Tackling an addiction to sugar
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 “Holford Low GL 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.
Identifying a sugar intolerance
It can be a hugely valuable step to carry out a food intolerance* test first before embarking on any dietary changes. The reason? IgG food intolerances trigger the immune system and once an immune response is triggered in the body (as evidenced by the raised food-specific IgG levels in blood) the body feels that it is ‘under siege’ thus hoarding supplies, storing fluid and increasing weight.
Provocation of the immune system can also lead 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 foods which destabilise 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. To find out more about the science of food intolerance, please click here.
Sugar intolerance diet
The low GL Diet can help gradually reduce sugar intolerance, and the identification and elimination of any food intolerances* using a yorktest programme can also be important in order for the approach to be fully effective.
yorktest do not offer a specific sugar intolerance test. Instead they test your IgG antibody reactions to up to 208 food and drink ingredients, including sugar. Not only can they identify your individual “trigger foods”, which could be the root cause of your symptoms, they also provide comprehensive nutritional support to help you safely remove them from your diet.
*yorktest define food intolerance as a food-specific IgG reaction.
Natasha Furniss, BSC(HONS), MSC
