#sugaraddicts

Further reading this week -THE SWEET POISON QUIT PLAN by David Gillespie, an Australian lawyer, weight loss advisor and anti-fructose campaigner. To me, he’s a little shrill about Fructose, and a little too specific about it (fructose) being the one and only Devil Incarnate. I think Fructose is definitely one of the main causes of weight and health problems, as more and more is elucidated about its metabolism and properties. Also, the back of the book has recipes for sweet things, substituting dextrose for sugar. Most of the recipes have wheat flour in them, and to me that is not helpful, although may be more realistic. The advice on stopping sugar and how to know if you are a sugar addict, and how to reframe you choice to stop, is all good.

In particular, I agree with him that, when giving up sugar, it is all too easy to replace that reliance with another substance that gives the same addictive rush of reward hormones in the brain. This week I became aware of a rather alarming tendency to anticipate my evening glass of wine with the feelings I associate with craving chocolate. I do NOT want to start craving alcohol instead of sugar or chocolate. So I have been not having any, and drinking more water and having a piece of whole, fresh fruit in the evening to quell the desire for sweet things.