Recently a client came to me and said, “I’m driven by cravings and need sugary foods. I feel like I should be able to resist it, but I can’t and things keep getting worse? I feel depressed, I overeat, I get headaches, tired, irritability, mental fogginess, and, lethargy.  Is there such a thing as sugar addiction?”
Some people really are addicted to sugar; trying to tell them not to eat sugar is like telling a drug addict to simply stop taking their drug. Why? Because sugar addiction, like food intolerances, affects the same biochemical systems in your body as highly addictive drugs. Cutting down on sugar can cause withdrawal symptoms, but they don’t last long, and once you have got through it you will feel like a new you!
 
       By slowly changing when and what we eat, we can change how we feel – dramatically! Low glycemic load (GL) diets such as the Ultra Lite Diet are the most effective as they are based on one principle: If you lose blood sugar control, you gain weight, and feel hungry and tired. If you gain blood sugar control, you lose weight, feel happy and full of energy.
 
       However, I recommend a food intolerance test as well. Food intolerances trigger the immune system and once an immune response is triggered in the body the body feels that it is ‘under siege’ thus hoarding supplies, storing fluid and increasing weight.
 
       The provocation of the immune system also leads to inflammation and swelling and causes the release of endorphins ultimately producing the well-known cycle of allergy (intolerance) and addiction; over 50% of those with food intolerance actually crave the foods that they are intolerant to!
 
        In addition, serotonin levels drop adding to the cycle of cravings which are in turn satisfied by the foods which destabilize insulin and blood sugar and ultimately cause additional weight gain; in other words a vicious circle and it takes an overall approach to ‘undo’ the damage done.
 
       A promising new product that has just been released is PrenuPhase by Numedica.  PrenuPhase is a powerful carb and blood sugar controller. The formula has three effective ingredients: Prenulin® -- clinically proven to aid in reducing the body’s ability to absorb sugar, thereby lowering glucose and insulin impact by almost 30%. Phase 2 Carb Controller® -- an all-natural, non-stimulant, white kidney bean extract clinically shown to help delay the digestion and absorption of dietary starches and InnoSlim® -- shown to help decrease circulating glucose and may reduce glucose absorption in the intestine while reducing fat accumulation.
 
       I would recommend the combination of PrenuPhase, a low GL diet, which can help gradually reduce sugar intolerance, and the identification and elimination of any food sensitivity or intolerances which is essential in order for the approach to be fully effective.