I'm Krystal and I'm a Sugar Addict!

 Addiction: A Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance. The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.

Now before I go on with this blog, I'm going to take a moment to draw the line between a sugar addict and a sugar appreciator.  A sugar appreciator appreciates and enjoys sweet foods in all regards, but is content to have it as a treat in it's 'beautified' form.  A sugar addict finds it difficult or impossible to go a day without some form of sugar fix, no matter it's form.  This blog is not intended to spray about how sugar is the root of all evil and should be banned.  It's about creating awareness for those who are stuck in a sugar rut.  Who are on their way (or reached) their lowest point.  Where sugar rules the roost in their diet and their life isn't complete without that divine sugary fix.  Now here's the hard facts (which I found thanks to the magic of the internet).....

THE DETAILS: Addiction to sugar is probably more common than you think. Americans consume an average of 20 to 30 teaspoons (about ½ cup!) daily of this substance, which has been linked to a variety of health problems, including obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), attention and memory problems, hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression. Every month a new study comes out adding to the list of dangers posed by consuming sugar and its cousins, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose, and dextrose. Despite the risks, we continue to eat sugar because it is so addictive.

In fact, sugar meets all the criteria for an addictive substance:

• It stimulates release of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine and serotonin, in a manner similar to alcohol, cocaine, and other drugs of abuse.
• People eat it compulsively, despite negative consequences and the intention to stop.
• With continued use, people develop a tolerance to its effects.
• Heavy sugar consumers have trouble functioning without it.
• When consumption ceases, withdrawal symptoms occur.

It is fast becoming reconqised as important to treat as alcohol, tobacco and drug addiction due to it's drastic health implications.  Sugar addiction can follow the same pattern as alcoholism as the following example suggests:  An alcoholic (or alcohol addict) will find any means to have an alcoholic beverage and different emotions and scenarios can impact their addictive pattern.  An alcohol appreciator (or social drinker), will drink on an occassional basis.  They will usually select a drink they can appreciate and can distinguish the best time to stop.

So how do you know if you're addicted to sugar?

1. There is little or no sense of satisfaction until sugar is consumed.
2. Excessive effort is made to ensure sugar is consumed.
3. Excessive quantities of sugar is consumed on a daily basis.
4. The symptoms of 'withdraw' appears if sugar hasn't been consumed in a small period of time.
5. When it's difficult to appreciate the taste of most foods because your taste buds have adapted to large quantities of sugar.

From my own experience (and my partners), it's very easy to put the blame on someone else.  We always had sugar in the house.  We always baked.  We always ate at cafes.  My mum was an addict...... seriously!  Did anyone put a gun to your head and make you eat that chocolate bar?  Did someone tie you to an elaborate machine and stuff gummy bears down your throat? Unless you are one of these individuals, the one person you have to be accountable for your addiction is YOU.  Yes you heard right..... Y-O-U!  Just because your parents were addicted, doesn't mean you have to follow their lead.  Just  because it sat in your cupboard or kitchen table growing up, DOESN'T mean you MUST eat it.  Just because it's offered to you as a gift, doesn't mean you HAVE to eat it to be polite. You are in control of your own destiny and only you can stop!

Now I'll let you in on a secret.  I am a sugar addict.  I am STILL a sugar addict.  There is a good chance I will battle this for the rest of my life.  I am accountable for how I control my cravings.  I am accountable for the consequences of over indulgance.  All my life I have been 'tempted' by sugar.  Growing up, it was normal for me to have a packet of jelly beans, a magnum ego and a bounty bar after school most days.  It was normal for me to sit down and eat a WHOLE cake by myself and LICK the plate.

My lowest point came when I went to Melbourne on holidays in June.  Over the course of my trip I consumed 4 kilos of sour and gummy lollies, 5 krispy kreme donuts, 2 cookies and cream and 2 cinnamon pretzels, 4 cupcakes, a cheesecake and god knows how much chocolate!  Compared with the lack of activity I did on the trip (and all the other garbage I ate) I gained a considerable amount of weight and just felt lethargic and disguised in myself.  I almost couldn't fit my clothes by the time I left and I ended up with high cholesterol.  I also had the disguising guilty pleasure of mixing icing sugar with cream and putting it in a sandwich.  I made certain that EVERY day I ate either a McFlurry, 50c cone or both.  To me, this is the behaviour of a sugar addict.... finding any means to get a sugar fix.  The Melbourne trip was the rock bottom (compare it to a drug addict who comes into contact with a drug dealer on a personal basis - the temptation to indulge is there on a dangerous level).  I was absolutely disguised with myself.  I knew there was a issue and something needed to be done.  One morning I made a decision to kick my habit!

