Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Sweet Life or A teaspoon of Depression

Sabotaging weight loss:  SUGAR

When you indulge (yes, indulge) in a piece of pie, Chocolate Sweets, Bowl of Ice Cream you set yourself up for a Possible downward spiral.

You say, "oh, just one piece won't hurt". 

 But, ahhhhh  how often are you honest that the one piece doesn't roll into another piece... and then move into saying "it's ok..... I'll exercise tomorrow".

This goes beyond "will power".  
You've set in motion a chemical reaction when you "indulge" 
in a little something sweet.   

This chemical reaction alters the balance in your brain and body
and.... You WILL seek out more sugar 

"Mr Wilson,  May I be excused? My Brain is full"


Have you ever had a "sugar hang over"?  Would you recognize it?


"Oh, I'm so tired today..."
 or 

"Oh, I'm feeling so emotional and I don't know why", 
or 
"Oh, my body just aches today" 
or 
"Oh, my mind is so foggy, I just can seem to focus"

or 
"I don't know why but I feel so depressed today"

Now, I'm not so bold as to say there are not other reasons for these symptoms, only to say "IT COULD BE A SUGAR HANG OVER" or Sugar withdrawals.

Change your mental picture of "Sugar" (processed sugars).

If you saw  a teaspoon of sugar no different that a teaspoon of cocaine... would you ingest it?  Yikes.... I hope not.  But  for some reason we won't allow ourselves to think of something sweet and pleasant as sugar as a type of drug.  
(News Flash: The billion dollar food industry pedals drugs!)

                  Refined SUGAR IS A DRUG in our BODY!

Don't you see that the HIGH of eating Sugar and how it alters your mood (temporarily)   leads to debilitation symptoms? 

SUGAR  plays havoc on your health and well being.   

                         Your relationship with Sugar can lead to Depression! 

I say all this because I experienced quite a set back... the "oh, a little piece won't hurt" turned into me eating the WHOLE FREAKING BAG OF COOKIES!  

It's taken day's to get back on track.... it truly altered my mood, energy level, my motivation to exercise, make healthy choices...

    I had a re-awaking to  how Amazing it is to "BE HEALTHY"  and FEEL HEALTHY when I eating wholesome nutritious FOODS!  



Come on... be honest.  Dieting is NOT just about will power.  

When you shoot up your body with Sugar your body responds by CRAVING more SUGAR!  It's a chemical cascade!

Then your MIND say.... "oh, no... I won't, I shouldn't... but I will"

It's  because this pure white substance is like a drug... no stop... go back...
This pure white substance IS A DRUG IN OUR BODY and we can become addicted or an habitual user. 

So, re think  your relationship is with S U G A R ?  



We think it is. We have enough scientific evidence now to tell us that we can train ourselves to crave, to build tolerance and to experience withdrawal when we ingest a lot of refined sugar.
 These are the hallmarks of addiction. Craving, tolerance and withdrawal.
Dr. Serge Ahmed, of Bordeaux, France, has been working with rats and giving them the choice between cocaine and sugar. Guess what wins, time and again? That's right, sugar. 
The sweet taste of sugar is more rewarding than the high of cocaine.
Some people know they are sugar addicts and cannot handle it at all. They know because they can't stop eating it once they start. They crave sugary foods and they need more and more to feel satisfied.
They also experience withdrawal if they stop eating sugar.
We believe this is because of the effect sugar has on the brain. Sugar, like drugs of abuse, produces dopamine in the brain. The body's own happy, feel good, chemical. For some true sugar addicts, they need this to feel OK. When they eat sugar, they feel good. When it wears off, they need more. If they stop sugar for a period of time, their brains will begin to produce dopamine on their own. This takes some time, however. The problem lies in the fact that much of our default food is high in refined sugar and carbohydrates. Trying to avoid it, is very difficult. That combined with the discomfort of withdrawal, keeps many sugar addicts trapped in their addiction.







Link to information on "SUGAR"
Processed white sugar is an addictive chemical (Sheppard, 1993). Processed sugars such as white, powdered, brown, molasses, and even honey have had some or all of their chemical bonds broken down between their basic components due to the amount of processing . Processed sugars present as a simple potent sugar which is easily and quickly absorbed by the body.

Processed sugars and carbohydrates, which turn into sugar, cause a rise in the insulin level of the blood. This also raises the endorphins level, a natural mood upper in the brain. These sugars causes the body to have a chemical high, mentally, which results in a lift in mood. 

Continuous large doses of sugar and/or carbohydrates, overtime, usually cause the brain's endorphins sites to slow production or close sites to regulate the amount of endorphins in the brain. When the body cuts back on endorphin production it reduces the amount of endorphins available in the body at any given time. The lack of enough endorphin in the brain causes slight to deep depression

The difference between fructose, that is the natural sugar in fruit, and processed sugars is that fructose still has its chemical bonds intact. This causes the body to take a longer period of time to break down the different chemical bonds. As the body dissolves each type of sugar it is releases a moderate amount of sugar over time. This gives a continuous energy boost to the body and a slightly elevates mood (Whitney, Cataldo, & Rolfes, 1991).

Chemical sugar substitutes are not good substitutes for processed sugar. They, like the processed sugars retard the body's ability to lose weight. They stimulate the body's metabolism to crave more sweets (Baker & Baker, 1987; Rememington & Parent, 1983).


CIAO and Salute! to Your Health and Wellness
This blog is my inspiration in My journey to obtain true Health and Wellness