Sugar and Your Mood
If you’re struggling with your mental health – whether it be stress and anxiety, depression, or anything else – you should ask yourself “How is my diet?”
Our diet affects our mood, and sugar is often the main culprit. So why is that, and what can be done to limit sugar intake?
How Does Sugar Affect the Brain?
Low to moderate amounts of salt and sugar are healthy. As humans evolved, since these types of foods were often scarce in supply, our brains evolved to crave them. Because of this, when consuming sugar it releases a chemical called dopamine that makes us feel good and want more. Long story short – if consumed too much long term we become addicted to sugary foods and drinks and it can get out of control.
As sugar is consumed at high levels more regularly, the dopamine levels become unbalanced and the brain starts to get used to this higher consumption. This has the negative effect of needing to consume even more sugar to receive the same positive dopamine effects.
When this happens, sugar becomes addictive and it is extremely hard to reduce its consumption.
Physical and Mental Effects of Sugar
Sugar can cause a variety of physical health problems, including tooth decay and cavities, weight gain, and increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. In addition, it can reduce our energy levels and make us feel more lethargic and less motivated to do activities.
Because of these negative physical effects, sugar addiction can lead to adverse mental health problems including depression and anxiety. In addition, long-term overconsumption of sugar has been proven to reduce cognitive function, reduced memory loss, and attention.
In one study published in 2017 found that people with the highest level of sugar consumption were 23% more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness than those with the lowest sugar consumption.
How To Identify Foods High in Sugar
It may sound obvious, but the best way to determine sugar content is to read the nutrition label. In many countries including Canada and the United States, food manufacturers are now required to include either a separate line for “Added Sugars” (that excludes naturally-occurring sugar content) and also a % recommended daily intake.
Next, read the ingredients. Some foods such as alternative dairy drinks (such as soy and almond milk), yogurt and pasta sauce contain significant amounts of added sugar to improve the taste, but we don’t view them as unhealthy and are often labelled as healthy. Even some snacks such as apple sauce – which are already naturally sweet – have added sugars.
How To Reduce Sugar Consumption
Since sugar is physically addictive (one study showed it is worse than cocaine), it is recommended to gradually reduce your sugar intake over time. Here are 3 tips for reducing your sugar intake:
1. Avoid sugary drinks. Replace drinks high in sugar (including “all-natural” drinks such as apple juice or orange juice) with either water (add lemon juice for a little flavour) or other drinks low in sugar such as unsweetened soy or almond milk.
TIP – instead of having a large glass of orange juice for breakfast, replace it with an actual orange. 1 large glass or orange juice can contain the equivalent sugar content of 4 to 6 oranges. When was the last time you ate 6 oranges for breakfast?
2. Gradually reduce added sugars in coffee/tea. If you typically put 3 heaping spoonfuls of sugar into your hot drinks, gradually reduce by a spoonful per week until you are down to just one spoonful (or none).
3. Choose Wiser Snacks. Replace yogurt that contains higher levels of added sugar with more natural yogurt, and sweeten with fresh or frozen fruits and just a dab of honey. Replace cakes with cheese and crackers, cookies with nuts, and milk chocolate with dark chocolate.
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