Sugar slavery – the historical record speaks about the relationship between the sugar trade in America and human slavery in the US. But real sugar slavery is our addiction to processed foods in the US. Lately, it seems that sugar, high fructose corn syrup and other variants of sweeteners are all over the news. Sugar addiction can be blamed for a host of ailments and most doctors will tell you that no matter what your situation – you should cut your sugar intake. But what does sugar addiction actually look like? How do you know if you have been affected?
Sugar Slavery Symptoms
If any of the statements below sound familiar – You might be living your life in slavery to sugar.
- Are you hungry two hours after eating a meal?
- Do you feel like a failure because you cannot seem to pass up sweet snacks?
- Are you sleepy in the afternoon each day and need a snack to get you going?
- Are you tired of being seduced by the sweetness of sugar and high fructose sweeteners?
Did You Answer Yes to Any of These Questions?
Good news, you are not alone! In fact, take this quiz and see other things that might be a sign that you are suffering from sugar slavery.
The USDA recommends a very liberal sugar consumption of 10 teaspoons per day, yet most Americans eat about 30 teaspoons per day or over 100 pounds per year. You can skip to the bottom of this post for the solution to end sugar slavery or read on to learn more about how we got to this sad state.
For Those of You Still with Me, Let’s Get To It!
It might be fitting that we are often times, especially in America slaves to sugar, because it was sugar that drove the early slave trade. Early explorers loved the sugar cane that they found in America so much, they began to process it and ship it back to the homelands of Europe. When it was introduced in France they called it crack and sold it as a controlled substance. As we see here, the French seem to be more enlightened on sugar and eating habits in general.
Sources of sugar
It turns out that sugar is actually as addictive as cocaine! Even worse, is high fructose corn syrup. This substitute is used extensively as it’s way more affordable than real sugar. And it’s actually four times more addictive than cocaine or sugar.
Hidden Sugar
According to IIN founder, Joshua Rosenthal “Today, sugar is found in many of the usual suspects, like cakes, cookies, and candy. But you will also find it in canned vegetables, baby food, cereals, peanut butter, bread, and tomato sauce. It is often disguised in fancy language, labeled as corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, glucose or fructose. Even some so-called healthy foods contain sugar. A lemon poppy seed Clif Bar has 21 grams of sugar or 5 teaspoons. Compare that to a chocolate-glazed cake donut from Dunkin’ Donuts, which has 14 grams of sugar, or 3 teaspoons. You may think your afternoon cup of coffee only has a little sugar, but a 16-ounce Starbucks Frappuccino actually contains 44 grams of sugar, or 10 teaspoons—that’s like eating three donuts! Overconsumption of refined sweets and added sugars found in everyday foods has led to an explosion of hypoglycemia and type 2 diabetes.”
There are a number of variants of sugar including high fructose corn syrup and other sweetener substitutes. And they can be found in almost every processed food found in your local grocery store. Even things like roasted peanuts or simple bread that should be “safe” contain sweeteners. Wow! No wonder this habit is so hard to break!
But know this: You do not need to remain a slave to sugar!
Ok – you are probably saying that its all well and good to talk about quitting the sugar habit – but its easier said than done. Fair enough – I’ve had my own battles with sugar and lived to tell the tale (though I was not always sure I’d reach the other side!).
Take the First Step to End Your Own Sugar Slavery
You will need to change your food consumption patterns slightly. And combine other foods with sugar intake so that you eliminate cravings. We believe that it is time for people to take leadership of their food intake one meal at a time. But changing your diet when every product around you contains sweeteners of some sort can be very difficult. It may seem at times that there is nothing safe to eat. And when you are hungry and confused about what to eat – it is exactly when you are most vulnerable to making poor eating decisions and derailing your progress.
Whatever you do, why not begin to get away from your overuse of sugar. You can make small changes each day to your eating habits. Try substituting water for that can pop. Eat a whole piece of fruit instead of cookies or chips. Start out slow and begin to end your slavery to sugar.
* This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please contact a medical professional for advice.