Sweet is the first taste most babies experience, through the sweetness of mother's milk or sweetened formula. Right from the start that sweet taste is associated with feelings of love, security and safety. It's no wonder sugar is one of the top food cravings.

Sugar is a billion dollar business. Companies spend good money on marketing and research to get just the right amount of sweetness to make you want more. Sugar is added to 74% of packaged foods. Sugar is in your cereals, your soups, sandwich meats, your pastas sauces, everywhere you look you'll find sugar. With more people looking for sugar on labels, they have come up with new and interesting ways to label sugar in your products. There are 61 different names they can use for sugar. Here are some of the more common ones: corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrates, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, lactose, maltose, malt syrup, raw sugar, sucrose, sugar syrup, cane crystals, cane sugar, crystalline fructose, evaporated cane juice, corn syrup solids, malt syrup.

What is sugar doing to your body?

Sugar (sucrose) is a carbohydrate. Sugars and starches (breads, pasta, white potatoes) are broken down into single units of glucose, fructose and galactose during digestion. These are easily absorbed into the blood stream and used for energy by the body and brain. So we do need some sources of carbohydrates to fuel the body. If we do not get enough carbohydrates, the body must use stored fat to burn as fuel. This is harder for the body to do, and may lead to fatigue and lethargy simply because the body cannot adequately fuel the body. This is why a very low carb diet can decrease the metabolism. Prolonged low carb diets can also cause hormonal changes.

So if the body needs carbohydrates, why should we cut out sugar?

Complex carbohydrates such as whole grain products, vegetables, fruits, beans and legumes are a much healthier source of carbohydrates. These are digested at a much slower rate and contain lots of minerals, vitamins and enzymes that the body needs. Processed sugar contains zero minerals and vitamins and is very quickly digested and taken into the bloodstream. That's the "sugar buzz" some people feel.

Negative effects of too much sugar:

Sugar is bad for your teeth, it feeds the bacteria in your mouth that contribute to cavities.
Sugar also feeds the bad bacteria in your gut and can lead to Candida overgrowth.
Sugar can impair your memory and ability to learn. Ask any teacher on the day after Halloween!
Sugar consumption stresses the liver. The liver converts excess fructose into fat and sends it out into the body for storage. However not all of the fat can be dispersed and some will stay in the liver causing Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Keep in mind that this is not fructose from fruit.
Excess sugar consumption can lead to insulin resistance, which leads to Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes. Eating sugar doesn't fill you up, it encourages you to eat more.
Sugar depresses the immune system. Each time you eat sugar you immune system cannot work as effectively for several hours.
Sugar is the ideal fuel for cancer cells. Cancer feeds on sugar.
Sugar causes inflammation in the body. That inflammation can increase symptoms of asthma, fibromyalgia, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, hypertension, increased cholesterol levels, Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Sugar is highly addictive. Sugar stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain causing the release of dopamine. Studies have shown that sugar can be just as addictive as cocaine. Due to these addictive qualities, complete abstinence from sugar may be the best solution for a lot of people.

Sugar alternatives

Do you use artificial sweeteners or low calorie alternatives to help curb your sugar craving? Unfortunately that may be back firing on you.

Each time you eat something sweet, as soon as that sweet taste is on your tongue the body releases insulin. If you are using artificial sweeteners, or low calorie sweeteners then there is not enough sugar to balance the insulin that is released. That drives the body to increase the appetite, making you need to eat more to balance that insulin. That is why many studies have found that using artificial sweeteners is actually increasing obesity rather than decreasing it.

My personal choice for sweeteners is raw local honey, maple syrup, molasses and dates. I use these in my baking, cooking and just about anywhere else I need a little sweetness. These still provide the sweet flavour, but also contain a multitude of micro minerals, vitamins and other nutrients that the body can use. Processed white sugar does not have any of these. However they are not low calorie, and should be used in moderation as with all sweeteners.

Love

Now let's go into the psychology of it, because I do love psychology. Why is sugar such an obsession? I don't think it's just the physical response that drives people to crave sugar, it goes deeper than that. Sugar makes you feel good by stimulating the pleasure centers of the brain. I think that so many people are substituting sugar for seeking true pleasure in real life.

Let's look a little deeper at that. What is pleasure? It doesn't have to be a "dirty" word. Pleasure can be the simple things. Music, art, scents, textures can all be very pleasurable. The feeling of sunshine on your face. The sound of a baby's giggle. The warmth of an embrace. The problem is we need to slow down and pay attention to enjoy it. We need to be present in the moment to experience the pleasure of those little things.

So when you reach for those cookies, cakes and sweets are you really craving sugar or are you craving the love, attention, or connection that is missing somewhere else in your life?

In our busy modern lives how is it that we have come so far and yet seem to be lacking those vital connections, to pleasure, to each other, to love?

Homeopathic Sugar Remedy

It's not surprising that when we look at the homeopathic remedy made from sugar cane, some of the main themes are lack of love, jealousy, want of connection, hyperactivity, fatigue, lethargy, eating disorders and more. In my practice I have used homeopathic sugar remedy in cases of behavioural problems, ADD, Autism and eating disorders.

Ready for a Change?

If you are ready to change your relationship with sugar, pop over to my Facebook page and join me for a free 2 week sugar detox plan. More details to follow.

Has this article changed how you look at sugar? I'd love to hear from you.

Much love,

Lisa

The information provided here is for educational purposes only. For treatment please seek a qualified health care provider.