Sugar sugar everywhere...

The concept of sugar addictions has been around for years. I was raised very well, living in warm places where fresh fruit and vegetables were easily accessible. A mother who is a diamond in the kitchen got my brother and I cooking from the moment we could walk and she shipped me off to University feeling absolutely confident with the ability to take care of myself. Even when I've travelled by myself and cooked in hostels and things, I never have a problem knowing what to shop for and eat to keep myself going throughout the day.

As my first year of University turned into the second year and the second to third, studying became much more intense than I could have imagined and I found myself taking on a part-time job to help pay the bills. The result was that 'me' time had to take a place on the backburner. My mindset changed, without me realising it, from 'what looks fresh and delicious' when I strolled through the market to 'what can I eat the quickest?' Mealtimes suddenly became a time of multi-tasking:
Breakfast: eat cereal whilst responding to emails
Lunch: eat something quick whilst proof-reading work
Dinner: again, something really fast whilst studying and checking emails once again

There are many quick, healthy options, don't get me wrong. And I am still eating them most of the time, but gradually the unhealthy ones crept in a while back. When I wasn't getting all the nutrients and energy I needed from these quick meals, my body started craving sugar constantly, so chocolate, cookies and crisps became the staple.

A few weeks ago whilst I was home visiting family for Easter I had my first panic attack. I didn't understand what was going on and if you've ever had one before you'll know what I mean when I say I felt like the entire world was falling down on me. The next day I woke up and suddenly felt back to my normal, optimistic self, but again later in the day the familiar negative, anxious thoughts crept back in...

I only realised recently that all of my worries, negative thoughts, anxiety and fatigue have been caused by this sugar addiction. The usual response when I've told friends is, 'you're ridiculous, you're tiny!', them expecting sugar addicts to have severe weight problems, but this is simply not the case. I've never been addicted to anything before, not smoking or drinking or hell, even my phone! But I plan on documenting the changes I notice in my mind and body over the next few months to see what I find as I cut the crap out! Lord knows it is a good thing to crack whilst I'm still young, so here I go!

There is an interesting video below documenting the effects of sugar on the body. Just for some scientific evidence...Davis et al. (2011) found sugar addictions in humans linked with obesity, depression and ADD/ADHD. A study by Pan et al. (2011) found a link between increased soft drink and sweet food consumption and suicidal behaviour in adolescents! Clearly there is a real problem emerging in terms of mental and physical health when sugar consumption enters the picture and I believe more attention should be brought to it. Please let me know any thoughts or experiences you have!