Do You Have a Sugar Addiction?
By Sara Butler
Most people don’t think of food as an addiction, but it certainly can be. Sugar is in a lot of things you eat, and you may not even know it. So, how do you know if you’re addicted to sugar? Well, there are some signs that can clue you into the fact that you need to keep closer tabs on the amount of sugar you eat in a day and here are just a few.
How Much Sugar Should You Have?
The American Heart Association endorses that men have around 45 grams of sugar per day while women have about 30 grams. But how much sugar, on average, are people eating a day? Try 100 grams!
This is a problem since sugar consumption has been linked to several health problems, including:
- Hypertension
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
How to Know if You Are Addicted
Sugar releases feel-good chemicals in your brain, which may make you crave it and can lead to what can be characterized as an addiction. So, how do you know if your sugar consumption is a problem for you? Here are a few indicators.
- You eat more sugary food than you mean to – Have you ever promised yourself that you’re only going to have one slice of chocolate cake, but end up eating more? A lot more? If this is a common issue for you, then you just might have a problem with sugar. You should ask yourself why it is in these scenarios that you want whatever sugary food you are eating.
- You crave the carbs – When you indulge in too many simple carbohydrates, your body will start to crave more of them. This is because these carbs will turn into sugar really quick once your body digests them and will fill your need for sugar. Foods such as white rice, white bread, croissants, and pastries are examples of simple carbs.
- You crave salty foods or meat – When you’re healthy, your body will want balance, so if you eat a lot of salty foods or animal products your body will want sugar in order to balance it out. That craving works both ways – eating too much sugar will cause you to crave salty foods or meat and a cycle is born.
Being aware that you potentially have a problem with sugar is the first step. After that, you need to take steps to control how much sugar you’re eating and overcome your sugar addiction!