sugar sugar

I use to be a follower of "potato's not prozac"  This was actually before becoming overweight.  I had an uncontrollable sweet tooth.  I had this  book, and use to frequent her website/forum.  I'm not trying to steer anyone to her methods, even though she's awesome.  I just wanted to share what I learned from her.  Basically, sugar and alcohol are one in the same according to our bodies.  The body metabolizes alcohol into sugar, so if you are a sugar addict, you could very well have become an alcoholic instead.  Here's a statement form her website.

Are You a Sugar Junkie?

Are you tired of looking good on the outside but feeling bad on the inside?

Maybe you have a lot of potential, but you can be moody, impulsive, angry, tired, restless, overwhelmed and stressed out. Or you are overweight, flirting with diabetes, struggling with depression, drinking more than you want to or working hard to keep your eating disorder hidden from others. Are you plagued with low self-esteem and hopelessness even though you act like everything is all right?

Are you driven by cravings and need sugar, alcohol or excitement to keep you from feeling helpless or hopeless? You probably tell yourself things aren’t so bad and you can stop anytime. But you can’t and things keep getting worse.

You probably think your sugar addiction is about lack of willpower or discipline or motivation. It is not. It is about your biochemistry. You were born with a body that responds to sugar, alcohol and refined carbohydrates differently than other people. You are sugar sensitive. Sugar acts like a drug in your body. In fact, it affects the very same brain chemicals that morphine, heroin and amphetamines do.

Because you have a sugar-sensitive body, you can be addicted to sugar. You can’t NOT eat it. And because you are sugar sensitive, the “high" you get from eating sugar is actually heightened. Sugar addiction is not a joke or a fad. It is a serious problem for your health and happiness.

Being sugar sensitive means you have unstable blood sugar, low serotonin and low beta endorphin. All three are out of balance. When this happens, you feel bad and you cannot will or medicate or talk your way into feeling better. Therapy, self-help or 12-step programs alone cannot heal you either because they do not heal the cause of your addiction: your sugar-sensitive biochemistry.

If you are sugar sensitive, what and when you eat has a huge impact on how you feel. Eating a diet high in sugar, refined flour, alcohol and junk foods makes your sugar sensitivity - and your moods - out of control.

When your sugar-sensitive body is in balance, life is good. When it is out of balance, life is miserable. 

 

OMG I am sugar sensitive!!!  How could I not recognize this with how much we talk about it on here!!!  I have refused to beleive I am, but I skimmed what you put above and then went to the website and went through the section on how to tell if I am sugar sensative.

With the plate of cookies, I said well of course I would eat some, probably the whole plate if no one would know.  But that does not mean I am sugar sensitive, they just picked something I love, if it was pie or cake or something else I don't love so much I could walk right by it...  so I rationalized I was not.

The with the sugar in the bottom of the bowl, that was not me either, so again I musn't be.

But sooooooooooo many other things ARE me, the mood swings, the anger, the depression, etc.  OMG I am sugar sensitive.  AND so is Barry!!

We have been off sweets and treats for awhile now, and for the first time in my life..... drum roll please, I am staying off them.  I am devouring the website and need to find out more about the potatoe before bed suggestion ....  I just wanted to pop back here and thank you with all of my heart. 

I am so disapointed and so releived at the same time. 

I have known for a long time that I feel so much better after I eat chocolate and cookes, but then I crash, sometimes I get headaches after, etc.  It is soooooooo clear now.

Thanks to you and thanks Jackie for posting this thread!

Big friendship hugs,

Cindy

I hear ya sister!  I'm sugar sensitive too.  When I get to maint.  I might go back to this way of eating.  It's been around 10 years for me.  I need to read the info again and re-acquaint myself with it.  I can say yes to nearly every one of the sugar sensitive list items.

 thanks for the info and the link, Trish!!  I am sometimes that way and sometimes I'm not.

Well I was a major sugar junky and I bet I could slide back into it if I let myself so I just don't keep the stuff around and only have an occasional small treat at someone elses house so I have none at home. Like the recent holiday cheesecake of which I had a small sliver and it was fabulous and I could have eaten the whole thing (well maybe not). So I just feel like i have to always watch this. definately a slider. Diane

 I know I need to not have it at home: only for treats when I go out. that's the plan. 

I am THE poster child for this phenomenon!  Like Laura, for the first 24 months, eating high fat, high sugar foods(spelled COLDSTONE's), would make me so sick and nauseous that I had no choice but to get it out from once it came :)

Now I'm over 3 years out and I both crave and tolerate sweets all too well(although COLDSTONE's is still a problem).  Unfortunately, I too can eat the condensed milk straight from the can and find it delightful!  So i just have to keep the stuff out of the house and only buy it for special occasions.

The funny part is that I can have certain sweets in the house and as long as I don't start in on them, I can know that they are there and not touch the stuff.  Go figure!  However, chocolate is whole other matter   I only wish I could regain that sugar intolerance!

 ice cream is the worst for making you sick. I assume it's also lactose intolerance besides the fat and sugar.

I love it though!  I can eat a small amount after some protein without ill affects.  and I do!

no more of keeping it at home, however.