The Sugar Myth: Revealing the Truth Behind Your 'Addiction' and How to Truly Break Its Grip Once and For All
15 September 2021 | Roni Davis
Myth: Sugar is as addictive as illegal drugs and the only way to break sugar addictions is complete abstinence.
For decades, this belief has been permeating popular culture, causing most people to live in fear of sugar, and adopt extreme measures such as sugar detoxes, attempts to abstain, or placing strict restrictions on their intake of this so-called addictive drug, in an effort to break free from its perceived hold.
But, it’s a myth. A really harmful one, at that.
So, why does it exist? How did it become such a commonplace belief if it’s not true? Why is it untrue? And how do you really break so-called sugar addictions?
Keep reading because that’s what we’re digging into today.
The Origins of the Sugar Addiction Myth
The concept of sugar addiction has gained attention and become a popular belief for many reasons over time. While it's impossible to pinpoint a single origin, several things have contributed to the perpetuation of the sugar addiction myth.
Here are some key factors:
Debunking the Myth: Uncovering the Truth
Now that we know where the sugar addiction myth comes from, let’s examine the validity behind it, starting with the quickest and easiest two.
Popular media and sensationalism: Media outlets and popular culture continue to have a net negative effect on public health in almost every conceivable way. They are notoriously unscientific and sensationalist, purposefully stoking your biggest fears by twisting, skewing, and downright misrepresenting data because that’s what gets the most attention, and makes the most money.
Overgeneralization and oversimplification: It’s human nature to want a simple, black and white answer. Sugar or food addiction fits that bill perfectly. Especially when we’ve been conditioned to blame ourselves for our perceived failings when the oppressive rules and restrictions imposed by diet and traditional 'healthy' eating cultures fail us. But the truth is, multiple complex factors contribute to eating behaviors and an inability to 'follow the rules' is not a personal failing. The failing is with the system that imposes food rules in the first place.
The belief that abstinence and restriction are effective strategies or solutions is naive, and lacks any knowledge of the complexities that make up why we eat the way we do. Worst, it actively contributes to or causes the very problem they’re claiming to solve. Most people experience cravings and difficulty controlling their sugar intake, but this is due to a combination of psychological, physiological, and behavioral factors rather than a direct addictive property of sugar itself.
More on that in a moment.
Now let’s debunk the rest because studies that claim sugar is as addictive as illegal drugs have just flat out been misinterpreted and misrepresented and continuing to treat sugar as an addiction that requires abstinence is a huge part of the problem.
Because when reviewed, what studies actually show is that addiction-like behaviors are only present if animals' access to sugar is restricted.
When they allow them to have it whenever they want, they don't show the addiction-like behaviors¹ anymore.
Let me say that again to make sure you heard it…
Addiction like behaviors are only present when access to sugar is restricted. When they allow the animals to have it whenever they want, they don't exhibit those addiction-like behaviors.
What that means is it's not the sugar itself that produces addictive-like behaviors, it's the restricted access to it that does.
Hisham Ziauddeen, a psychiatrist at the University of Cambridge says that you get the same kind of effect if you use saccharin, so it seems to be the sweet taste rather than the sugar itself.
Yes, there are parallels between the effect of cocaine and sugar on the brain in that they both interact with the same reward system, but unlike with cocaine, the animals in the studies do not continue to seek sugar if it is paired with an unpleasant event, like an electric shock.
But Ziauddeen said that was not surprising. “The reality is that quite simply the brain’s rewards system and the circuits that control eating behavior are the same ones that respond to drugs of abuse,” he said. But, unlike sugar “drugs of abuse seem to hijack those systems and turn off their normal controls.”
Sugar does not.
Tom Sanders, emeritus professor of nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London said that while it was true that cravings for sweet things can be habit-forming, it's “absurd to suggest that sugar is addictive like hard drugs.”
So again, you only see addiction-like behavior in rodents when the animals are restricted in their access to sugar and even then, it's connected to the habit/reward center rather than a physical dependency.
When the test subjects are allowed to eat sugar whenever they want—as in humans—these addictive properties vanish.
