I am a Crack Addict

From an article in Women's Health Magazine-

In a 2005 study in Physiology & Behavior, a group of Princeton researchers led by psychology professor Bart Hoebel, Ph.D., found that eating sugar triggers the release of opioids, neuro­transmitters that activate the brain's pleasure receptors. Addictive drugs, including morphine, target the same opioid receptors. "Sugar stimulates receptors to activate the same pathways that are stimulated directly by drugs such as heroin or morphine," Hoebel says.

And you thouught I was kidding when I said I was a Crackhead??

I came across this article when I was looking at recipes. It is me all day long. I have detoxed many times and get right back on. I just had a meal of steak and baked potato and because I waited too long to eat( I was starving when dinner arrived.) now I am craving candy as my sugar level is up and down so much. I am going to try to curb it with cantelope instead of the dreaded vending machine.

Does this describe you??

These are tips to get off the Sugar Coaster-

Eat breakfast -"Ninety percent of sugar addicts skip breakfast," says Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., author of Potatoes Not Prozac. "They wait and get a big hit of sugar at 10 a.m." When you eat breakfast, you prevent the drop in blood sugar that makes you crave sugar later.

Pick fruit -Satisfy your sweet tooth with apples, bananas, and berries, which temper natural sugar with fiber and loads of antioxidants, says Elisa Zied, M.S., R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and the author of Feed Your Family Right! Dried fruit and 100 percent fruit juices will also do in a pinch, but they don't have nearly as much fiber and are more concentrated sources of calories, Zied says, so limit yourself to a quarter cup or less of dried fruit or one cup of 100 percent juice a day.

Think 100 - When you simply must have a cupcake or a candy bar, stick to 100- to 150-calorie portions and 16 grams of sugar or less. Check out the Best Supermarket Foods for Women, to keep your fitness goals.

Indulge right after dinner - Late-night ice cream fixes give you a pure, unadulterated sugar rush. Have a small scoop soon after dinner instead and you'll reduce (though not counter) the insulin-­spiking effect, DesMaisons says.Cut out "overt" sugars Tackle the worst offenders first: sucrose-laden treats like candy, frappuccinos, ice cream, and soft drinks. If you drink a soda every day, try having one every other day, then once a week, then not at all.

Enter sugar rehab - Like any addict, you need to detox before you can fully recover. According to DesMaisons, it takes five days to fully overcome your cravings for sugar, and you'll feel awful for three of them. Prepare to be edgy and irritable starting on day two; by day five, you'll feel like a whole new person. After you've recovered, you'll find that a little sugar goes a much longer way.

Just thought I would share-

Off my soapbox now. Back to cupcake dreams.

BTW Cupcake Charlies opens tomorrow in the Commons.