An intriguing new study suggests that what really draws people to rich desserts and prompts them to eat much more than perhaps they know they should is not the fat that they contain, but primarily the sugar.
What makes a milkshake so irresistible?
Is it the sweet flavor that our taste buds are after? Or the smooth and creamy texture? Or perhaps it is the copious blend of fat and sugar?
This is no news to anyone who reads this blog, but it's good to see the addictive properties of sugar (and remember that starchy foods turn into sugar too!) being outed in a major forum. To avoid getting onto the sugar roller-coaster, always start your day with food that tells your body it's in fat burning mode. This means avoiding sweets and starches (like cereal...hot or cold), muffins, cakes, breads and rolls at breakfast. Instead, have eggs, some fruits, lean meats or fish, or some low sugar dairy. Direct your body away from expecting sugars as the primary fuel from the get-go and it will be easier to continue avoiding these foods throughout the day. Here's the key: most of our SAD (standard American diet) is composed of foods that act more like drugs. Do you want to be controlled, either by the foods themselves or by the people who profit from them? If the answer is no: make a concerted effort to see sugars and starches for what they are, not for the promise of happiness, fulfillment and love that they seem to offer. As we all know, that promise is simply an illusion and it's momentary pleasure comes crashing down when we start to accumulate ever more medicines for our expanding bellies.