Q. I have been a slave to sugar all of my life. I don't just have a sugar tooth, my whole body craves it. This burden was placed on me as a child when anything from Mt. Dew to southern sweet tea was placed in my cup. Not to mention cavities before I even lost any of my baby teeth. I am addicted and I am ready to let it go. The problem is that I don't know how. Many of you may laugh at this, but my daily attitude is controlled by sugar or lack thereof. I have been fortunate that my metabolism has passed much of it through without any weight gain. Now, as I get older, it's starting to effect me. I am also looking into pescetarianism (vegetarian who eats fish) because meat is starting to become a problem as well. Both sugar and meat are beating me down by the end of the day. Does anyone out there have any tips for cutting sugar out of my life and/or becoming a pescetarian?
A. When you are on a diet, cravings are sure to strike. The three most common cravings are cravings for sugar, fat and salt.
Sugar is considered by many diet experts to be an addiction as dangerous as nicotine or even heroin. There is nothing that gives us a bigger lift than a shot of sugar. However sugar exhausts the pancreas, is often followed by a crash in blood sugar levels and can lead to diabetes and other serious disorders.
An addiction for sugar usually has its roots in issues to do with stress and emotions. Many individuals find sweet foods, and particularly chocolate to be extremely comforting. The only problem is that the root cause of the stress or emotional problem that is causing you to "turn to sugar" to solve your problems is not addressed then you will probably always be addicted to it.
If you crave sugar there are some foods that are not sweets and cakes that can help you circumvent the body's addiction to it. For instance the Jerusalem artichoke is a vegetable that is thought to regulate the body's blood sugar balance. Vegetables such as sweet potatoes and yams can help satisfy the craving for creamy or milky sweets. However if you do crave sugar the best thing to do is reach for a piece of fruit, which will definitely have fewer calories than a slab of cake.
Some people who crave ice cream or rich products actually have a calcium deficiency. The same thing goes for people who crave a great deal of cheese, which of course can add pounds to a body in no time. To make sure that your cravings for ice cream or cheese are not based on a calcium deficiency it is a great idea to take calcium supplements, eat plenty of broccoli or Swiss chard and drink low fat skim milk.
If you are craving fat, you probably have a bit of an oral fixation. The craving for fatty foods is quite primal and has more to do with a phenomenon called "mouth feel." Foods that are warm and fatty take us back to the cavemen days when biting into freshly killed meat and drinking the blood was common.
Cravings for fatty foods are commonly found in emotionally insecure individuals who need to express their anger by biting into something warm and fatty in texture. Psychologists call this "eating your anger."
If you are craving sodium then you may need to eat a more balanced diet that includes more vegetables. Vegetables are a natural form of salt. A good substitute for high sodium dishes is sushi as the seaweed that wraps the raw fish is filled with healthy amounts of sea salt.
Drinking too much coffee or alcohol can also cause cravings for sodium. This can cause a shortage of sodium in the blood.
Many cravings have no biological basis at all and are "all in the head." The trick is to realize that a positive association with a food is not necessarily a reason to continually binge on it whenever you feel blue.
Recently the news has been talking about cinnamon and how it can help regulate blood sugar levels. Cinnamon capsules can be found in almost any store that carries supplements. Both Walmart and Costco have great prices on cinnamon capsules (about $3 for a small bottle and $8-10 for a very large bottle).
You should avoid any types of products that is made with sugar substitutes, as in diet sodas. There are two reasons for this.
First off your body get used to having a sweet taste constantly in your mouth so it feels as though this is a natural feeling for you. This makes you crave more and more sugar, since your body believes that sweetness is normal. And second, it has now been found that your body may be reacting to the sugar substitute as though it was real sugar. You insulin levels then rise, then fall quickly making you want to have another quick sugar fix.
Sugar is a hard addiction to stop but with a little planning, taking a good multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, trying the cinnamon capsules and avoiding sugar substitues you can kick the habbit!
Sugar is considered by many diet experts to be an addiction as dangerous as nicotine or even heroin. There is nothing that gives us a bigger lift than a shot of sugar. However sugar exhausts the pancreas, is often followed by a crash in blood sugar levels and can lead to diabetes and other serious disorders.
An addiction for sugar usually has its roots in issues to do with stress and emotions. Many individuals find sweet foods, and particularly chocolate to be extremely comforting. The only problem is that the root cause of the stress or emotional problem that is causing you to "turn to sugar" to solve your problems is not addressed then you will probably always be addicted to it.
