Has Our Addiction to Sugar Gotten Out of Hand?

Funny how a British Chef is the one lecturing us about food. No doubt some may find it offensive — that is your right no to take personal responsibility — but like alcohol, sugar is hard drug (that is not my opinion: some serious scientific studies have concluded to that). Surely excessive sugar consumption may not lead to public disturbance nor assault and is very unlikely to cause traffic accidents either, but it may certainly cause serious even lethal diseases and accelerated ageing of the body (glycation). That said, it won't come as a big surprise to those with a basic knowledge of chemistry since alcohol is obtained by fermenting carbohydrates (sugars). 

Thereupon I can hear you say : “Yes, but I don't eat that much sugar!” Really? What do you mean by “not that much” ? Actually, if when you're full, you still find yourself drooling over a tasty dessert presented to you (or on screen), or if you find it hard to say no when offered some chocolates to tempt you (people aren't comfortable with living with their own vice so they usually attempt to justify their bad habits by enticing others), well sorry to have to tell you but you're addicted. A little, a lot, madly, truly... I don't know. It's less the strength of your addiction than the absence of addiction that really matters here. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not lecturing you. I too, have been unknowingly addicted. It took some health issues to force me to realise it subsequently after withdrawal — which actually went out smoothly without feeling punished nor frustrated, because in my mind I was doing a special favour to myself, a second chance to regain control of my body, emotions and health. I even discovered an iron will I didn't know I had in me and I'm very proud of it. Proud not to worry about temptation; proud to be slim again; proud to have achieved that on my own; and definitely relived to be free of cravings, sickness and hypoglycemic episodes. Admittedly, suppressing sugar wasn't the only factor (I also suppressed gluten, exercise, do yoga, meditate), but one thing's for sure: sugar doesn't soothe your mood; instead it promotes and nurtures depression. In much the same way as alcohol.

Ey@el

Sugar consumption and the detrimental impact it is having on our health continues to be a hot topic of discussion worldwide. Whether it be a man giving up sugar and alcohol consumption for a month to see how his body responds, or an infographic showing its effect on the body, sugar is certainly in the spotlight, and for good reason.

One person at the forefront of the battle against the sweet substance is celebrity chef, restauranteur, and media personality, Jamie Oliver. Jamie is recognized by most for his work on cooking TV stations worldwide, but is now using his respected presence to speak out against something about which he is very passionate.

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