Escaping The Sugar Trap

Reading time: approx. 6 minutes

Hey Brothers! 

Welcome to LenDentonThrive Letter #69!

I’ll bet you have a sugar addiction! 

If you’re an Over-50 Guy, who has been eating the Standard American Diet, or S.A.D., for years, then there’s a pretty good chance that you have a sugar addiction. I call it the Sugar Trap. 

You might not have noticed your sugar addiction, but that’s probably because you do a good job of feeding it. But, once the sugar stops, your internal sugar monster roars to life. 

That’s the way it used to be for me. Then, I figured out how to short-circuit the sugar cravings and escape the Sugar Trap. And, in this edition of the LenDentonThrive Letter, I’ll show you how you can do it too. 

I recently wrote about how toxic and addictive sugar is. While sugar is technically not considered to be a toxic substance in general, excessive consumption of sugar is highly unhealthy and leads to obesity and serious chronic illnesses that will reduce the quality and length of your life. It’s that kind of toxic.

Sugar is also highly addictive. It affects the same pleasure centers in the brain as cocaine and heroin. But, sugar has a stronger effect than cocaine! To get the details on the research, check out LDT Letter #67.

Uncovering A Sugar Addiction

Identifying a sugar addiction can be challenging. Several signs and behaviors can suggest a dependency on sugar. Here are some indicators that you might have a sugar addiction:

• Craving Something Sweet After Every Meal: If you feel that a meal isn't complete without a sugary treat, it could be a sign of sugar addiction.

• Increased Tolerance for Sweetness: Over time, consuming large amounts of sugar can dull your taste buds, requiring more sugar to achieve the same level of sweetness. If you find that naturally sweet foods like fruits no longer taste sweet, this might be an indicator.

• Energy Fluctuations: Experiencing dramatic spikes and crashes in energy levels throughout the day can be linked to sugar consumption. Sugar causes a quick rise in blood sugar, followed by a crash, leading to feelings of fatigue and more sugar cravings.

• Difficulty Reducing Sugar Intake: If you consciously try to cut back on sugar but find it challenging, this could be a sign of addiction. You might also hide your sugar consumption or make excuses for it.

• Eating Sugary Foods When Not Hungry: Consuming sugary snacks even when you're not hungry, especially in response to emotional triggers like stress or boredom, can indicate a dependency.

• Physical Symptoms: Withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, irritability, or mood swings when you reduce sugar intake can also suggest an addiction.

• Using Sugar as a Mood Booster: Relying on sugar to improve your mood or energy levels is another potential sign of addiction.

An effective way to self-diagnose whether you have a sugar addiction is to track your food intake for 3-4 days. Be sure to include weekend days. Just write down everything you’re eating. There is no need for calorie tracking, just record the items. Once you’ve done this, your eating patterns will be clear. You’ll be able to see what kinds of foods you’re eating and how frequently. 

When I did this ten years ago, it was clear that my normal food intake was full of hidden sugars. It was also the primary reason that I weighed almost 250 pounds!

So, here’s the question for you: Do you have a sugar addiction?

Knowing the answer to this question could add 5-10 healthy years to your life.

Escaping Your Sugar Trap

If you have a sugar addiction, you’re probably having difficulty eating healthy, and your workouts likely have a limited effect on your overall weight. That’s because it's almost impossible to outwork a bad diet!

The most effective way to lose weight and become more fit is to change the way you eat. It's easier to avoid excess calories than it is to burn them off through exercise. 

If you have a sugar addiction, becoming the healthier, fitter version of you is going to be difficult!

So, when you’re ready to overcome your sugar addiction, here are several steps you can take to escape the Sugar Trap:

1 - Share and Coordinate - because changes to your diet could affect others around you, it’s a good idea to share your plans with a spouse or partner. This will allow them to adjust their plans to support your efforts.

2- Start a Sugar Fast - Begin a 10-day sugar fast, during which time you will choose to consume no sugars in your diet. You’ll need several days of zero sugar consumption to overcome the cravings. If you mess up, start the 10 days over from the beginning. You’re likely to experience some withdrawal cravings during this time. This is normal and expected. Two things that helped me to deal with cravings during this fast were:

1. Sugar-Free Substitutes - I found several sugar-free versions of my favorite foods that I swapped for the sugar-full versions. I also switched from sugar to Sucralose (Splenda). See more on artificial sweeteners here. 

2. I found that fruit, especially strawberries, was a satisfying snack that I could eat when I craved sugar. (You might need to experiment to find your go-to substitute.)

3 - Eat Healthy Meals - Increase your protein intake. Protein helps you feel satiated for longer. Replace sugar calories with meats and vegetables. And, eat well. Don’t allow yourself to be hungry during this 10-day fast period!

4 - Clean Out the Pantry - get rid of the foods that cause you to eat sugar. This includes sugary drinks and snacks. 

5 - Read Food Labels - Don’t consume any food products where sugar is listed as one of the first three ingredients.

5 - Stay Hydrated - Sometimes, we think we are hungry when we are actually thirsty.

6 - Get More Sleep - sleep helps to reduce our levels of Cortisol (the fight-or-flight hormone). Ghrelin, the hunger hormone, also decreases with better sleep.

7 - Reduce Stress - Food cravings are often triggered by stress. Lowering our stress levels also lowers Cortisol (as noted in #6 above). Avoid stressful situations and people whenever you can. Walking is an excellent way to reduce stress.

The key to success in dealing with your sugar addiction is to attack it head-on! Half measures will simply prolong the length of time you remain under its control. The rewards of escaping the Sugar Trap are a longer, healthier life.

So, are you ready to escape the Sugar Trap?

Smarter - not harder.

Thanks for reading this week.

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