Refusal of sugar and sweets. How Giving Up Sugar Changed My Brain. We become addicted to sugar

In 1822, the average person consumed about 45 grams of sugar every five days. Want to know how much sugar the average person consumes right now? 765 grams every five days. Simply put, as much as people did two hundred years ago, but only in seven hours instead of five days. People have taken what was once a luxury and made it into a food group of its own. No, rather, they have implemented it in all food products. And what changes would happen to the human body if it took a step back and began to consume as much sugar as its distant relatives?

You light up like Beyoncé

Glycation is the effect that sugar molecules have on the cells in your body. And do you know which cells are first exposed to this effect? The ones that make you look younger and more attractive. When proteins react with sugars, they lose color, become weaker and less elastic. This shows up on your skin as wrinkles, sagging, and loss of radiance.

You can clear your face of acne

Sugar also causes breakouts on the face. How? Sugar has the ability to weaken the immune system, and a weak immune system cannot fight bacteria, which in turn clog pores. And clogged pores are the first cause of acne.

Your fertility will increase

When Ellen Picton gave up sugar, dairy, processed foods, and alcohol, she wasn't trying to lose weight or achieve a slim waist. She was trying to become fertile. Ellen suffered from endometriosis since childhood, but at the age of 29 she met the love of her life and decided to take matters into her own hands. Following the advice of a colleague who also suffered from endometriosis, Ellen stopped eating sugar, and after three months of a brutal diet, she had a delay. And this time she had nothing to do with the disease. After years of doctors telling her that she couldn't have children, she conceived a child.

You will return your intimate life

A 2007 study found that eating too much sugar can turn off the gene that controls estrogen and testosterone levels in your body. Believe me, you definitely want this gene to be normal. If it is a little less than normal, excess testosterone and estrogen in your body can lead to infertility, polycystic disease and uterine cancer. If there is more of it, it will still disrupt the ratio of estrogen and testosterone in the body, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases in women. In men, low testosterone leads to flaccid muscles, belly fat, and reduced sex drive.

You will find harmony in the house

Swedish mom Anna Larson and her young daughter made headlines after Larson posted a story on social media about how she cut sugar from her five-year-old's diet. Up to this point, the girl ate only food containing sugar, and threw tantrums at any slightest provocation. What happened next? She became calm, fell asleep quickly in the evenings, did not want to watch TV, but wanted to do something useful.

Hello dear readers! Now that I am completely sugar free, I can tell you how I managed to give up sugar. To begin with, I’ll say that a year ago I couldn’t even last a day without sweets. In the morning, tea with three tablespoons of sugar, after a couple of hours a bar of chocolate, yogurt with jam or shortbread cookies.

I tried to limit myself, so after dinner I satisfied my need for sweets with fruits and berries and waited for the next day to eat another portion of my favorite treats.

As you can imagine, I had a real addiction. Are you happy with your sugar intake? In my opinion, this product brings only suffering and harm to our health. So why do we continue to eat unhealthy foods? Because sugar is a drug.

No one under normal circumstances would eat junk food, and we do because we are addicted. We live in a world where people drug themselves and their children on a daily basis.

Read on topic — .

Why did I give up sugar?

Initially, I refused sugar, because it was he who was the reason, she constantly became inflamed. Later, I learned that sugar causes a number of other side effects, get ready for a long list. So, sugar causes the following symptoms: unexplained fatigue, depression, anxiety, stomach and intestinal problems, namely bloating, diarrhea, constipation.

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There is an opinion that sugar has a detrimental effect on the body. For this reason, many tend to completely eliminate sweets from their diet. Doctors warn: it is absolutely impossible to do this, because it is in sweets that there are those useful substances that we often get less from other products. Nutritionist Elena Tolokonnikova Told what is fraught with for a person the rejection of sugar.

Sweet - the source of life?

What happens if you cut sugar out of your diet? Of course, your figure will become more slender, but other problems will appear. They may not show up right away. However, sooner or later they will show up anyway. “People who do not eat sweets have a significantly increased risk of arthritis and thrombosis,” the expert notes. - It has already been scientifically proven that the complete exclusion of sugar leads to diseases of the liver and spleen, deterioration of the brain. Sugar-free people develop memory problems with age.”

In addition, sweets affect a person's mood. Products that contain sugar contribute to the production of the hormone of joy, so those who eat exclusively “healthy food” are more prone to stress and depression.

