Sugar Addiction & Brain Chemistry
April 24th, 2009
As I have gone around explaining Sugar Addiction, lately many people have asked me for statistics on how many people are like this. Unfortunately, right now, it is simply a matter of speculation. However, if we look at the number of people who are either overweight or obese in America, it becomes evident the number is probably VERY high.
I would argue that many, if not most, overweight and obese people are Sugar Sensitive. This means they have low levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and beta-endorphin. Serotonin controls things like aggression, mood, sexuality, and appetite. Beta-endorphin, on the other hand, is nature’s painkiller. Think of a time when you burnt your hand and immediately put it under cold water. A few seconds into mending your wound, you started to feel light headed and euphoric because beta-endorphin was kicking in to do its job. Additionally, beta-endorphin has an impact on your self-esteem and confidence.
Putting this all together, we see low levels of serotonin and beta-endorphin leads a person to have massive fluctuations in mood, appetite, and self-control. They are the people whose friends say, “Come on, just have one piece of cake; I made it special for the occasion,” not realizing their friend is physically incapable of having “just one.” As a result, the Sugar Sensitive person is prone to mild bouts of depression and feelings of loneliness and isolation.
The problem is only compounded by the fact that our body cannot produce serotonin on its own. The only way it comes into our life is through carbohydrates. Beta-endorphins can be released through physical stress, but they are also affected by diet. Therefore, the Sugar Sensitive person’s body naturally craves things like bread, pasta, cookies, cake, etc. because they innately know when they eat that food, they will get a rush of neurotransmitters and feel better…for now.
Unfortunately, though, the good feelings only last so long as the brain will eventually downregulate and the person is back to the same old negative feelings. Then the person again turns to food for comfort and goes through the same cycle over and over until one day, they look in the mirror and they are obese.
Therefore, the best way to control your weight and the negative feelings that come with being overweight are to eat in a way that regulates your flow of neurotransmitters. This is done by eating consistent amounts of protein, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains at regular intervals throughout the day. This will give you steady levels of serotonin and beta-endorphins, leading to feelings of self-control, happiness, and connection to those around you.
The bonus in living like this is you’ll lose weight too. And, if you’re anything like I used to be, it’ll be a lot!
Tags: Freedom
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May 6th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
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