Sugar is not toxic and you can’t get a true substance dependance addiction to it

If sugar were toxic, we would become unwell from eating fruit, some vegetables and dairy products (lactose is a sugar).

Given fruit, vegetables and dairy provide vital nutrients for health and are found in nature, it is ludicrous to suggest the sugar they contain is harmful.

Some will argue it’s table sugar or added sugar that is toxic, but table sugar also comes from a natural plant; sugarcane.

Excess sugar can certainly cause health problems and the excess sugar can come from fruit or added sugar (yes, even too much fruit is not healthy). It’s not the sugar per se that’s the issue, it’s our abuse, or over consumption, of it that is the problem.

My clients often to claim to have a ‘sugar addiction’. While eating sugary foods can increase your desire for sweets foods, this is not a true addiction.

Why not? True substance addiction is accompanied by physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms that usually require medical management to overcome. Most people who go cold turkey on eating sugary food, find they stop craving sugar after a short period and suffer no serious adverse effects.

So do reduce your intake of processed food with added sugar.
Do limit your fruit to 2-3 pieces per day and instead eat more veggies.
But don’t label sugar as toxic or “bad”, instead learn how to enjoy small amounts occasionally as a weekly treat or at special occasions.

If you choose to indulge in a small treat such as shown in the picture, limiting this to once per week would be wise.