It's important to know that despite the sensationalized headlines and messages we’re exposed to everyday about so-called sugar addiction, the scientific consensus does not support the idea that sugar addiction exists in the same way as addiction to drugs or alcohol.
And, it is crucial to recognize that even when our own personal experiences reinforce the belief that it’s addictive and we need to restrict, or abstain from it, those experiences are actually influenced by a combination of psychological, physiological, and behavioral factors, rather than an addictive nature of sugar itself.
And since addiction-like behaviors are, at least in part, the result of restriction, trying to restrict or abstain is among the worst things you can do.
Why It Feels Like You’re Addicted to Sugar
So if it feels so much like an addiction that that’s one of the reasons the myth persists, why are so many people having those experiences with sugar?
Because, as I said above, what actually creates the addiction-like behaviors is restricted access to sugar (or food in general in the case of food addictions).
That’s why falling victim to this myth is a huge mistake, because believing it’s an addiction causes you to keep fighting with yourself, trying to abstain and restrict your access to it.
As long as you’re trying to abstain and restrict your access to it, you’re going to keep yourself stuck, not only repeating but reinforcing and strengthening the patterns that are driving those feelings.
Encoded in our DNA, through hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, lies an innate drive to survive, with food at its core. That’s why attempting to impose restrictions, abstinence or control over what we eat, including sugar, is such a universally unwinnable battle for the vast majority of people.
It’s not an individual failure.
It’s an oppressive war that’s been waged against our very nature by industries that profit off us not trusting ourselves.
When we are subjected to food (/sugar) rules and restrictions, something deep within us rebels.
In a number of ways.
That’s why trying to restrict your sugar/food intake is a hurdle you never seem to be able to overcome and why it's causing so much pain and suffering in your life.
And make no mistake, whether you’re aware of it or not, it is most certainly causing pain and suffering.
Think about your favorite food. The food you feel the most out of control around. Think about how much you love and enjoy it.
Now, think about never, ever being allowed to eat it again and, as you do, bring your attention down into your body. Scan your body for sensations and notice what it feels like to think about never being able to eat that food again.
Sit with that for a few moments and just explore how the thought of restricting that food makes you feel.
Anger? Pain? Sadness? Fear? Panic? Despair?
Those are some of the most common feelings most people notice when they actually bring their awareness down into their body and notice.
Whatever you notice, it feels pretty crappy, yeah?
You may even notice you immediately start craving the food.
There are a number of reasons why this is the case.
Let’s explore a few of them.
Forbidden Fruit: When we deprive ourselves of something we enjoy, it often becomes even more appealing.
This phenomenon, known as the "forbidden fruit effect," is a psychological response to the denial of pleasure. By labeling sugar as "bad" or "addictive" and attempting to eliminate it completely from our diets, we inadvertently intensify our desire for it. This can lead to obsessive thoughts about sugar and an increased likelihood of binging when we finally allow ourselves to indulge.
Survival Systems: Our bodies are designed to seek out energy-dense foods to ensure survival. Historically, sugar-rich foods were scarce and provided a quick burst of energy when needed.
So our brains have developed a preference for sweet flavors. When we restrict sugar, its natural response is to trigger a cascade of cravings, thoughts, even obsessions making it harder to resist temptation.
When I was still trying to abstain from sugar, I used to describe that feeling of desperately trying not to give in to the cravings as ‘white knuckling it’, like I was desperately trying to hold on to control for as long as I could.
It’s like hanging off the side of a building and trying to hold on with your fingertips. Maybe you can for a little while but eventually, your grip gives out and you crash to the ground… or in this case, overeat all the foods you were trying so hard to restrict.
As we inevitably succumb, the threat of starvation is gone, our brain's reward center gets what it wanted and the experience teaches the whole system how to respond even faster the next time there are food, or sugar, restrictions imposed.
Eventually, this cycle of restriction, cravings and caving becomes deeply ingrained as part of our conditioning—a hard-wired, auto-pilot habit, compelling our brains to fight harder, faster, and even demand greater quantities to regain a sense of safety and satisfaction.
