Addiction to Sugar

"If you think you are addicted to sugar, you probably are.  The average American consumes a whopping 23 teaspoons of added sweeteners daily." Greg Hottinger, MPH, RD

Wow.  23 teaspoons of added sweeteners?!?  He goes on to say this is people who drink a mocha frappuccino in the morning, eat a pastry later, and have a soft drink to stay awake in the afternoon.  It even includes those people who consider themselves healthy eaters who consume dark chocolate, honey drizzled on muesli, and eat flavored Greek yogurt (which has sweeteners).  Greg Hottinger says that it is as easy to be addicted to sugar as it is to alcohol, nicotine or cocaine.  The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6-9 teaspoons daily of added sugar (6 for women and 9 for men).  High sugar intake adversely affects day-to-day brain function, in addition to adding weight.

Hottinger recommends these 4 steps to eliminate sugar:
1.  Understand that sugar is addictive,  You build a tolerance for sugar (as you do other addictive substances), which means you need more and more of it to feel good.
2.  Make a clean break.  You can restore the dopamine receptors in your brain by stopping the eating of refined sugar.  He says it takes 3-4 weeks to detox.
3.  Boost your brain in natural ways, such as, eating healthier, exercising regularly and practicing stress reduction.  Meditation also can help restore brain function.
4.  Let 80/20 work for you.  Make at least 80% of your eating and drinking choices healthy; leaving 20% for some wiggle-room splurges.