Skip the Sugar

Refined sugar and artificial sweeteners are not real food. Before the last century, the only sweet tasting things were fruit and honey, which were nutrient dense and only available seasonally or in warm climates. These naturally occurring sweet foods did not overstimulate the palate or lead to cravings as today’s refined sweet foods do. Today sugar is hidden in everything.  Before you put an item in your cart at the grocery store or as you pull items out of the cupboard or refrigerator, flip the package over and look at the ingredient list.  Is sugar listed - if so, skip it. 

Why do we crave sugar? 
1. Dopamine. It is a neurotransmitter that delivers messages to and from our brain about pleasure and reward. Dopamine can be released for healthy reasons like physical touch and exercise and in response to consumption of caffeine, narcotics and sugar. Dopamine feels good and makes us want more.

2. When we eat refined sugars that are nutrient poor, our body has to use our nutrient stores to metabolize the sugar. This makes us crave more “sugar” to replace those nutrients. These cravings usually have more to do with magnesium and vitamin C deficiency than sugar.

So next time you are craving sugar, grab a piece of fruit instead. That way you will still get the pleasure and be eating a nutrient rich food that won’t cause subsequent cravings.