WHY IS SUGAR SO ADDICTIVE

Ahhh sugar, how can you resist it?

It sneaks into our diet on the sly and makes our taste buds dance at the first bite! Although this is very captivating, we sometimes forget that refined sugars have a very important impact on our health, and it is not always in a positive way ... Indeed, we develop our sweet tooth quite easily since we find refined sugar in the vast majority of products we buy in grocery stores. It's a substance that is particularly addictive (those sneaky manufacturers), so we easily develop a taste for it, without necessarily realizing it. It is in fact added to foods to enhance their flavour, texture, and shelf life...
 
Unfortunately, the human body is not made to assimilate so much sugar. Thus, overconsumption of this substance can cause dysfunction in our health: exhaustion of the pancreas increased increase in blood sugar levels in the body, weight gain, etc. It can also play an important role in heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, for example.

However, how to escape these products that sneak into our daily lives? I'll give you some tips to get there ...

1.

Drink lots of water

Yes, always this famous advice! Hunger for sweets has been proven to be a sign of dehydration, so better drink a full glass of water before hopping on the cookie bag…! ;-)

2.

When you have a sudden craving: take the time to ask yourself the following questions:

• How am I feeling right now?
• How will I feel, both physically and mentally, after eating this sweet snack?
• When I decide to provide for this craving, how do I feel when I eat it? 10 minutes later? And then 30 minutes later?
  
  

It is well known that we have an intense need for sweet products when we experience strong emotions (emotional eating): this happens to us because we want to satisfy a particular feeling (loneliness, lack of love, stress, etc.), and it happens often done by food. Especially in times of confinement, this is the kind of situation we often face ...

So it is important to take the time to ask yourself these questions to try to understand what is behind this sudden need for sugar; to assess your emotional state (sugar can give the impression of filling a lack of love when you lonely, for example) and to find more suitable alternatives to help you through these more difficult times. (Call a friend, go for a walk, and soak up the beauty of nature, etc.)

3.

Increase your fruit consumption to satisfy the craving for refined sugar.

The peel of the fruit contains a lot of fiber which works to slow down the absorption of the sugar in the fruit, called fructose. Thus, the digestive system is not strained by a high level of carbohydrates. We often think that a glass of fruit juice is the equivalent of a serving of real fruit, which is unfortunately not true… These products are made from pressed fruit: the fibers contained in the peel are therefore absent. which drastically unbalances the absorption of carbohydrates by the body, which then occurs much too quickly ... Not to mention the added sugars often present in these products!

The best time to consume them?

Ideally in the morning, on an empty stomach. Why?

Fruit digest very quickly (in about twenty minutes). If we combine them with other foods, we slow down their digestion, create fermentation and the result will, unfortunately, be, wasted vitamins and minerals as well as flatulence! So to make sure you are able to properly assimilate the carbohydrates from these beautiful, mouth-watering fruits, please eat them in the morning!

4.

Exercise!

We all know that moving your body daily is the key to good physical and mental health. It also helps flush toxins out of the body, which is called ama in Ayurveda.

5.

Look for "healthier" recipes to satisfy the craving for sweetness, without refined sugar.

One recipe that I really like to make is as follows:
a comforting hot chocolate:

+ 1 cup of unsweetened oat (or coconut) milk
+ 1 ½ teaspoon of organic cocoa powder
+ 1 pinch of cardamom and/or cinnamon

Mix everything in a saucepan and voila!

Let me know what you think ;-) It's normal that at the beginning of this kind of transition, such recipes may seem far from the desserts you're used to. It's simply a sign that the body is used to, or even dependent on, products that are far too sweet. The key here is to get your body used to eat a balanced diet again.

Of course, this can take time, to undo certain habits and create new ones! To create a smoother transition, you can add a natural sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup, which is significantly better for you than granulated sugar!

When you eat a complete and balanced meal, the body is satisfied after the assimilation of food. However, when it comes to sugar, this is not the case. When assimilated by the digestive system, the body does not feel full. Thus, the craving returns and we continue to stuff ourselves ...! The consumption of sugar is a very clever vicious circle, which is why it must be thwarted at the first hint!

Hoping that these tips will soften your sweet tooth and bring insight and comfort to your body and your mind. It is, however, important to note that the body needs carbohydrates, but of the good kind, like fructose found in fruit!

For any questions regarding your diet, do not hesitate to make an appointment with me for an Ayurvedic consultation. It will be my pleasure to help you regain optimal health!

Warmly,
Kim XX