And once it’s wired into this conditioned pattern, it feels almost impossible to control because habits are mostly driven unconsciously. That is, we’re not even consciously aware of why we’re making the choices we’re making. We’re just mindlessly repeating the patterns that our brains are stuck in.
And our brains are stuck in them because they’ve determined them to be essential for our survival.
So, it’s vital to recognize that experiencing intense cravings for sugar (or food in general), even feeling out of control or consumed by obsessions, does not indicate a genuine addiction that requires a professional detoxification, or restriction.
Nor is abstinence a solution. In fact, it only makes it worse by reinforcing and strengthening the restriction-based patterns that are driving the addictive feelings in the first place.
As we release the rules and restrictions, and let go of the fear of deprivation, the cravings and perceived addiction that have been driven by them, gradually diminish until they’re eventually gone completely.
It’s only through releasing these limitations that we can ever find our way free from the feelings of addiction or the physical and psychological burden they carry.
Emotional Attachments: Restriction is one of the biggest causes of these feelings of addiction but it’s not the only cause.
The psychological aspect of alleged sugar addictions cannot be overlooked.
Food, including sugar, can provide feelings of comfort and safety, emotional satisfaction, and a sense of nostalgia. Restricting these sources of pleasure can create feelings of deprivation and emotional distress.
This is especially true when we don’t learn any other coping strategies for our emotions.
Using food, or sugar in particular, to soothe, numb, cope, manage or control emotions gets wired into more of these auto-pilot patterns so whenever we begin to feel even the threat of any potential emotional discomfort, or stress, we become conditioned to immediately reach for food.
As with other food patterns, they tend to get stronger the longer they’re repeated, eventually feeling compulsive, even addiction-like as we become more and more dependent on food for emotional and psychological support.
How to Overcome Feelings of Sugar/Food Addiction and Cravings
Overcoming feelings of sugar addiction requires addressing the actual psychological, physiological, and behavioral factors that drive it rather than treating it as an addiction that requires abstinence as punishment for our perceived lack of control.
Given restricting/trying to abstain are one of the biggest causes of so-called sugar addictions, full permission to eat everything you’ve been trying to restrict, is the first piece of the puzzle.
Permission is so vital, in fact, it’s the first foundational principle in E-CET.
I’m not just talking about permission to eat in moderation, that’s just another form of restriction.
Full permission to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, even as much as you want.
Even full and complete permission to binge, all day, every single day if you want to.
I know that sounds absolutely nuts but hear me out before you dismiss this concept entirely, think I’ve lost my mind and advocating for ‘unhealthy’ choices.
“Sometimes the thing you’re most afraid of doing, is the very thing that will set you free.”
~ Robert Tew
The first thing I want you to consider is how well what you’ve been doing has been working.
How long have you been trying to ‘fix’ your perceived sugar or food addiction by restricting or abstaining? It’s obviously not working if you’re here reading this right now.
The next thing I want you to consider is the impact it’s having on your mental, emotional and physical health.
What are the consequences of continuing to repeat the same patterns of thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that got you here?
Spend a few minutes reflecting on this. Notice when fear shows up to tell you all the reasons why you need to keep trying to restrict. That’s okay, it’s expected. Just practice detaching from the fear for a moment so you can come back to your reflections on the impact it’s having.
Because it is most certainly having a hugely negative impact.
Every time you restrict, you set yourself up for not only overeating or full on bingeing the foods you’re trying to restrict (which is not physically healthy), you’re causing mental and emotional distress with the disconnection it causes, not to mention the stress of trying to restrict in the first place, and the guilt, shame, disconnection, self-judgment and distrust that follow every time you do cave.
None of that is healthy or having a healthy, positive impact on your overall well-being.
It’s not a healthy or sustainable way to live.
Battling with yourself and your body is no way to spend the rest of your life.
The next thing I want you to try is to challenge the fear a little bit.
I know that when you’re convinced you’re addicted to sugar (or food) the concept of full permission to eat as much as you want, whenever you want is beyond terrifying.
You’re terrified you’re going to do nothing but binge on sugar all day every day and suffer the consequences of that.
But full permission in the way we implement it in E-CET is about putting a pause between your triggers and patterns so you can shut down the fear, take a second to tune into what you actually want and need and make choices that are driven by love and trust, rather than fear and control.
