Rule number 7 in our top ten from Michael Pollan’s Food Rules is “Avoid foods that have sugar as the first three ingredients”. Processed sugar has become such an integral part of our lifestyle that we think it’s completely normal to eat things that are basically sugar, sugar and more sugar!
We all know deep down that we should cut back on sugar – all those extra calories are not the best thing after all, But it goes further than that: the amount of sugar we eat is putting us out of touch with the way real food tastes.
About two years ago, I discovered that sugar was contributing to a lot of health issues for me, and I decided to give it up. It wasn’t a difficult decision, but it was certainly a difficult task! For two months I allowed myself one square of chocolate a day and for weeks I was desperate for that little reward to stop my cravings. Eventually though, I discovered that I didn’t need the chocolate and sweet things started tasting sickly and I no longer wanted them.
My experience is an example of how the body will adapt and change as we accustom it to new things. And for most of the Western world, our diet has accustomed us to expect sweetness in almost everything we eat. The body naturally craves sweetness – in the hunt for energy we seek out foods that are high in it – but more and more sugar leads to higher cravings, and so we begin to add it to everything.
The cost of higher sugar cravings and higher sugar consumption is that naturally sweet things don’t taste sweet any more. We’ve accustomed our tongues to expect more than we can get from an apple or a strawberry or a carrot, and so we turn to processed snack foods rather than these healthier options.
If you truly want to reduce the amount of sugar you eat then you will need to retrain your tongue. This cannot be done by replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners. They will reduce your calorie intake and have been proven to be a successful tool for weight control, but they’re not going to solve your problem of craving sweet, unhealthy food. Don’t expect it to be a fast process, and you’ll need discipline and perseverence. But the rewards are high: reduced risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease; a more stable metabolism; more consistent energy reserves – no slumps; and perhaps the loss of a few inches around the hips as well!
Have you given up sugar already? Or have you been thinking of cutting right down? Let us know your thoughts below.
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