Sugar, and its related derivatives corn syrup, molasses, maltose, and dextrose, is found in many of the foods consumed in our modern life. This sweet substance is common, but can it really be considered addictive? Let’s look at how we become addicted to sugar, what sugar does to our bodies and health, where it can be found, and ways to end your love affair with sugar.

Most estimates put the average consumption of sugar between 20 and 30 teaspoons a day. While at first this may not seem that bad, it is worth noting that women should be consuming a maximum of six teaspoons a day and men should be consuming no more than nine teaspoons a day.

Sugar, much like alcohol, heroin, morphine, and cocaine, releases hormones in our brain that activates our “feel good” receptors. This means that sugar meets the same criteria as other addictive substances, resulting in a compulsion to consume, a gradual tolerance to its effects caused from continued use, difficulty functioning without it, and withdrawal symptoms when consumption ends.

We did not get to this place by chance. Due to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, sugar has become the easy way to get quick energy. After creating this repetitive behavior of not being active and then using sugar to get a quick jolt, over time our bodies become dependent on sugar and the addiction has set in.

This addiction creates a host of problems besides the obvious weight gain. Eating a diet high in sugar has been linked to kidney damage, heart disease, skin problems such as acne, diabetes, and cancer. Also, when you eat a diet high in sugar, those elevated levels of sugar will show up elsewhere such as your saliva and urine. This can create the prefect breeding grounds for yeast infections, which feed off of the same sugar we eat.

It is not just so-called “junk food” and other typically sweet foods like cake and ice cream that can be loaded with sugar. You may already be aware that fruit juices are full of sugar. This can happen because the FDA allows the words “no sugar added” to be used on products that contain fruit concentrate, which is essentially sugar.

Sugar can be found in just about every kind of food. Many of the foods on this list may surprise you:
 

• the breading or batter or crust on most prepared foods, especially those served at restaurants, often contain sugar
   
• hamburger sold in restaurants is often treated with corn syrup and molasses to prevent it from shrinking while it is being cooked
   
• canned salmon is often glazed with a solution made with sugar
   
• some animals may be fed sugar prior to being slaughtered because there have been claims that this improves the taste and color of the meat
   
• poultry from fast food restaurants is commonly injected with sugar or honey
   
• processed meats, like deli meats, bacon, and canned meats, are usually processed with sugar
   
• many brands of bouillon cubes not only contain high levels of sodium, but can be high in sugar as well
   
• peanut butter, ketchup, mustard, and other condiments often contain high fructose corn syrup

This list is not intended to be all-inclusive, but to give examples of foods you may think are safe from added sugar. No processed or restaurant food is safe from some form of sugar injection!

However, just because sugar is found in so many foods and has been linked to serious diseases, this does not mean it is completely evil and should be entirely avoided. You should, however, try to end your dependence on sugar.

Although kicking the habit will not be instantaneous, it is a completely feasible task. One way is to add more fresh fruit to your diet. Not only is it naturally sweet, but fruit will help add needed vitamins, nutrients, and fiber to your diet.

Another way to help kick your habit is to dilute your sugary beverages. Start by pouring just half a glass of your sugar laden beverage, such as juice, and fill the remaining half with something sugar free, such as Perrier or seltzer water.  This is an easy way to slowly decrease how much sugar you are consuming so it won’t seem as much of a shock to you.

Gradually, you can increase the amount of sugar free beverage until you reach a point where you no longer drink the sugary beverage at all. Don’t make the mistake of substituting one unhealthy ingredient for another – sugar-free often means chemical-filled, which can be just as bad for your health.

Finally, while going through this weaning process, you might find it helpful to take a supplement like chromium polynicotinate, which is chromium bonded with niacin (vitamin B3). Chromium polynicotinate has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels and energy production.

Getting away from your sugar-rich diet also depends on your everyday choices. Simply limiting how much sugar you bring into your house will help decrease how much of it you eat. Basically, you cannot eat sugar if it’s not there.

Ending your addiction to sugar also means you’ll need to avoid using as a way to placate your emotions. Simply put, if you tend to reach for sugary snacks when you are upset, do an activity that will take your mind off that craving. Call a friend, walk your dog, or listen to your favorite music – anything to switch your attention from reaching for something that will end up making you feel worse in the long run.

With all of this in mind, your love affair with sugar can be broken and you can live a long, healthy life where you don’t even miss what you now think you cannot live without.