If you crave sugar there are some foods that are not sweets and cakes that can help you circumvent the body's addiction to it. For instance the Jerusalem artichoke is a vegetable that is thought to regulate the body's blood sugar balance. Vegetables such as sweet potatoes and yams can help satisfy the craving for creamy or milky sweets. However if you do crave sugar the best thing to do is reach for a piece of fruit, which will definitely have fewer calories than a slab of cake.
Some people who crave ice cream or rich products actually have a calcium deficiency. The same thing goes for people who crave a great deal of cheese, which of course can add pounds to a body in no time. To make sure that your cravings for ice cream or cheese are not based on a calcium deficiency it is a great idea to take calcium supplements, eat plenty of broccoli or Swiss chard and drink low fat skim milk.
If you are craving fat, you probably have a bit of an oral fixation. The craving for fatty foods is quite primal and has more to do with a phenomenon called "mouth feel." Foods that are warm and fatty take us back to the cavemen days when biting into freshly killed meat and drinking the blood was common.
Cravings for fatty foods are commonly found in emotionally insecure individuals who need to express their anger by biting into something warm and fatty in texture. Psychologists call this "eating your anger."
If you are craving sodium then you may need to eat a more balanced diet that includes more vegetables. Vegetables are a natural form of salt. A good substitute for high sodium dishes is sushi as the seaweed that wraps the raw fish is filled with healthy amounts of sea salt.
Drinking too much coffee or alcohol can also cause cravings for sodium. This can cause a shortage of sodium in the blood.
Many cravings have no biological basis at all and are "all in the head." The trick is to realize that a positive association with a food is not necessarily a reason to continually binge on it whenever you feel blue.
Recently the news has been talking about cinnamon and how it can help regulate blood sugar levels. Cinnamon capsules can be found in almost any store that carries supplements. Both Walmart and Costco have great prices on cinnamon capsules (about $3 for a small bottle and $8-10 for a very large bottle).
You should avoid any types of products that is made with sugar substitutes, as in diet sodas. There are two reasons for this.
First off your body get used to having a sweet taste constantly in your mouth so it feels as though this is a natural feeling for you. This makes you crave more and more sugar, since your body believes that sweetness is normal. And second, it has now been found that your body may be reacting to the sugar substitute as though it was real sugar. You insulin levels then rise, then fall quickly making you want to have another quick sugar fix.
Sugar is a hard addiction to stop but with a little planning, taking a good multi-vitamin/mineral supplement, trying the cinnamon capsules and avoiding sugar substitues you can kick the habbit!
What signs are present in children that are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder as adults?
Q. I'm afraid my niece might have it as an adult. I do, and she acts a lot like I did when I was kid. What are the signs exactly?
A. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1994, pg. 654) describes Borderline Personality Disorder as a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:
* frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment;
* a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation;
* identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self;
* impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating);
* recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior;
* affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days);
* chronic feelings of emptiness;
* inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights);
* transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.
* frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment;
* a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by alternating between extremes of idealization and devaluation;
* identity disturbance: markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self;
* impulsivity in at least two areas that are potentially self-damaging (e.g., spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating);
* recurrent suicidal behavior, gestures, or threats, or self-mutilating behavior;
* affective instability due to a marked reactivity of mood (e.g., intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely more than a few days);
* chronic feelings of emptiness;
* inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (e.g., frequent displays of temper, constant anger, recurrent physical fights);
* transient, stress-related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.
Question about Eating Disorder clinics/ treatment centers?
Q. I've been suffering from binge eating disorder and body image problems for over 6 months. I've hid it from my parents though, they would be so disappointed in me. I'm turning 18 in a couple weeks and I wanted to look into an eating disorder clinic or just have someone to talk to about it. I'm so scared though. Does anyone know how I would go about this? What should I expect, what should I do? How do I make this happen for myself? Thank you so much.
A. http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
http://eatingdisorderresources.com/
1-858-481-1515
National Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center
International treatment referrals and prevention information
edreferral@edreferral.com
1-800-931-2237
National Eating Disorders Association
International treatment referrals and information
There are some resources to get you started ^^^
I know it will be scary for you..but you gotta push through it. If you dont help yourself it could take over your life, and it is way not worth it.
Do this for yourself! Good luck and if you ever want to talk, you are free to email me from my profile
http://eatingdisorderresources.com/
1-858-481-1515
National Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center
International treatment referrals and prevention information
edreferral@edreferral.com
1-800-931-2237
National Eating Disorders Association
International treatment referrals and information
There are some resources to get you started ^^^
I know it will be scary for you..but you gotta push through it. If you dont help yourself it could take over your life, and it is way not worth it.
Do this for yourself! Good luck and if you ever want to talk, you are free to email me from my profile
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