Should We Be Trying To Quit Sugar?!
posted on: March 01, 2017. posted in: Nutrition
[warning: this post makes several references to my penis. look away now if you don't like penises]
We've had a question on our fan page...
"Liam, question for u....how do u feel about the whole "I quit sugar" craze (coz it sounds like one tbh) that's going around now? It feels a whole lot like the "I quit (insert villain of your choice here....wheat, gluten, carbs, etc)...surely sugar in moderation isn't a bad thing...just like anything else but it seems to be gaining momentum like a diet plan but more insidious it not making itself as such. After being a fan of your page for a while now i feel like I'm seeing it for what it is...a diet in unsugared coated clothing... What are your thoughts?"
It's funny you should ask.
In the spirit of this time of year, yesterday I decided that rather than giving up any particular foods, I would give up masturbation.
24 hours and 16 wanks later my willy is in bits, my balls look like raisins, and I'm composing this post with a pack of frozen peas down my pants.
The moral of the story?
The moment you make the decision to quit something, it's human nature to crave and binge on 10 times more of it.
There is science and psychology behind this.
In short, the very decision to abstain from an addictive behaviour (be it taking drugs, or eating food, or playing with your willy) actually INCREASES YOUR CRAVINGS for it.
It's almost as if the brain is saying...
"If you're going to stop me getting my fix, I'm going to fight back and make you want 10 times more of it!"
That's what happened to me.
And now my willy might actually fall off.
All because I tried to quit touching it.
(*note to self* - never quit touching your willy, ever!)
__________
So here's what we can learn from this.
There are some things in life you can quit and abstain from long term, including drugs and cigarettes and alcohol. But food, including sugar, is very different. For a very obvious reason. The human body doesn't need drugs or cigarettes or alcohol to function.
But it does... need... SUGAR.
The level of nutritional education in this country is so dire that millions of people don't realise it is actually our primary source of fuel. Fruits, vegetables and other plant based sources of nutrition all contain natural sugars that help sustain and fuel life on this planet.
So nobody 'quits sugar'...
Just as nobody 'quits air'.
We need the stuff!! And lots of it!!
The issue is overeating "processed sugars", like those found in cereals, breads, cakes, sweets, biscuits and sugary drinks.
But hopefully you read that clearly.
I didn't say the issue is "processed sugars".
I said the issue is OVEREATING "processed sugars", just like over consuming any nutrient, protein / fat / carbohydrate / sugar... even water... causes problems.
So my thoughts?
I'm very much against abstinence when it comes to food, because from both my studies and my experience it invariably leads to BINGING.
You said the key word yourself.
MODERATION.
The problem is that people don't know, or at least haven't been taught, how to moderate their food intake.
Decades of brainwashing from the slimming industry has taught them you either abstain from it ("on track") or binge on it ("off track"). They don't know how to find and walk the middle ground which is where lean people hang out.
The good news is that even the most addicted "sugar addict" can learn how to moderate their intake and manage their addiction.
The secret isn't banning it.
The secret is learning how and when to enjoy it...
A lot like masturbation 😜
Liam
[If you're a sugar addict looking for long-term control of your eating without giving up food, please feel free to email us for a non-judgemental chat about your weight and nutrition. Please allow one week for a response.]
