Monday, March 26, 2012

Sugar Addiction and Fasting

EDIT: Please read my Nearly 3 Years Later: 3 Broken Bones & 200+ Pounds - The Long-Term Effects of Juice Fasting update before considering juice fasting.  I hope that my experience will provide you with real-world information about long-term juicing.



It's a love/hate relationships for me and the "I am addicted to food" rational.  Sometimes I feel that this mentality is nothing more than an excuse to consume and not take responsibility.  Believe me when I say that I have used this many times, but I know deep down inside it's a behavior issue.  However, when it comes to sugar, I am a firm believer that sugar can be addictive.

I base my beliefs on both scientific research as well as my own personal experience - though the science field doesn't agree 100 percent, which is great!  (That's the researcher in me.  Challenge everything to ensure that every possible angle has been validated.)

My personal experience comes from my first juice fast.  Severe detoxes were pretty normal throughout the 40 days, but around day 36 or so, something strange happened: I experienced intense withdrawal symptoms.

I was irritable; couldn't concentrate; couldn't sit still; my heart was racing; my thoughts were racing;  I was anxious; I ended up pacing up and down the hallway at work over and over again.  The intense, overwhelming feeling wouldn't stop!  And yet, for some reason, I knew somewhere deep down inside of me that if I just had one morsel of sugar it would all stop.  But I refrained.

The very next day, my body expelled loads of dead candida - something that depends on and thrives on sugar!  I can honestly say that from that moment on, I have not been a slave to sugar.  It doesn't "please" me the way it used to.  It doesn't satisfy me.  It doesn't comfort me.  I am free!  I honestly don't think I would have broken the addiction if it weren't for juice fasting.

I will also add that since then, sweet foods that used to be so delicious to me are too sweet for me now.  It almost causes me to wince the way sour foods do for most people.  If I need something sweet, I tend to use raw honey.  In fact, Really Raw® Honey seems to provide such nourishment and joy to me.

Please, don't just take my word for it.  Research for yourself. 

Articles on sugar research:

Sugar Addiction In Your Body, Not Just Your Mind

Sugar as addictive as cocaine, heroin, studies suggest

Sugar is an Addictive Drug? Eh...Sort Of

Book:

Sugar Blues

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