So explore this for a second with another short exploration exercise.
Bring your attention back down into your body and bring up thoughts of your favorite food again, but this time, imagine your entire kitchen is completely and totally full to the brim with it. There's more of this food in your kitchen right now than you've ever seen in your life
AND, you can eat all of it.
It's all yours.
No one is ever coming to take it away. No one can stop you from eating every bit of it right now.
In fact, you're fully allowed to eat as much of this food as you want. All day, every day.
Breakfast, you eat this. Post breakfast snack, you eat this. Lunch, you eat this. Afternoon snack, you eat it. Supper, you eat it. And all evening, you snack on it.
Day after day.
You can even binge on this food, every single day, from now until forever if that’s what you want to do.
I know fear likely shows up immediately but try to stay in your body and actually imagine yourself doing that.
Notice what you feel as you imagine bingeing all day, every day.
What's your first reaction?
Beyond the fear.
What do you feel?
I'm willing to guess it's horror and disgust.
You probably think, omg that sounds awful, I don't want to do that!
Exactly my point.
But stay with this for one more moment and again, just imagine if you did.
How quickly do you think it would be before you got sick of it and started craving something else? Perhaps even something that helped you feel better because you were feeling sick?
Again, exactly!
You don't actually want to do that and when the restrictions are off, even our favorite foods begin to lose their control over us.
With that quick little exploration, you just reconnected with yourself, your true self, underneath the fear and the patterns that drive feelings of food/sugar addiction.
You, at your core, want to feel good and know what you need to do so.
You’ve just become conditioned to live in fear and the disconnection that comes from that.
How E-CET Helps
Embodied Cognitive Eating Training (E-CET) helps in four main ways.
Together, using a wide range of evidence-based modalities, we:
Redefine healthy eating and living through wholehearted being. Instead of trying (and failing) to follow oppressive, outdated, and ineffective methods that impose strict rules and restrictions, the wholehearted being approach empowers you to nurture your health and overall well-being from a foundation of love and trust. Taking the focus off external attempts to control your choices, this approach encourages you to reconnect with your inner wisdom, your authentic self, and make decisions based on your unique and ever-changing needs.
This is a truly personalized and sustainable approach because it allows you to actively listen to and honor your own needs, enabling you to break free from the patterns that keep you stuck so the changes you seek become your new normal.
Reconnect with yourself, your body and the present moment so you can build the moment-to-moment awareness required to know what you actually need to best support yourself and your overall well-being.
Rewire the hard-wired patterns of thoughts, beliefs and behaviors that keep you stuck repeating the same unhealthy, self-sabotaging behaviors that feel like addictions.
Repair the relationships you have with food, yourself and your body so you start speaking to yourself more kindly, and naturally start wanting to treat yourself and your body better, because you know you deserve it.
Bottom Line:
When we understand and change the actual driving forces behind our addictive like behaviors, the compulsions behind them stop feeling so strong and eventually completely fade away all on their own.
The behaviors no longer feel out of our control and we just start organically making different choices about not only what we eat but how we respond.
Healthy eating and living become the natural result of who we become.
So there really are only two choices.
You can keep living at war with yourself, your body and food. You can keep repeating the same patterns born out of restrictive and fear-based rules in an effort to address or manage a perceived sugar addiction. Though you need to know that with each attempt, this only serves to reinforce and strengthen the neural pathways responsible for them.
Or, you can choose to walk off the battlefield. You can choose a loving, trusting approach that shifts addictive-like patterns of behavior and allows for true peace and overall well-being.
¹Westwater ML, Fletcher PC, Ziauddeen H. Sugar addiction: the state of the science. Eur J Nutr. 2016 Nov;55(Suppl 2):55-69. doi: 10.1007/s00394-016-1229-6. Epub 2016 Jul 2. PMID: 27372453; PMCID: PMC5174153.
Share this post on:
End your weight & food war and break unhealthy eating habits with Embodied Cognitive Eating Training - the proven four step process that actually works.
Follow on:
© Copyright 2024 ECET.ONLINE. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions