Sweet Escape: Breaking Free from Sugar Addiction

Max Sturdivant/Dr. Fitness  0:04  
Hello, and welcome to Your Health Moment podcast. I'm your host Max Sturdivant better known as Dr. Fitness. On this podcast, I want to give you the tools to start, continue and never give up on your journey towards health. Now, whether you struggle with your weight, eating the right food, hydration, exercise, or even time management, you're in the right place, and I'm here for you. Now, let's dive right into this episode. 

A welcome back to Your Health moment. This is one of the shows that it's really personal for me. If you know me, you know already that I am a sugar addict. And it's really important for me to say it a few times, I need to say it sometimes on a daily basis, because admitting it has been the first step to helping me to manage control it and eliminate it. Now, like most addicts, have any other kind of addiction. I don't know if you're ever really cured from it, but you can stop doing it and stop participating in that particular addiction for certain amount of time. And I feel the same way about my sugar addiction. You know, there, I can go a long time without it. But in the back of my head, there is always that oh my god. Yeah, if I see something or smell something, there's a potential trigger that could put me right back into eating it. And people go, Well, just having a little it's, it's, it won't Archer, you know, how often do we hear that? Oh, just a little and you'll be okay. It's kind of the ultimate excuse, except when you really put it in perspective, okay. Like, would you tell a heroin addict? You know, just a little bit of heroin, it's going to be fine. It's not going to kill you. You know, did you tell a cocaine addict, you know, just have a little cocaine, it's not going to kill you are a drinker, someone who is an alcoholic, you say, well, just one drink, he'll be fine. You know, we've learned that when people have addictions, doing it a little, is not really a great way to, to continue to not use it. You know, it's like a slippery slope. Because once you do a little, oh, I'm okay with that. I'll do a little bit more, I'm okay with that. I'll do a little bit more, I'm okay with that. But what happens is, before you know what you're right back into the patterns that are going to create real serious challenges for you. Be it whatever addiction that you have, I think once you're honest enough to admit to yourself that you have an addiction, use that use it to help you to, to not get swept up into that addiction, and to really take take control of it. And I think we have a chance of taking control of it when we acknowledge that it exist. Because when we don't acknowledge that it exists, then it's hard for us to make changes that we need to make in our life to manage that intake of whatever it is that we're addicted to. So I love this month, because in October, what we do is I get a group of people together. And I invite them for the month to give up sugar for the month. Sugar and simple carbohydrates. Give it up for 30 days, 31 days we had in October. So give it up for 31 days, and see how well you do. 

