How to Break Your Addiction to Sweets

Depending on who you talk to, sugar is either the root of all evil, the next nicotine, or okay, as long as you counter it with physical activity. Of course the message that sugar is okay most often comes from the food industry, which likes to add lots of sugar (plus salt and fat) to foods to hook us, as reported in The New York Times. Foods that contain these ingredients are addictive, "craveable" and keep us going back for more. Considering that most people have a natural propensity for sweets, it's no wonder the food industry's cardinal rule is: "When in doubt, add sugar." Sugar comes in many forms with a variety of names including sucrose, honey, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, brown sugar, and cane sugar. But even the seemingly healthy agave nectar, coconut sugar, coconut palm sugar, and evaporated cane juice are just other forms of sugar. The problem with sugar is that it's linked to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. Sugar and other processed carbs can also be addictive since they activate regions of the brain related to the production of dopamine, causing cravings for more. Because of new research linking sugar to heart disease, the American Heart Association has published recommendations for the consumption of added sugar. For women, no more than 6 teaspoons (about 25 grams) or 100 calories a day. For men, no more than 9 teaspoons (about 37 grams) or 150 calories a day. Unfortunately, just one can of Coke, with...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news