The High Cost of Carb Addiction

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"Paying the ultimate price"

My Heart is broken. In the last 6 days I have been reminded yet again how serious carb addiction can be.

This week I lost 3 very special people to diabetes and diabetes related illnesses including obesity and morbid obesity. I had known these 3 women for over 25 years. I had watched them struggle with their weight and diabetes everyday.

Their struggle with carbs and eating disorders was as hard to overcome for them as alcohol or substance abuse was for my sister.

6 years ago I lost my sister to organ failure from 50 plus years of alcohol or substance abuse. My sister and I had one serious adult conversation years ago where I made the flippant remark that she was addicted to drugs and I was addicted to sugar. That simple statement started changing my relationship with carbohydrates. It still took another 7 years before I fully understood why we crave carbs.

Why did I turn to sugar to self-medicate?

Why was I willing to risk my health just for that fleeting moment of euphoria after eating sugar or carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates raise serotonin levels. That "feel good" part of my brain kicks into overdrive when I eat carbs. I didn't stand a chance when my inner self started demanding more and more sugar. Eventually my system couldn't handle to excess of sugar or carbs. I became insulin resistant, then diabetic. My weight ballooned and my health started to suffer.

Their struggle was my struggle

I have been able to break my addiction. I have been able to reverse my insulin resistance and lower my blood glucose into normal range. It has been one of the hardest battles of my life. The need to turn to sugar in times of stres is still a daily part of me. I ended my relationship with sugar and carbs over 2 years ago and I still turn to carbs in times of stress.

Carb Addiction is a deadly killer

2.8 million deaths a year can be attributed to obesity. Doctors and scientists are changing the landscape and challenging the long-held belief that fat consumption is what makes us fat. New studies are once again proving that excess carbohydrate consumption is a leading factor to weight gain. It is too late for my close friends, but I am hopeful that the new emphasis on Keto, Carnivore and high cost of carb addiction is becoming mainstream and may save lives in the future.

Written by Joy Sypher
Published: February 19th, 2022

 

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