Independence Day

Recently it was the Fourth of July, but it isn’t too late to make it your independence day too. I mean being free from the influence of addictive dietary substances. Not addicted? You might want to re-think that.

Are you one of the millions of people who start their day with coffee? Ever get a headache if you miss that morning cup? That is known as caffeine addiction. Did you know that too much caffeine can increase your heart rate and blood pressure? There is also a toxic amount. However, new studies show that up to two cups daily might help avoid diabetes? Notice I said two cups per day, not two cups per hour.

Easiest fix is to avoid caffeine, but as I just said, you most often will get a horrible headache until your body adjusts. You can ease the transition by mixing ½ regular coffee with ½ decaffeinated coffee. You will still get your morning “fix,” with less caffeine. Do this for about one to two weeks, then taper the regular coffee down to 1/3 to 2/3 decaf. After another couple of weeks, decaf should be safe to avoid a headache. When picking decaf coffee, try to go for the more naturally processed, preferably in water. The chemicals used to remove the caffeine from the coffee is said to be safe, but might change the flavor. Also why take in more chemicals than you have to?

How about sugar? For decades we have heard that sugar is not addictive; You cannot be addicted to sugar. Sure. In 2012, the New York Times wrote that each American averages about 95 to 100 lbs. of sugar annually. Think about that: the amount of sugar consumed is the weight of some adults and teenagers.

Years ago, a study showed that eating sugar had a similar effect on a brain chemical known as “serotonin” that many medications, including some anti-depressants, have. Among other things, serotonin is connected to mood. When the study first came out, I thought: 1) it’s about time someone looked at the effect of sugar on the brain and 2) anyone who has ever needed something sweet to relax or feel better, already knows that sugar affects your mood. It may not be the sugar that we are addicted to, but the way it makes us feel. Of course you could probably say the same thing about other addictive substances.

How about sugar substitutes? There seems to be some evidence that they might have a similar effect to real sugar because the sweet taste they produce can cause the body to think it is getting the real thing and act accordingly. Even something with few calories, but sweet, can get us to start wanting more of the sweet taste. Are sugar substitutes safe? The jury is still out on that one. If they are safe, I doubt they were made to be consumed at 100 lbs. annually.

This summer try healthy addictions like eating fruit and exercising.