Safe Desserts

Of course, you can not abuse sweets. If there are too many cakes and buns, this will lead to premature aging of the skin, obesity, deterioration of the teeth and bones, diseases of the cardiovascular system. But eating a piece of chocolate after dinner is even useful. And, if a piece of cake adds an extra centimeter to the waist, then marshmallows, dried fruits and candied fruits can be eaten without fear of gaining weight.

“Some consider sugar, like salt, to be white death,” says the nutritionist. - And, although this is not so, getting rid of stereotypes is quite difficult. In such cases, ordinary sugar can be replaced with cane sugar, it contains even more useful substances, such as iron, sodium, calcium. If you are trying to limit yourself in sweets, do not do it too harshly. When you are used to drinking tea with sugar and eating buns with jam, and then suddenly depriving yourself of this, you will begin to feel dizzy and even have headaches, your metabolism will be disturbed.

A little sweetness doesn't hurt!

Summarizing the above, we can conclude that sweets in moderation will not only not harm the body, but will also benefit, but the rejection of sweets is dangerous for a number of diseases. Therefore, if you want your joints not to hurt, your brain to work efficiently, and you yourself would always be in a good mood, allow yourself to eat a chocolate candy after dinner: you deserve it!

Cleansing your body of sugar is the best way to get rid of sugar addiction, which is 8 times stronger than cocaine. WHO recommends eating no more than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day, but most adults eat more than 22 tablespoons per day, and children even more - about 34. It is for this reason that adults, youth and children are increasingly facing obesity, prediabetes, diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, etc. Sugar is the true embodiment of sweet poison. This article explains why detoxing your body of sugar is so important, how to break your sugar addiction, and what you need to eat to get there. Read on!

Cleansing your body of sugar is a strategic plan to help break this addiction. With it, you can lower blood glucose levels, restore the old perception of food, improve blood lipid profile, brain and muscle function, and stop cravings for harmful foods.

Food will look more attractive, tastier and will fully satisfy physical and emotional hunger. To do this, you just need to control the amount of sugar consumed per day. Sounds good, right? As long as there is no confidence and motivation, addiction will be difficult to get rid of. Let's learn about the dangers that sugar is fraught with in order to give it up once and for all.

How Excess Sugar Affects the Body

Immediately after eating something sweet (ice cream, chocolate, cake or waffles), it becomes good for the soul. However, the effect of sugar on the body is not so harmless. Scientists have found that sugar affects the same nerve endings as psychoactive or addictive drugs.

Dr. James Dinicolantonio, in an interview with The Guardian magazine, said that "sugar is the most commonly consumed drug in the world, causing irreparable harm to the human body."

Why is sugar so bad? What does it do or what does its excess lead to? Here are the main risk factors for sweet lovers:

• Obesity - This is the first thing that all lovers of sweets will have to face. When there is a lot of sugar in the body, and the lifestyle remains inactive or completely sedentary, then sugar begins to accumulate in the body in the form of fat. First, in the form of subcutaneous, and then visceral, that is, around the internal organs. This moment is considered the beginning of the end of health and wellness.
• Pre-diabetes/Diabetes – high sugar levels lead to insulin resistance. Which in turn prevents the cells of the body from using the available glucose. A person wants more sweets, and the level of sugar in the blood rises very much. As a result, a person is faced with prediabetes and diabetes.
• Elevated LDL cholesterol - Excessive consumption of sugar leads to obesity, in which the level of bad cholesterol is constantly elevated. LDL cholesterol is deposited on the walls of blood vessels in the form of plaques, which increases the risk of heart attacks at times.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome and infertility - Polycystic ovary syndrome has become the norm for women of reproductive age. The main causes of this disease are an unhealthy lifestyle, including excessive consumption of sugars. This leads to obesity and insulin resistance, which in turn leads to hormonal imbalances in the body and the formation of cysts in the ovaries. Irregular periods, facial hair, and male pattern fat accumulation in the abdomen are symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome. If you do not start treatment on time, then it will lead to infertility.
• Depression - Think sugar makes life sweeter?! It turns out that this is not the case. Scientists have proven that excessive consumption of sweets leads to depression. The feeling of satisfaction does not last long, and the problems, as they were real, will remain so. In addition, excess weight will come to them, which is one of the main causes of depression and complexes in most women.

