The Sweet Truth – are you addicted?

Mar 22 2008 by Hannah Davies, The Journal

AS Easter approaches can you resist the temptation to indulge?

The ability to identify sweet foods was a major advantage for our ancestors. It gave them the ability to seek energy rich, highly nutritional foods such as fruit while avoiding bitter tasting, potentially poisonous plants.

In today’s world this genetic trait can have us heading for the chocolate aisles of the supermarket with not such pleasant side effects.

Chocolate, like other sweet foods, increases the production of serotonin in the brain. This acts a bit like an anti-depressant and makes us feel good. If you feel an overwhelming urge to eat it, and once you’ve consumed it, your anxiety alleviates, you could be addicted!

But it’s not only chocolate that can have this effect. Eating a diet high in refined sugar, including not only the obvious cakes and biscuits but breads and pastas made from refined white flour, will give an immediate gratification but this is short lived.

These types of foods provide the body with sugar too quickly. After eating you get a corresponding surge in energy, quickly followed by a drop as the body scrambles to rebalance your blood sugar levels. The drop has you heading for the chocolate or the biscuit barrel and the process starts again.

This type of highly refined diet can lead to weight gain and the associated illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, digestive problems and certain cancers.

The best way to break the habit is to avoid concentrated sweetness including sugar, sweets, desserts, cakes and biscuits.

Beat the cravings

1. Begin the day with a good breakfast. Make sure it includes protein such as eggs, yoghurt (unsweetened), milk plus complex carbohydrates such as wholemeal bread, porridge, muesli.

2. Aim to eat regularly, ideally three meals and two snacks a day.

3. Reduce the amount of coffee and caffeinated drinks you consume.

4. Think of something enjoyable when the craving hits, listen to music, take some exercise or clean your teeth!

The good news – everything in moderation.

Researchers at Harvard University found that eating chocolate three times a month can add one year to your life.