I was a sugar addict. In fact my sugar addiction started when I was nine where candy, cookies and ice cream were my weekly reward for a good job in my weekly piano classes. So sugar to me were treats, happy occasions, job well done and all around satisfaction in life.

Clueless, I continued with my sugar eating habit until a wake up call in college when I was suffering from allergies, insomnia and headaches and more…all due to sugar addiction.

If I say I don’t like sugar, I’d be lying. Sugar tastes good. We can be addicted to sugar just like people who are addicted to drugs and cigarettes. Children are addicted to sugar at a very young age because they are given it in school, home and daycares as a reward for good behavior, as treats, or anything related to being good.

A few days ago while at the grocery store, I saw a great example of why I don’t feed my kid sugar and candy.  A three year old was screaming and crying for M&M’s, and was un-consolable until he got them.

Is he addicted to sugar?

According to scientific research, sugar stimulates and releases dopamine in our brain. Dopamine is a feel good and is responsible for reward-driven learning. It works when someone takes cocaine or other drugs. Since it is reward-driven, our brain likes and craves for more.

Flavored cereals, cookies, cakes, pop tarts, doughnuts and sugared drinks like sweetened tea, sodas, boxed juices are loaded with sugar. Sugar stimulates our brain just like morphine and cocaine.

Sugar flavored breakfast and drinks are fast carbs that spike the blood sugar in kids or adults and they don’t last. Before lunchtime in school, hunger may strike that leaves kids feeling miserable and moody. Could this be classified as behavioral problem or wrong breakfast foods?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta reported in CBS 60 minutes in March of this year that new scientific research supports his theory that sugar is toxic and is linked to heart disease. You can read the full report through this link.

Sugar is also linked to kidney damage, cancer, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Obesity in adults and children are linked to high intake of sugar. Imagine 130 pounds of sugar consumed per year by an average American!

Here are three ways to break away from sugar:

1. Remember fast carbs like white bread, sweetened cereals, potato products, ketchup eaten alone or as a majority of the diet will make kids and adults fat. We have to get slow burning carbs, proteins and fats into our diet for weight loss and prevent diseases.

2. Be informed about the foods and drinks we consumed daily. Here at The Total Wellness Doc, we want to serve you with valuable content to not only inform but to give you solutions to getting the results you want. Slique Products like Slique Gum, Slique Tea and Slique Essence Oil and Slique Slimming Caps may be one of your solutions to breakaway from sugar. Follow this link to find out more.

3. Be willing to make the changes for better health. I’ve written an eBook called 10 Hidden Secrets Why You Can’t Get Your Hand Out of the Cookie Jar. Get it today.

It may take you a few days, weeks or months before you completely breakaway from a sugar addiction. The key is to take incremental steps. Please post your questions or comment on my Facebook Wall. I would like to hear from you.

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. It’s strictly for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes ONLY. The products I talk about are not meant to diagnose, prescribe, treat or cure any illness or disease. Any information I give you about them is for informational or entertainment purposes only. They have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Please seek the qualified health professional of your choice when making health decisions for yourself, your family and your pets.