Temporary relief and satisfaction will not solve the problem, but only add to a whole range of physical and mental health problems.

Giving up sweets forever is not easy. Let's find out why quitting sugar is just as hard as quitting smoking.

Why is it hard to give up sugar?

If you are addicted to sugar, it will not be easy to get rid of it. A person becomes emotionally dependent on it, just like on cigarettes, alcohol and drugs, only in our case on chocolate, cake, candy or ice cream.

Suffering will be both physically and emotionally, especially in those moments when the body will require another portion of sweets. In an attempt to eliminate sugar from the diet, withdrawal symptoms such as headache, anger, physical pain, and mood swings can be present. All this can lead to the failure of the intended goal and the return to normal. How to force yourself not to eat sweet and starchy foods?

If you have a strong desire and motivation, nothing will stop you. The following 10 ways will help you cleanse your body of sugar and sugar addiction.

10 ways to stop eating sugar

1. Get rid of unnecessary products in the kitchen

As long as there are sweet temptations in the kitchen cabinets, refrigerator and other hidden places in the kitchen, the chances of reducing sugar cravings are nil. Out of sight all the sweets from home, especially pure sugar, the only way to cleanse your body of sugar, stop craving it and lose weight.

After that, there will be no choice but to switch to a low-calorie, low-sugar diet. And that will be the first step. Distribute unwanted food to those in need. Fill the empty space with fresh vegetables, fruits (low GI), nuts, legumes, lean meats, fish, eggs, skimmed milk, and yogurt.

2. Watch what you drink

When trying to kick your sugar addiction, watch what you drink. Packaged vegetable and fruit juices, sports drinks, and sodas are full of sugar.

You only think that you are drinking "fruit juice". Did you read on the packaging how much sugar it contains?! Instead, drink water, freshly squeezed vegetable/fruit juices, coconut water, buttermilk, and smoothies.

3. Eat protein with every meal

Proteins are difficult to digest, so they take longer to digest. This, in turn, fills the stomach for a long time, so at every meal, try to eat any source of lean protein.

For breakfast, you can eat eggs, yogurt or drink milk. You can snack on a few pistachios. For lunch, eat chicken breast, fish, mushrooms, lentils, or beans. If your stomach stays full longer, you're less likely to go to the kitchen in search of something sweet.

4. Healthy carbohydrates should be a mandatory part of the diet

Complex carbohydrates are considered useful. Fiber is a source of complex carbohydrates. It is found in vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts. Just like protein, complex carbohydrates should be included in all meals.

Dietary fiber saturates, serves as food for beneficial bacteria in the intestines, prevents the absorption of fat, enveloping it and removing it from the body. If you want something sweet, you can eat a piece of fruit or 4 almonds and pistachios. This will help take your mind off the sugar.

5. Healthy fats for body health

Healthy fats fight inflammation in the body, help the body lose weight, improve the appearance of the skin and brain function. They saturate the body and satisfy hunger, preventing uncontrolled attempts to find and eat something sweet.

Healthy sources of fat include olive oil, fish oil, sunflower seed oil, peanut oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, avocado, chia seed oil, and rice bran oil. Try to consume these foods in moderation. Avoid canola oil, animal fats, butter, margarine, hemp oil.

6. Snack right

Snacks are extremely important. They support metabolism and prevent feelings of weakness and fatigue.

Snacks include low-glycemic fruits, carrots or hummus, green tea, coffee, bran cookies, berry yogurt, or homemade health bars.

7. Less stress - more rest

Usually stress eats. This means that if there are experiences, irritability, depression, then the body will require sweets to improve well-being.

The problem will not be solved by itself, or at least not with the help of sugar. Weight gain will begin, which will add a bunch of complexes and health problems. You need to understand what is the source of negative emotions and experiences. Maybe it's related to work, a friend or girlfriend, or a change of residence? If there is a source of stress, the problem will be eliminated, and with it the desire to eat sweets.

8. Get enough sleep

Poor sleep quality or lack of sleep leads to obesity and increased stress levels. You need to sleep at least 6 hours a day. Sleep helps flush out toxins from the body, prevents stress-binding, and improves overall health.

9. Do mixed workouts

Emotional stress eating will go away once you start exercising. Exercise is needed not only to reduce stress levels, but also to get rid of excess sugar that is stored in your body as fat.

