Sugar and Heroin

Options
amg_89
amg_89 Posts: 184
in Food and Nutrition
This is just a little fact for those of you who get so down on yourselves when you give in to a sugar craving and end up binging on sweets (I'm right there with you). It's not because you have no willpower!

When we eat sugar, it releases dopamine (otherwise known as the "feel-good" chemical) in our brains and we feel good, sometimes almost euphoric. When these dopamine levels drop, we want more sugar. And if you are like me and have or had issues with binge-eating, it's a very urgent feeling and you can even get panicky until you get your sugar fix. And that sugar fix gets bigger and bigger as your tolerance for it goes up. What else does this sound like???

HEROIN! And any other hard drug you can think of! Drugs do the same thing. And that's how we become addicts. After a while your brain thinks it needs that fix and BOOM you're addicted. Sugar is just as addicting as heroin. So if you are having issues with it, don't beat yourself up over it, it's a chemical issue. In order to break it, you have to "go to rehab" and completely cut out all sugar and artificial sweeteners, go through withdrawals, and move on.

p.s. sex also releases dopamine. sooo...if you're having a craving, call up your S.O. and get it on :)

Replies

  • mamaturner
    mamaturner Posts: 2,533 Member
    Options
    great info, thank you!
  • AmberC2010
    AmberC2010 Posts: 4
    Options
    Wow I had never thought of it like that. I always wondered how someone could get "addicted" to something and not realize it was happening (not trying to be judgemental I just didn't know how it could get to that point.) But I am there and didn't realize it! Thanks for bringing this to my attention I now have that much more determination to lose the weight and end the sugar!
  • aproc
    aproc Posts: 1,033 Member
    Options
    Did you watch Rachel Ray today? haha.
  • hroush
    hroush Posts: 2,073 Member
    Options
    caffiene is the same way. i have several friends that get headache when then have a caffeine withdrawal. I have also heard of a lot worse where people will down caffeine pills (40+ coffee's worth or more) a day due to the addiction.
  • jalara
    jalara Posts: 2,622 Member
    Options
    You sound like Jillian! I was reading that in one of her books today. Good info!
  • lds25
    lds25 Posts: 68
    Options
    I know that when i was addicted to food I was addicted to Sugar's cousin STARCH and would eat up to 20 servings of starch producing foods each day. I then went to LA Weight Loss where I had to decrease to 3 starches per day. I remember my first weekend where I had to decrease my intake, I had made spaghetti for my sons and they began a noodle fight. Spaghetti was strewn around the floor, I had to pick it up. I was shaking, crying and wanting to eat those noodles off the floor. I was shaking and began to shriek at the kids saying "you dont respect this food, I want to eat it and I cant and you disrespect this food by throwing it around". My husband (then) picked my body up off the floor and took me out to my car and told me "go for a drive". I then realized I was going thru withdrawals.
  • MCDerin
    MCDerin Posts: 226 Member
    Options
    I saw Rachel Ray today and Dr. Bull and his conversation about this study.
    Good stuff!
    http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/im-addicted-food/

Categories