Now if you can give it up for 31 days, and it's not a problem for you, then most likely, you are not a sugar addict. Okay? But if you attempt to give up sugar for 31 days, and you find that you can't. Well, there's some serious issue there that I would invite you to take a look at. And I can actually coach you through that process. And I would totally invite you to do that at super encouraging but step one is I want to bring you on board and encourage you to join me in October for 30 days, no simple carbohydrates, and no sugar. Okay? And when you do the no sugar, I'm going to recommend that you really do no sugar. So nothing that's sweet, no artificial sweeteners, no monkfruit. No honey. Because I know that story too, but it's not really sugar, it's like, it's not going to mess with your blood sugar levels. You know, your a one C is not going to be screwy because of it. No, but it's sweet. And the goal is to give up sweet. And if you have any questions about this, there's a book, I would invite you to also read and pick up because this is the book that really helped me to get motivated and get a lot more serious when it comes to managing my, my addiction to sugar. The name of the book is why we get fat and what to do about it. And it's written by Gary Taubes. He's a scientific writer for the New York Times. And it's a brilliant book. You know, if you're curious about sugar addiction, if you're curious about simple carb addiction and the problems that it creates for us and populations worldwide, then definitely get the book because you will learn a lot from the book. And maybe like me, it will motivate you to go Oh, wow, there's a real serious reason, I need to get a handle on the amount of sugar and simple carbohydrates at a meeting. And some people go I'm not allergic to sugar. And I go well, do you like potato chips? Do you eat them regular, and then go Yeah, but that's salty. It's not sugar. Unfortunately, when you break down potato, potatoes and bread, and those type of simple carbs, they're straight sugar, your body receives them as sugar. And so I really do, when you take me up on the challenge, I really do want you to pay attention to that too. You're going to be blown away, I'm gonna tell you some of the things that have happened in the past years, when I've worked with people to do this. They lose inches off their ways. They feel really good. They have more better energy. And they really notice a difference just by giving up sugar for 30 days. Big time. Big difference. So I invite you to do the same thing, give up sugar for that 30 days. And then look at the changes that you see in your party by just simply given up sugar for 30 days. You're gonna go with no, it's gonna be hard for me to do. Okay. Hey, I think that was me. Maybe in the beginning? It was hard for me to do do over No, no, what if I don't think I need it? So I went back and forth between I don't think I need it. I'm not that bad, you know, not overweight. I don't have diabetes yet. You know, it's I can still do it. And when I hear that, because it's my own stuff that was going through my head. So I can relate to people that are thinking that I started thinking, well, it's the same thing that smokers say, like, you know what I'm smoking but I don't have cancer. It's not bothering me. I don't have a cough. Unlike good. You know what I mean? Or I'm not coughing that much. And so, since the worst thing has not happened to them yet. They figure well, hey, it's still good to do. So I get that. I don't think it's probably the wisest way to go, in my opinion. But I do get the way someone would think that way. But I definitely don't think it's the way to go. I think when you realize that there is something you're doing and you can't give it up. That thing has control over you.

And if it's something like sugar, the writing is on the wall because we know sugar is connected to heart disease, different forms of cancer, diabetes, obesity, and early death. And just not so fun fact we could use that like oh no fun fact. But I think this is a not so fun fact, like in 2017, over 11 million deaths are attributed to simple carbs and sugar over 11 million. And we know that was for 2017. I haven't seen any studies with any recent data yet. But I'm telling you, if I had to guess, which I will, in this case, I believe the numbers are going up. The obesity rates have gone up. And it's kind of chilling. And people go, Well, I could cut it out. But do I have to stop my kids from eating it? They love their breakfast cereal in the morning. And I go, Hmm, if it's not good for you to eat, why do you think it's good for your kids to eat? That's another one. And the ones I can't quite figure out the game that that some parents play in their head with that, like, oh, I don't want to deprive them. Well, you don't want to deprive them from obesity, you don't want to deprive them from high blood pressure, you don't want to diabetes, you know, it's kind of crazy. I think those are the kinds of things that you should be wanting to spare your children from. And if you can make some adjustments to their food, to spare them from real serious health challenges. I mean, to me, it's like a no brainer. But I'm hoping that you have your kids join the challenge with you. Because I even think in a lot of cases, kids are a lot more savvy than we are. In these days, they tend to know more, you know, I have great nieces and nephews, and even my son, they know more things about computers than I could ever know. They are just much more savvy when it comes to getting information in and using it, then a lot of my peers. So I think once you introduce them, you might be surprised of the feedback that you get, it may really surprise you. So I wouldn't count them out. And just think automatically that they wouldn't go for it. I think once you explain to them the risk of eating the way that they're currently eating, they'll understand. And it may empower them to make the change that they may not have been able to make on their own because let's face it, sugar is addicting. If you eat it, it's sweet, it's desirable, you feel something behind it. I mean, so having an understanding of the dangerous side of that sugar, I think is really helpful. You know, at least you're giving them balanced information, because their taste buds has given them one version of the story. And you have the opportunity to give them another version of that story. So that they can decide whether or not if the tastebud version is the only version that they should pay attention to. You know, so we're all in this together. 