Now it's a long and exhausting process, but so worth it.  The first week is so difficult because a habit is being broken.  The headaches, feeling like crap, grumpy, irritable.  No one dared piss me off during that first week because I would have SNAPPED!!! Three months in, I'm gaining control of my addiction, but I know I still have a long way to go.  The moral of the story is consistency, will power, hard-work and accountability for your actions! Ultimately, the more in control your sugar consumption is, the easier it becomes to have less cravings. Below I found an awesome top ten of ways to beat your sugar addiction:

These 10 recommendations will make it easier to get a sugar problem under control.

#1: Keep sugar and sugar products out of your house. This includes white and brown sugar, corn syrup, and maple syrup.

#2: Eat enough healthy food to satisfy your hunger. Eat healthy, whole food snacks like fruit, carrots, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, dates, and dried fruit to satisfy your sweet tooth. Drink plenty of water, too. Add a little fruit juice to sweeten iced tea, carbonated water, and other sugar-free drinks. Frozen fruit, whole or pureed, makes a delicious alternative to ice cream. Once you have cleared sugar from your system, your taste buds will become more sensitive, and these whole natural foods will taste sweeter and more satisfying. If you slow down and eat mindfully, you'll enjoy these foods even more.

#3: Eat three regular meals each day that combine complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains, and fruits), lean protein (poultry, fish, meat, dairy, tofu) and healthy fats (milk, cheese, omega-3's, olive oil and other cold-pressed oils). This will help you maintain a steady blood sugar level throughout the day and reduce your sugar cravings. Eating a diet high in fiber also helps to reduce sugar cravings.

Drop those fries! Sugar is just as addictive and bad for you as excess sodium.

#4: Take a multivitamin and mineral supplement. Chromium picolinate and l-glutamine help to reduce cravings for some people.

#5: When you go out, make sure you are not ravenously hungry, especially if sugary sweets will be the only food available. Bring your own healthy snacks with you, or eat before going out.

#6: Get regular exercise, plenty of sunlight, and adequate sleep to reduce sugar cravings.

#7: Learn to identify and manage cravings that are not a result of physical hunger, but instead are rooted in stress or anxiety. Develop alternative ways of managing stress: Take a walk, call a friend, read a book, play with your pet, watch a movie. Breathe, meditate, listen to music, or take a hot bath to activate your body's relaxation response. Relaxation helps to balance your blood sugar and reduce cravings.

Would a tax on sugary drinks and sweets help you slim down?

#8: If you have turned to sugar to deal with uncomfortable feelings, learn to identify the specific feelings and respond appropriately to them. If you are tired, take a break or rest, rather than trying to persevere in the face of fatigue. If you are bored, find something stimulating to do. If you are lonely, reach out to a friend. Overcoming your sugar addiction involves really paying attention to what you are feeling, and giving yourself what you really need instead of using sugar as a substitute.

#9: If you do overindulge in sugar, acknowledge that you slipped, and get back on track as soon as possible. Let go of the guilt and shame. Eating sugar is unhealthy, but it's not a sin. As with other addictions, it doesn't matter if you need multiple attempts to quit, just that you keep trying until it sticks.

#10: Be kind to yourself. To end the struggle with sugar, learn to nourish your body well and respond compassionately to your own feelings. The best sugar substitute is genuine self-acceptance.

To conclude (and something I did to help myself) was to consider what the sugary item looks like in it's 'starting form'.  You wouldn't sit down and eat spoonfuls of sugar out of a packet..... which is pretty much the same as that packet of snakes you're craving.  Take the time to make your journey work..... the results will speak for themselves!!!

One chubba bubba coming up!

Everyone has their own hand print.... their own distinguished 'look', their own personality, talents, temperaments, and most of all.... body shape.  Imagine being the unfortunate mumma that had to push out the equivilent of a 12 pound watermelon out of your glory bits?
Well for one thing, I don't envy them one bit, there's only so far this lady is willing to stretch!  Now some of these babies are born as giants, and some get the gift of being short and plump... or more notably, 'chubba bubbas'.

Now I didn't fall into this category (you can thank me later mum for not tearing up your insides), but despite being an average 8 pounds, I was born with the dreaded chubba bubba syndrome.  Those chubby cheeks, pot belly, double chin with fountains of dribble, arm and leg rolls that would make Jabba the hut blush.  Some chubby babies, get the luck of losing their baby weight when they start walking and become quite small children to accompany their ever increasing metabolism.  I, unfortunately, was not blessed with a high metabolism, so I continued on life as a chubby toddler.

Now don't get too confused here. I didn't have a fat complex since birth, nor did I care bout my size as a toddler.  It was with age and further social interaction that I began to realise that my size was socially inadequate.  I felt like my size held me back from having friends and not being bullied, hence making me unhappy.

As sad as it is, children do find it much easier to bully someone who is visually unappealing to them because it makes the target different.   It's easy to point out that someone is perceptually overweight, or has visual deformities or wears the 'wrong' clothing.  But anyway, back to my story....

Things actually started to improve when I started school.  One day, I magically got thinner and visually felt like a 'real child'.  For years, I thought I was in the clear.  That I evaded obesity for good.  That I would be a cute and normal skinny child.  But things changed when I turned 9.....