Check the labels all you want, you’ll rarely see the word “sugar”. Today, sugar and its analogous compounds run under 61 different names, making their way into over 70% of all processed and packaged foods. Humans are supposed to consume, at most, just over 100 calories of sugar today. For Americans who consume a mostly packaged and processed diets, they could be consuming up to five times that amount of sugar each day without even eating a single sweet. Added sugar is a problem under great controversy in America. Many feel that it is added and processed sugar which contributes to food addiction, eating disorders, and poor physical health including problems of obesity. America has one of the worst obesity problems in the world. Simultaneously, America boasts a high rate of child starvation as well as a high rate of child obesity.
Medical Concerns
Too much sugar can cause medical issues like poor dental health and diabetes. However, the true problem is that sugar is addicting. Studies have found that sugar is not much different from cocaine in the way that it metabolizes in the brain. Sugar causes surges of dopamine, the neurotransmitter which communicates pleasure to the reward center of the brain. Sugar is a stimulant substance. It is also fine, white, and often pure. Ever doubt the power of sugar and witness a child consuming candy. Children who are given a large dose of sugar through sweets or treats turn into hyper, dysfunctional, beings who suddenly crash. Crying, exhausted, and screaming for more sugary treats, children experience symptoms of withdrawal just from one bowl of ice cream. After their first experience with sugar, children’s eyes light up when they see sweets. They go to great dramatic lengths to get a bite of something with sugar, from yelling and screaming to crying. Such is the process of addiction.
Sugary Diets
The World Health Organization emphasizes that people don’t need sugar at all in their diets. Any craving for and relief from eating sugar is a matter of programming from lifelong dietary choices. Sugar breaks down the immune system, fuels yeast cells, and can encourage cancer growth.
Avalon By The Sea understands the importance of a balanced nutrition for recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Our program includes a private chef who prepares healthy gourmet meals for our residents each day. We also teach residents how to cook, budget for grocery shopping, and make healthy choices for themselves. For more information on our residential treatment programs in Malibu, California, call 1 888-958-7511.
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