Overview of Sugar Addiction
Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving interactions among brain circuits, the environment, individual experiences, and genetics. People who experience addiction engage in harmful practices that become compulsive and often continue, notwithstanding the negative consequences. An individual addicted to sweets constantly eats to combat boredom and becomes hyper. A clear indication of sugar addiction is the consumption of large amounts of food or drinks containing sugar.
Various strategies can be implemented to reduce sugar intake. Implementing the strategy can lead to changes that are both challenging and beneficial. Multiple techniques and treatment approaches are used in curbing the addiction to sugar. Support structures provide the help needed to avoid sugar-craving habits.
Strategies to Curb Addiction to Sweets
There are several ways to tame sugar cravings; one is to drink enough water. Regular water consumption is an excellent alternative to sugary drinks, as it helps with feelings of fullness, which in turn prevents snacking on sugary foods and snacks. An inadequate amount of glycogen in the body can lead to sugar cravings as a means of boosting energy, indicating a need for increased water consumption throughout the day.
Eating regularly is another way of curbing the addiction to sweets. Waiting for more extended periods before eating can lead to consuming sugary foods. Eating every 3 to 5 hours helps stabilize blood sugar, thereby avoiding irrational eating behaviors (Lawton et al., 2019).
Going for a walk or a run can help create distance from sugary foods and release endorphins, reducing sugar cravings. Exercising can also serve as a healthy alternative to sugar cravings. This occurs because exercise and addiction to sugar work on similar parts of the brain as they activate the brain’s reward pathway, which releases dopamine and serotonin.
Portion control is also another effective way of curbing the addiction to sweets. One way to exercise portion control is to buy sugary foods in single-serving sizes. Examples of portion control include mixing half a regular soda with half a diet soda or water and using a sauce made half with tomatoes and half with sugar-added sauce.
Other examples of portion control include adding one tablespoon of sugar instead of two tablespoons in tea and eating half a carton of sweetened yogurt and half a carton of plain yogurt. Enjoying a small amount of sugary foods can help avoid feelings of deprivation. Making rules around dessert helps prevent unruly eating. For instance, a person can plan to have desserts only on certain days of the month, on weekends, or at restaurants. Cutting down on desserts will lead to a reduction in cravings.
Changes When Cutting Down on Sugar
Reducing sugar can lead to weight loss due to decreased caloric intake. Lower calorie intake and body weight improve cholesterol and lower triglycerides. Besides encouraging weight loss, reducing sugar intake can improve various aspects of health, including blood sugar levels and overall health, including heart, liver, and dental health. A person may experience a drastic change in mood if their body is addicted to sugar. The more sugar a person consumes, the better they feel temporarily, but when they stop eating sugar altogether, the body undergoes withdrawal, which is unpleasant for the brain.
The body may feel cranky and irritable while cutting down on sugar intake. Sugar also causes inflammation in the skin and hastens the skin’s aging process. Diets high in refined sugar, such as candy bars, cakes, and cookies, can increase insulin levels, which in turn trigger inflammation in the skin. A high sugar intake leads to the production of AGEs (advanced glycation end products), which are linked to the acceleration of the skin’s aging process (Asadipooya et al., 2019).
Eating less sugar will help the immune system function in the way it was designed. Chronic inflammation, caused by high sugar consumption, weakens the immune system, making people more susceptible to diseases such as colds and flu. Low sugar intake is also attributed to a better sleeping regime, as sugar disrupts sleep and leads to increased stress levels.
Foods high in sugar increase the stress hormone, which is a culprit in poor-quality sleep and decreases the chances of restorative sleep. Eating desserts can make a person feel better in a short period of time, but over the long run, a person can experience mental health issues. Too much sugar intake is linked to depression, as the function of the brain is negatively impacted.
Reducing the amount of sugar can make an individual feel lighter, brighter, and happier. One of the causes of type 2 diabetes is overeating sugar. Consuming too much sugar can lead to elevated blood sugar levels, which can contribute to insulin resistance over time and impact the liver, pancreas, and other organs in the body.
Challenges and Benefits Experienced when Curbing Sugar Intake
When cutting down on sugar intake, a person may experience mental and physical challenges. One of the mental challenges is depression caused by a decrease in dopamine release (Somayaji et al., 2020). Anxiety is another challenge leading to nervousness, restlessness, and irritability.
Changes in sleep patterns are also seen when detoxing from sugar intake. A person may also experience cognitive issues that make it difficult to concentrate, leading to a memory lapse. Physical challenges experienced from sugar withdrawal include dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. Benefits of curbing sugar intake include weight loss, a decreased risk of diabetes, a lower risk of depression, increased energy, and improved skin health.
Sugar Addictive Behavior
Several sugar-addictive behaviors, such as bingeing, withdrawal, cravings, and cross-sensitization, are related to neurochemical changes in the brain. Bingeing is the escalation of intake at one time, usually voluntary abstinence or forced deprivation (Cassin et al., 2020). Enhanced sugar intake may result from sensitization and tolerance to the sensory properties of repeated delivery. The withdrawal becomes evident when sugar is no longer available or is chemically blocked. Withdrawal from sugar causes depression, anxiety, brain fog and cravings, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches (Rodda et al., 2020).
Cravings are intense, urgent, or abnormal desires toward something. Cravings increase the efforts to obtain a substance of abuse due to addiction and abstinence. Cravings are associated with extreme motivation, which is measured using operant conditioning. The push to obtain sugar incubates with the length of the abstinence.
Behavioral sensitization is a neuro-adaptive process characterized by increased specific behavior after repeated exposure. Sugar intake leads to neurobiological brain function changes, affecting subsequent behavior and emotional states. When we eat sweet foods, the mesolimbic dopamine system is activated. Dopamine is a brain chemical released by neurons that signals a joyous event. When the mesolimbic dopamine system is activated, it reinforces behaviors, thus making it likely for a person to carry out these actions again.
Theoretical Model of Sugar Addiction
As obesity rates continue to increase, the notion that overconsumption reflects food addiction has become very influential. A popular theory that has emerged is that sugar acts as an addictive agent, thus eliciting neurobiological changes similar to those in drug addiction. Two other significant theories that are thought to lead to obesity are a sedentary lifestyle and the variety and ease of inexpensive foods.
Recent research suggests that processed foods are addictive, and the hedonic mechanisms (pleasure-seeking pathways) help in the pathogenesis of obesity. The study indicates that the focus on calorie counting is misguided and that dietary quality and hormonal regulation of metabolism should be emphasized (Schulte et al., 2018). The nutrition transition theory describes a global trend towards a “Western diet” containing refined foods high in sugar and low in fiber.
Ways in Which Sugar Addiction Is Reinforced
One of the ways a person can lessen the consumption of foods high in sugar is by not getting enough sleep. Raising the total bedtime duration by an hour can help make better and healthier food choices. Poor sleep leads to more sugar cravings, which affects general health.
Not knowing the difference between cravings and hunger can lead to overconsuming sugary foods (Reents et al., 2020). The only way for a person to differentiate between a craving and hunger is by asking themselves: if the only thing they had to eat right now was a banana, would they eat it or not? If the answer is “no,” that is a craving, not hunger.
A person can also reinforce sugar intake by adding a dessert after every meal. Desserts include cakes, cookies, pastries, custards, and biscuits, which are highly concentrated in sugar. Avoiding desserts during every meal can significantly reduce the intake of calories. Binge eating is also another way of reinforcing sugar intake. Consuming large quantities of sweets and desserts in a short period of time can strengthen the addiction to sugar and make it hard to stop.
Treatment and Strategy Approach in Curbing Sugar Addiction
There are various ways of strategizing to approach the addiction to sweets, including desserts. One of the strategies is combining sugary foods with healthy foods, such as mixing almonds with chocolate chips. Combining healthy foods will soothe cravings and help you get beneficial nutrients.
Adding proteins to a carb-rich breakfast can help reduce activity in the region of the brain associated with cravings. An example of adding protein to a meal is serving cereal with Greek yogurt or eggs on the side. Creating structure by aiming to fill a plate with protein, vegetables, fiber, and healthy fat helps to stay full, thus eliminating sugar.
Another strategy that can significantly aid in reducing sugar intake is setting a goal to drink more water daily. Water is an excellent substitute for soft drinks such as cola, which contain a large amount of sugar (Park et al., 2019). Drinking a lot of water can help suppress appetite and make a person feel full.
A practical treatment approach to reducing sugar addiction is taking a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement, vitamin D3, and omega-3 fatty acids. A deficiency in nutrients can worsen cravings, thus increasing the intake of sugar. Doing a detox can also reset an appetite and decrease sugar cravings. Being open to exploring emotional issues surrounding a sugar craving can also help to curb sugar intake.
Support Structures that Help in Sugar Addiction and Their Importance
Various support structures can help reduce the intake of sugar. One of the support structures is the 12-step program, which is almost similar to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), except the substance of abuse is different (Kelly et al., 2020). The program is free and usually available worldwide to help people with sugar addiction. Other support structures that can help with sugar cravings are Overeaters Anonymous (OA), Food Addicts Anonymous (FAA), Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA), and Gamers Anonymous (GSA).
Support structures are important because they help people realize they are not alone. This realization brings about a sense of relief by making a person understand that others have similar concerns. People can express their feelings, which can be therapeutic and healing. In addition to being free to express oneself, one can learn helpful information from people who share their success stories and the strategies that helped them move forward in their recovery. An increase in self-understanding is also an essential aspect of support structures, as it helps to cope with and handle sugar addiction. Support structures also help reduce distress by allowing individuals to work through various issues and concerns.
Support structures are also important because they help a person remain hopeful. When an individual can see others who are further along in their recovery journey and who have changed their lives to become healthier and happier, they become motivated. When a person sees that recovery is attainable, their hope is renewed. In addition to gaining hope, a person can also impact the lives of others by helping them in their recovery. Others will gain knowledge by learning from the successes and mistakes of everyone who has gone through the same situation.
References
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Cassin, S., Leung, S., Hawa, R., Wnuk, S., Jackson, T., & Sockalingam, S. (2020). Food addiction is associated with binge eating and psychiatric distress among post-operative bariatric surgery patients and may improve in response to cognitive behavioral therapy. Nutrients, 12(10), 2905. Web.
Kelly, J. F., Humphreys, K., & Ferri, M. (2020). Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12‐step programs for alcohol use disorder. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3). Web.
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Rodda, S. N., Booth, N., Brittain, M., McKean, J., & Thornley, S. (2020). I was truly addicted to sugar: A consumer-focused classification system of behavior change strategies for sugar reduction. Appetite, 144. Web.
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Somayaji, M., Cataldi, S., Choi, S. J., Edwards, R. H., Mosharov, E. V., & Sulzer, D. (2020). A dual role for α-synuclein in facilitation and depression of dopamine release from substantia nigra neurons in vivo. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(51), 32701-32710. Web.