Train 3 times a week for cardio and 2 times a week for strength training. This will help you lose fat and gain muscle mass, as well as look leaner, fitter and wean yourself from the habit of eating sweets.

10. Avoid Foods That Cause Allergies

Foods that cause an allergic reaction or to which you have an intolerance increase the workload and stress levels in the body. There is an urgent desire to chew something or have a snack with something sweet. Therefore, try to stop eating everything that comes to hand.

These were proven ways to get rid of sugar addiction. It remains only to bring them to life and wean yourself from the sweet. Don't worry, below is a meal plan that will make it easier to wean from sugar. All you need to do is follow step 1 (get rid of unnecessary products in the kitchen) and follow this plan.

Weekly meal plan to cleanse the body of sugar

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Benefits of cutting out sugar

• Helps to lose weight;
• The level of sugar in the blood decreases;
• Prevents hypertension;
• The lipid profile of the blood improves;
• Reduces stress and fatigue;
• Sleep improves;
• Gives a charge of energy and activity;
• The risk of developing diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, etc. is reduced.

Get rid of any source of sugar in your home. Slowly but surely move towards your goal. Eat sensibly and exercise regularly to stop eating sweets forever and improve your physical and mental health. Take care of yourself!

Sugar is the drug of the 21st century.

They say that it is as addictive as drugs ... But is it?

The terms "sugar addiction" and "sugar withdrawal" may sound too pretentious, but in reality they are real states of the human brain and body.

Saying "no" to chocolate, ice cream or other sweets is sometimes too difficult than it seems at first glance.

If you want to learn about sugar addiction and what to do about it, and if you are trying to give up sugar, then read this article to the end. We will tell you about:

What is sugar withdrawal

According to Wikipedia, abstinence is a mental and physical state, a voluntary volitional rejection of something, the suppression of any desires in oneself for a certain period of time or throughout life.

Food is defined as a "natural reward". To survive as a species, we experience pleasure when we do vital things like food or sex. This, in turn, involves repeating these actions repeatedly.

Even rational and calm people struggle with their emotions and behavior when they have to deprive themselves of something.

And quitting sugar is hard. When you eat what you like, but you know it's bad, and you have to stop yourself, the task becomes impossible.

This is because sugar has a number of unique properties that make it so desirable.

Sugar intake stimulates the release of dopamine in the brain, just like drugs do. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (known as the “addiction hormone”) that regulates addiction and creates a feeling of immediate gratification. The same hormone is released when using drugs, alcohol, after sex or shopping.

If you consume sugar often and in large quantities, the sensitivity of dopamine receptors in the brain decreases. This means that you will need even more sweets to activate these receptors and feel satisfied again.

What factors influence the process of addiction

There are three main factors that affect how dependent you are on sugar. These include:

1. Duration Chances are you've been consuming sugar most of your life so far. This has a serious impact on addiction, because the body has long been accustomed to it. The more time you have been eating sweets, the harder it will be to give them up later.
2. Quantity - how much sugar and confectionery do you eat per day? The more sweets you eat, the harder it will be to give them up.
   Russians on average consume 100 grams of sugar every day (assuming that the norm is 25 grams per day). This is equivalent to 36 kg of sugar per year! Please note that only one century ago, the use of this product in our country was 2 kg per year (34 kg less)!
   So beware! Don't start the day with sugary cereal, because after that you are supposed to sweeten your coffee, have a croissant or donut for lunch, and add a sweetened fizzy drink to it ... And before you feel like you overdid it with sugar, he jumped already higher norms.
3. Individual psychology Some people are easily tempted and seduced, which makes them more susceptible to addiction. It depends on various factors such as:
   Heredity Genes play a big role in addiction. It was found that 60% of alcoholics have other relatives with alcohol addiction in their family.
   Social environment If there is a lot of sugar around you, it will be harder for you to give it up.
   mental problems- If you suffer from anxiety or depression, the chance of becoming addicted to sugar is higher.

11 withdrawal symptoms after quitting sugar

Most of you will not experience all 11 of the symptoms we list (you are more likely to experience 3 or 4 of them), but you should know what to expect. Here they are:

• Uncontrollable cravings for sweets

The most obvious. However, if you continue to be disciplined and strong, you will eventually get to the point where the hunger disappears.

