The American Heart Association recommends 30 grams of sugar per day for women and 45 grams per day for men. The truth, unfortunately, is that the average American likely consumes close to 100 grams of sugar per day, which can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, depression, headaches, and fatigue. Below are 4 signs that you may be addicted to sugar.
1. You eat past the point you intend.
Many times we plan on eating one piece of candy but often find ourselves thinking “I need more. That wasn’t enough,” and before we know it, 10 pieces are gone. Then we feel sluggish, fatigued, and guilty that we unintentionally indulged ourselves with sugar. If this situation sounds familiar, you might be addicted to sugar.
2. You eat sugary foods even when you don’t really want it. You see a candy bar and stop to think if you really want it. You decide you don’t because you’re not hungry or you’ve already had a piece of chocolate, but five minutes later, you’re still thinking about the candy bar. You start thinking of reasons why it’s ok to eat it, and you eventually do. You then tell yourself that this will be the last time. In these situations, it’s a good idea to have fruits like blueberries on hand to eat instead of candy or chocolate.
3. You worry about cutting down on certain foods.
If you ever worry about how much dessert, candy, or sodas you drink, you might have an addiction to sugar. Any more than 30-45 grams of sugar daily is not considered healthy by the American Heart Association. If you consume more than the advised amount, you might want to think about cutting down on sugar intake.
4. You have yeast problems. Many people can have yeast problems without even knowing. Yeast naturally grows in the mouth and intestines to assist in digestion. But sugary foods can cause it to grow out of control. Common symptoms of yeast overgrowth are skin and nail infections such as athlete’s foot, fatigue, digestive issues like constipation or bloating, seasonal allergies or itchy ears, vaginal infections, and strong sugar cravings. All of these symptoms can likely be attributed to an overgrowth of yeast in the body. (Read more about our simple Yeast Test
here.)
If any of these situations sound familiar or relatable, you might have a sugar addiction.
