I can remember loving that mug of hot chocolate in the morning or on a cold winter night as a kid. Flavorful, delicious, sweet and sweet with that deep rich chocolate flavor to die for. My sweet tooth was sure to be satisfied, at least for a while. It no longer surprises me when my diet is loaded with sugary carbs and my waistline bulges a little. My blood sugar is rising and I’m no longer burning fat at the cellular level like I normally would. I am now accumulating fat around my stomach, just like all those people who overeat, make poor diet choices and rarely exercise. Your dietary habits, including your daily calorie intake, and your exercise routine make a big difference in determining your height.
How many people do you know who are addicted to or strongly attracted to carbohydrates? You can add me to that group because the more bad carbs (refined and laced with sugar) I eat, the more I crave them. Afterwards I feel lethargic and uninspired to do many things. When I limit my sugar I am so much more balanced. Not to mention that I can lose significant weight by balancing my blood sugar. I just finished reading an article where author Ryan Andrews stopped eating dessert and “extra sugar” for a whole year. That’s pretty amazing considering how easily carbohydrates are made available to us. I’m not sure I’d want to give up dessert for a whole year, but I respect the fact that someone can resist dessert and added sugar for a whole year. Fruits and veggies are great, but would you really want to be that disciplined or low-key for a whole year? Ryan Andrews has achieved something very few will ever attempt.
Mr. Andrews who wrote:the article: Sugar Daddy: A Year Without Desserts says he hasn’t even missed desserts after the 1st month. So Ryan stayed on his path for another 11 months, also refusing desserts for holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. Ryan also walked away with some powerful lessons on how to say no to dessert. The obvious lesson is that desserts are addictive. I could have made a wild guess at this nugget, but some of the other interesting takeaways include:
1) We don’t eat sugar “in moderation”. Our society primarily ingests “processed garbage”. Most of it is in the form of refined flour/sugar. Ryan says, “Nearly 90% of the high-carb foods we consume are highly processed.” We don’t just eat crap; We’re generally full of crap from our large intakes of refined and sugar-based carbohydrates.
2) “It’s hard to get fat eating whole foods, especially plant foods.” In fact, after a few months without dessert, Ryan unintentionally lost weight. Mr. Andrews says he just wasn’t that hungry, so you might also be surprised at how your appetite changes after you’ve given up dessert for a while. Sugar is known to stimulate and stimulate appetite; I think we can all see that in our lives. When we open the floodgates to sugar, we usually crave and wish for more, right?
3) Ryan Andrews also noticed that some foods just got too sweet for him. His taste buds were “recalibrated” and Ryan didn’t want sweet food that much. I notice that myself when I tame the sweet stuff. Foods with “added sugar” tasted like candy, but his friends, who still ate desserts, couldn’t tell the difference. Foods with “added sugar” tasted perfectly normal to his sugar-eating friends. Ryan’s point is that if you eat sugar all the time, you’ll get used to it. On the contrary, if you eat fruit and veg all the time (with no desserts and “added sugars” for a month, like Ryan did), you’ll want that.
Mr. Andrew’s article is here if you want to read more: Sugar Daddy: Year Without Desserts
Of course, for some of us there are always exceptions. Some people just don’t have a sweet tooth, but the vast majority of the population loves to indulge decadently. If you take the time to read this article, I can imagine that sweets and sugar could or could be an addiction for you. I know carbs are my fuel of choice, but I have to admit that I’m much happier with protein-based meals. It takes away those hunger pangs and I feel like I have sustained energy. I think it’s important to recognize our “weak links” and apply strategies that will improve our current situation. So that begs the question, “Are simple and refined carbs in control of your diet?”
Each of us can improve our lives and hopefully you are practicing a lifestyle that is constantly evolving and improving. Sugar cravings and addictions along with excessive calorie intake is the reason so many Americans are fat and overweight. Most of us didn’t learn how to eat right from childhood, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn and apply new strategies as we grow up. There’s a wealth of good information at your fingertips, but you’ll have to put down the milk chocolate. It’s processed anyway, so it’s no surprise it tastes so good. Sugar and chemicals are a powerful combination, so don’t let the synergy of the two control your life in ways that are detrimental to your health and well-being.
Thanks to John Spongberg
