Sugar Addiction

Pictured is 4-year-old Aubree trying to open the cupboard to get the bag of sugar stored inside. The picture was taken a few days after Halloween when she had consumed more than her everyday piece of candy a day. Even at 4, she made the connection that candy is sugar, hence the fit to retrieve the bag of sugar.

I know how Aubree feels. I love sugar too and was addicted to it at different times in my life. When my 17 and 15-year-old was in middle school, I remember feeling sick to my stomach when I picked them up from school because an hour before, I had eaten ten miniature chocolate bars. This wasn't an everyday occurrence, but it happened more than I liked. And ashamed, I never talked about it. It was my dirty little secret.

The interesting thing? While unwrapping and nibbling, I never understood why I was eating. I just knew that I craved it, and after, the sugar craving was satiated for a time.

What is it about sugar that makes a person crave more? According to Science Direct, "Sugar is noteworthy as a substance that releases opioids and dopamine and thus might be expected to have addictive potential."

And according to Kimberly Holland from Taste of Home, "Sugar addiction is no joke—brains can rewire themselves to crave sugar, and you can end up with withdrawal symptoms when you don't get enough of the sweet stuff.

After doing some research I learned to have lots of grace with myself. Sugar addiction doesn't need to be my dirty little secret anymore! I still eat sugar, the occasional cookie, a piece of the pie in moderation but I've discovered that when I start to crave it's time to cut back for a while and concentrate on eating whole foods.