The food industry, they're throwing sugar into everything. And then they're they're creating these new sugars that they're putting in, because we're getting kind of smart that sugar is not so great. So now they're switching it up and saying, Well, there's no sugar in this. But they put in some other type of sweetener. It may not be sugar, but it's another sweetener. And in my opinion, it's still problematic. So when your body takes it when your tongue tastes something sweet. I think your body just automatically does what it does. It starts producing insulin. It's as if I were you walking down the street and I jumped out from behind the tree and I said, boo, your body, and that split second is going to produce those flight or fight hormones right away. You know, it's doesn't process that it just does it because you have to be prepared right away. And I believe the same thing is applicable when it comes to tasting sugar on your tongue. Your body just does what it does. It's going to create insulin. But the challenge is, if it's a certain type of sweetener that doesn't require insulin to have to handle it or manage it? Well, then you just have free floating insulin in your system without a job to do. And that is problematic, okay? There was a time they used to use insulin. Like we do now we use it to help treat diabetics. But there was a time that they used insulin to help people put on weight. So think of that insulin is so helpful for weight gain, that there was a time they used it specifically for that purpose. So I just want to invite you to take a look at that, take a look at the book, while we get fat and what to do about it. And reach out to me if you're interested in joining the challenge, this October. 

And you know, we didn't pick October by accident, October at the end of the month starts to roll into the holiday season where we're going to be eating all kinds of carbs, and sugars and sweeteners, and then ends in that month with Halloween, which is like a whole candy blow out. So we're doing it on purpose, that thing about Halloween, and then October, it's one of those periods that when you walk into the store, usually the candy is in its candy aisle, or near the registers when you check out. But during October, they put it in the front of the store. So you can't even miss it when you go into the store. And it doesn't even matter what store the supermarket. It's there right in the front, you got to see it before you even get into the store good. You see candy, the drugstore, they put it in the front, you go for prescription, he's gotta go buy the candy. You go to Home Depot to candies right there in the front, and you're going to buy stuff to help you to fix your house. You go get gas, well, you know its own. So the challenge with being addicted to sugars and simple carbs is there everywhere. And it seems like all the time, but particularly in October and the holidays, oh, terrorists, it just goes overboard. It's really so hard to escape from. Okay. So once again, I would love you to do the no sugar challenge. If you agree to do it, I got your back, okay. If you're challenged about doing it, like, oh, I don't think I can, I got your back too. Because if you don't believe that you can even be successful at it for 30 days, you're one of the people that really needs serious support. Because it's a problem, and you admittedly don't have the skill set to even begin to address it. I want to help you. Because it's going to sneak up on you and, and really create havoc. So if you feel you can't do it, oh, you're someone that really needs to reach out. So I can give you more information to really help you to be even more informed and to develop other strategies that will be helpful to you. And if you're willing to do it, oh, I'm going to help you with strategies to help you to be successful with it. And I just going through the process is really important because you learn a lot of things as you go through the process. So I don't want to keep you anymore. If you want more information about this, all you need to do is text your name and your email to me at 904-236-5858. That's 904-236-5858 Or check out my website at IamDrfitness.com or go to my Instagram, which is @iamdrfitness, tons of information there.

You know, chime in, send me a message. I love hearing from people. If I'm not following you reach out because I'd want to follow you and see the stuff that you're posting and what's going on and what you're doing. And have a fantastic day. And hey, next time, I have a fantastic guest that you are going to love listening to. So definitely lock me in, hit the follow here and be sure that you are on board for the next podcast next week. Okay, any questions anytime do not hesitate to reach out and I really answer those calls. I'm not a robot. Okay. Sometimes I take people back and they think of a bot. So I wanted to clear the air on that and let you know that I'm super excited about this holiday season and the people that we are going to help manage Halloween and dooster sugar intake the entire month of October, I hope you're going to be part of the no sugar group this October because you're going to see some really impressive things happen to your waistline if you are okay, and you're going to learn some real cool things, one how to reduce your sugar. So until next time. 

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Transcribed by https://otter.ai