Sugar not only stands between you and a six-pack. It’s also responsible for diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. We’re hardwired to eat it but you can break your habit, says Dr Michael Fenster, cardiologist, chef and author of The Fallacy of The Calorie.
The modern Western diet is a problem. Across the US, Europe and lately even Eastern countries such as Japan and China, food is processed to the point where it’s just layers of sugar, salt and fat. Our ancestors needed these ingredients for survival and evolved to hunt them down. But when high-fructose corn syrup became readily and cheaply available in the 1970s we started gorging on sugar as never before. It’s addictive and now HFCS is snuck into lots of foods.
The good news is that it’s possible to train yourself to overcome your sugar cravings. And you’re already on the right path. Now that you know you’re hardwired to seek out sugar, you can start taking the necessary steps to wean yourself off it.
Break the habit
First, keep it natural. Relying on zero-calorie sweeteners is like making a deal with the devil. Artificial sweeteners can still result in cravings for sugar. In addition, recent studies suggest that while we may not absorb the chemicals in sweeteners, they can affect our gut bacteria and cause abnormalities that result in weight gain and the development of diabetes.
Next, redeem yourself. If you need to sweeten your coffee, fruit or porridge, use honey. Sugar alternatives such as honey, molasses or maple syrup have some redeeming nutritional value, but pure sucrose is nutritionally empty.
For an energy boost reach for nature’s energy bar: fruit. Avoid expensive fruit and cereal bars that often contain hidden amounts of wheat gluten and HFCS.
Not eating processed food is also a sure way of dodging hidden ingredients that will scupper your efforts to kick your sugar habit. So buy fresh meat instead of vacuum-packed slabs of ham and salami.
Gut instinct
Finally, keep your gut happy. Our gut bacteria produce around 10% of the energy we use, but poor ingredients can make them underperform. The side effect is low energy, which can have you reaching for a sugary pick-me-up. It’s a vicious cycle.
Probiotics are extremely important for intestinal, metabolic and overall good health, but supplementation can be expensive. A low-cost solution: get pickled. Eat naturally fermented foods with live active cultures such as yogurts, sauerkraut, kefir, pickles, miso and kimchi. Nature is pretty smart. We really don’t need to alter a lot of what she’s given us.
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