Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I could have told them that

Princeton University’s Bart Hoebel, Ph.D., has been studying sugar addiction, concluding that sugar works on the brains of rats as morphine and heroin do.

I’ve previously been sugar-free, once for as long as five years. Each successive time I’ve tried to cut it out completely, I’ve not been able to. That alone leads me to believe in the addictive qualities of C12H22O11.

When I quit using sugar before, I quickly and easily dropped 30 pounds. I haven’t duplicated that success on any successive attempt. I think if I saw some pounds vanish, I might be able to continue eating a sugar-free diet. Since I don’t, I figure ‘what’s the use?’ and continue on my merry – and sweet – way.

My sugar consumption is limited to candy and cookies. When I eat pie or drink soda, it’s always the sugar-free variety. My Coffee-Mate Hazelnut Creamer has no added sugar. Sugar-free candy has a laxative effect on me, so my candy bars are the Real Stuff.

It’s not like I’m chowing down on Milky Ways all day long, either. I can go for weeks at a time without chocolate and then suddenly the craving will hit me as if I were an addict, jonesing for a hit.

Thank goodness I don’t have a $500/day habit.

If Dr. Hoebel wants to expand his research to humans, he should give me a call.

1 comment:

Laura N said...

Isn't it funny how science has to "prove" this common sense stuff? I suppose it's nice to have someone with letters behind his name confirm what we've always suspected, at least.

When I went low carb recently, it really got rid of the cravings. When I stick to it, it's not hard. And I suppose if I could scrub my brain and get rid of the memory of what the sugar/carbs/fat combo does for me, I could stay free of that stuff forever.

A brain scrubber. That's what science needs to develop. But one that leaves the good stuff intact. I don't want to end up like Jack Nicholson in Cuckoo's Nest, ha.

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