this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2024
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Sugar activates the same receptors as heroin. Which, isn't surprising since simple sugars are what fueled much of our earlier ancestors. I personally am not a fan of this fact and would rather frame it as heroin activates the same receptors as sugar.
That said, the sugar industry is a mess. A number of documentaries have been made about it, how they have bribed government officials, had the ear of presidents, and have killed journalists.
The problem with sugar is that it's in just about everything. Sugar, by itself, is not a bad thing so long as you don't overdue it but....a single coke is overdoing it.
I like sweet things. I totally confess that I eat way too many sweet things. 3 or 4 times in my life I've "challenged" myself to go 30 days without eating any sugar except what's in fruits and vegetables and food like that naturally, making sure to eat a very careful diet and no treats or processed food. Every time within a few days I was having awful cravings and mood swings, and by a week I felt like an emotional wreck who just wanted sugar. I completed my "challenges" but it was disturbing.
It also gave me a ton of empathy for addicts. If I can't not eat sugar without a massive struggle, I can only imagine trying to get clean from heroin or another drug.
And just like many other addictions, if you power through the first part, the cravings vanish.
Oh definitely. It just did give me sympathy. I'm much better than I used to be, although I definitely have days and weeks occasionally where I'm like wow, I just want something sweet, and I eat like crap and then have to eat super healthy for awhile to balance it out. But I'm only human, and sometimes I get stressed, depressed, or too broke/tired to eat the way I should. And that's ok. I've tried the ultra healthy lifestyle for awhile and I was honestly miserable and unhappy. I like good food, and everything in moderation and all.