Candy is everywhere we turn these days. Bowls of black and orange M&Ms conveniently placed for us to grab and pop in our mouth without even thinking twice. Jars of candy corn and bite-sized chocolates call our names despite our best will power efforts.
Here’s an alarming statistic: Sugar is eight times more addictive than cocaine!
It’s no wonder it feels nearly impossible to just say NO! The fact is that refined sugar is addictive because people get hooked on the “high” they get when they eat it. Sugar literally releases the same neurotransmitters that are released in drug addicts when they get their fix.
In my opinion, sugar is worse than cocaine, heroine and meth combined because it’s so readily available and widely accepted in our culture. Over 80% of packaged foods in American grocery stores contain sugar!
To boot, sugar is deeply ingrained in our culture. We use sugary treats in all our celebrations. We use it to show our love and appreciation. We even have holidays that revolve around it!
Which brings me to Halloween – the perfect time to look at all the ways sugar is not so sweet to us.
There are literally hundreds of scientific reasons to kick the sugar habit but below are my top 10 favorites. This sweet stuff is wrecking havoc on our bodies. Not convinced? Try going off it for just two weeks and feel the difference for yourself.
Along the way you may need some alternatives to help wean you off the hard stuff. Try our favorite Decadent Raw Brownies or Jo’s Pumpkin Fudge. Increase the amount of sweet fruits and veggies you’re eating–things like Granny Smith apples and baked sweet potatoes.
Now it’s your turn. Are you addicted to sugar? How are you getting your fix? Are you ready to ditch sugar for good? Leave me a comment below.
With love and sassy sweetness,
10 Reasons to Just Say No to Sugar
- Sugar is enemy #1 of healthy elimination because it slows food’s travel time through the GI tract.
- Sugar causes our blood sugar levels to spike and fall dramatically making us more susceptible to hypoglycemia, mood swings, pre-diabetes and diabetes.
- Sugar is linked to premature aging as it causes inflammation, which produces enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, resulting in sagging skin and wrinkles.
- Sugar causes us to overeat by shutting off the brain’s biochemistry telling us we’re full. It’s also damages the brain’s dopamine receptor sites, causing us to need more and more in order to get our fix.
- Overconsumption of sugar is the leading cause of all our major health epidemics including cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
- Refined sugar has been linked to suppressed immune system, anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, asthma, headaches and insomnia.
- Excess sugar gets stored as fat in the cells, tissues, even around the organs, making weight loss difficult.
- Sugar causes food allergies because it suppresses the immune system causing the body to be on high alert for foreign invaders.
- Doubling over with cramps every month? Cutting back on sugar might make a huge difference. Sugar causes hormonal imbalances, exacerbating premenstrual symptoms.
- Sugar feeds organisms in the body like bad bacteria, yeast, Candida, and mutated cells.
The timing of this article could not have been more perfect! Just this weekend, my family decorated for Halloween. One of the items placed out was a small glass pumpkin candy dish. My daughter immediately asked if we had candy corn to put into it, so yesteday I filled it. Almost everytime I passed it, I grabbed one or two….even while I was roasting my veggies or sipping my green smoothie! Ack! Years ago, I did the Conscious Cleanse with wonderful results and educated myself with some great habits, but sugar without a doubt has a hold on me again. For over a month, I’ve been trying to cleanse on my own, but I can’t seem to last more than 5 days or so. Breads creep back into my diet, which leads to sugar. I remember that it took awhile to loose the sugar craving, but once it was gone, it was amazing….I’m just struggling with the full commitment side of things since I’m trying to do it alone. Having lost my job, finances are tight so I can’t join you all for the Nov 1 start, but knowing you are all “committing” starting that date, I’m hoping to join you all in spirit! :)
Thanks for reading Michelle! And glad you’ll be cleansing with us in spirit. You know about our repeat cleanser discount, right? Just making sure. If not, be sure to email us!
I have tried all sorts of diets over the course of the past 10 years. After having my four children the baby weight did not drop off and this is the first time I have stuck to a healthier way of eating. My sister and I are holding each other accountable and the smoothies are a major reason I love this cleanse. We are on day 7 so far and I know I have found a new way to eat better and drink better. The lemon water is refreshing, so much so I don’t think I will go back to coffee. Thank you so much!
Wow, Mary! Congratulations. Thanks for posting.
It is so hard to quit sugar. I have been cutting back to more natural sources of sugar like maple syrup and agave but I think I even need more than that. I have been a sugar addict for years and I finally started getting hives from eating it as well as developing food allergies to gluten and dairy. One of my problems is that I feel like I am missing out so much anyway, that the last thing I want to do is cut out sugar too. I feel alienated from society. I wouldn’t be able to eat out at all. Even when avoiding gluten and dairy in restaurants I inadvertently get sugar too. In surprising things, like fajitas!! I wish that our society would link diet to health and quit subsidizing sugar producers. A soda should not be cheaper than an apple, it teaches us the wrong idea. An apple shouldn’t be a luxury.
Hi Megan, We totally understand your struggle and you are definitely not alone. In fact this is very common. During our cleanse we have a low sugar plan to help people break their sugar habit. It’s fantastic that you are back off even natural sugars. Agave still has quite a glycemic punch. We try to use small portions of honey or even better, dates when needed. Eating out can be difficult to navigate at first when trying to avoid dairy, gluten, and sugar, but it’s totally doable. As we teach our cleansers, it’s always best to check out the menu of the place you are going to first. Use their menu as a list of ingredients and create your own dish off of what they have. Smiling at the wait staff and letting them know that you might be a little difficult due to food restrictions goes a long way and likely you weren’t the first person to make these requests. Hang in there. You’ve got this!