• lack of energy

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that brings readily available energy to the brain. Unfortunately, if your body is used to it, it expects you to give it "fast fuel". Therefore, initially, while the body is adjusting, it is normal to feel tired.

• Anxiety and restlessness

You already know that eating sugar leads to a spike in dopamine levels. When you stop providing instant gratification through sugary foods, dopamine levels will temporarily drop, which can cause anxiety.

• Dizziness

In more severe cases, there are complaints of dizziness. This happens only in the most sensitive people. Most of those who refuse do not experience dizziness.

• impulsive behavior

This aspect of addiction is well known to you if you have tried to give up alcohol or cigarettes. Quitting sugar can have a similar effect on self-control.

• Insomnia

Lack of something you are used to can affect your sleep - you may fall asleep at unusual hours or be unable to fall asleep at late hours.

• Depression

Under certain circumstances, you can fall into a temporary depressive state when you refuse sweets. The very fact that something gave you pleasure (albeit artificially), and now it is not, is sufficient.

• Headache

This may be due to the stress you feel in trying to overcome yourself rather than giving up on sugar or metabolism.

• Boredom

For some of us, desserts have become a "well-deserved reward" - when they are no longer on the menu, a feeling of boredom can appear (at least in the early days).

• Anger and irritability

If you suddenly stop eating sugar, you may become irritable. Of course, it is not pleasant for everyone and everything to get annoyed, for no reason, but this condition also passes relatively quickly - within a few weeks.

• Changes in weight

Most people notice that they lose weight after giving up sugar - and this is more than normal. There is no diet where you can eat excessive amounts of sugar.

Other secondary symptoms that may be noticed are muscle pain, nausea, chills, excessive sweating, and strange dreams.

How long does it take for these symptoms to resolve? Some people don't feel like they're going through a withdrawal period at all, others get through it within a few days, and still others take a month to feel normal again.

Important: do not think about these symptoms to stop from giving up sweets. Once again - do not forget that they are strictly individual, and the likelihood that you will experience them is negligible.

In the next section, we will tell you how to handle them as simply as possible...

How to deal with withdrawal symptoms as easily as possible

To start with, if you've been consuming a lot of sugar up until now, it might not be a good idea to suddenly cut it out.

This can cause severe symptoms. Instead, gradually reduce your intake of sweets - the gradual adaptation will be perceived by your body more easily.

Other tips focus mainly on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Follow these steps and you will feel better:

• Try to sleep well

Lack of sleep can only exacerbate withdrawal symptoms and irritability. Learn the rules for great sleep here.

• Drink plenty of water

In addition to being hydrating and detoxifying, water helps regulate your appetite. So it will be easier for you to control the feeling of hunger over sweets. Drink at least 2 liters of water per day. More tips on fluid intake are available here.

• Exercise Regularly

This will activate your brain for more useful activities, energize and make you more calm. Dopamine levels also rise during exercise, but this time in a healthy way!

• Take vitamins and minerals

Get enough vitamin C, chromium and magnesium. If you do not know which foods contain these vitamins, and all this seems very difficult to you, take them as dietary supplements.

• Clear out pastry cabinets

Don't give yourself a reason to be tempted. To make it easier for you, remove everything that can be encroached upon in a moment of weakness. Instead of junk food, get healthy.

Bonus tip: don't go to extremes. Don't make your life harder than necessary. After 6-8 weeks, you will overcome your hunger for sweets, and you will be able to afford it from time to time. If you are a guest and they offer you a homemade dessert, try or even eat a whole piece. Just remember that this should be on special occasions, not every day. You won't get anything from one piece of cake until it becomes a habit again.

Should You Quit Sugar Completely?

And if you are still wondering if all this effort is worth it, we will share just a part of what can cause excessive sugar consumption:

• Sugar increases the risk of cancer
• Sugar increases inflammation in the body
• Sugar increases the risk of cardiovascular disease
• Sugar does not contain vitamins and minerals
• Sugar can cause insulin resistance - the first step to diabetes
• Due to its effect on the brain and hormonal balance, excessive sugar intake leads to obesity.

Finally

As you can see, sweet food is not accidental, it is so addictive. We hope you found the information and tips that we shared with you helpful.

The process of refusal is not easy, but believe me - it's worth it! It's never too late to move towards a healthier lifestyle. Put health first.

Be on the move!