up refined sugars, you may want to consider alternative sweeteners. Brown rice syrup is a mild sweetener that is excellent for cooking and does not send the pancreas into overdrive. Pure maple syrup is another sweetening option, as is honey. I do not find these products to be addicting, although some people do, so experiment with them on yourself. I feel satisfied after using these sweeteners, unlike using refined sugar where I only crave more. Another alternative sweetener is stevia. Stevia is an herbal, non-caloric sweetener that is popular with many diabetics. Stevia cooks and stores well and does not affect blood sugar levels. I would avoid any other type of non-caloric sweetener, particularly those with polysyllabic chemical names. We really don’t know the full effects of these chemicals on the body, and so they should be avoided. The alternatives to processed sugars may seem expensive, but so is poor physical and mental health.
For more information on sugar addiction visit this site by Kathleen DesMaisons who wrote
The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program: www.radiantrecovery.com
