Oh January, you seem to bring so much diet culture baggage with you. With the start of the year, I hear all sorts of diets, meal plans, superfoods, and detoxes being touted as THE thing that will COMPLETELY CHANGE YOUR LIFE. 

For starters, if it sounds too good to be true, it more than likely is. I wanted to review today why restriction does not work. Why “eliminating” or “detoxing” from a food is not only unnecessary but potentially harmful. More specifically I want to talk about why sugar is usually the target, what the science says, and how to have a healthy relationship with sugar. Spoiler alert: it’s not by eliminating it!

Back in 2007, a study was released from Princeton University announcing evidence for “sugar addiction.” Here’s the catch, what they failed to mention in the headlines was that they have witnessed sugar addiction in RATS, and only UNDER RESTRICTION. For starters- this experiment was on rats, not humans, so the results are limited to how we can apply the findings. Second of all, to get the rats’ brains to light up like they do in addiction, the rats had to be starved or restricted from food. The rats that were given limited access to food would show binge-like eating when sugar was presented. The rats that were given access to their normal rat food and sugar did not engage in binge-like eating, or show evidence of food addiction.

 This study also panicked the masses by showing how sugar lights up the brain, like certain stimulant drugs. Guess what else lights up the brain like this? Moms seeing their babies’ faces. A hug from a loved one. Yet I don’t any headlines saying “The 21-day detox you need to finally quit hugging.” Weird.

This study didn’t prove that sugar is addictive, but it does show how restriction (dieting) can lead to binge eating. I’ll say that again, eliminating a food or creating restriction, leads to feeling out of control around food, which leads to binge eating. Unfortunately, most dieters think that their binge eating “proves” they are addicted to food, and they believe the solution is more strict rules around food. This ensues the cycle of following rules and being “good,” breaking the rules and being “bad,” binging because you feel like sh!t for being “bad” and thinking you’ve already screwed up, so you might as well go all out. Then, truly believing that that was the last time you’ll eat that “bad food,” and starting the cycle over again, usually becoming more intense each time around.

A great way to feel in control around all foods, including sugar, is by not dieting or restricting foods. What would this entail?  Allowing yourself access to a variety of foods, removing rules around food, and simply eating food you enjoy in a way that feels pleasurable to you. 

I know you are reading this and still thinking to yourself “but I know sugar has to be bad for me.” Nutritionally, sugar is basically what all digestible carbohydrates are broken down into in our bodies, AKA glucose. So nutritionally, sugar provides us with quick energy because the body easily breaks it down. All foods provide us with nutrients, including sugar. In fact a spoonful of sugar can be lifesaving to combat a dangerously low blood sugar!

 Would it be wise to eat sugar all day, every day? Nope. But it wouldn’t be healthy to do that with any food. Would it be healthy to cope with your emotions by eating sugar? Sometimes! In the grand scheme of things, there are certainly more unhealthy ways to cope (like drug or alcohol abuse, self-harm, etc.). Should it be the only way you cope with emotions? Of course not.

 Just because the idea of sugar addiction is popular, doesn’t mean it’s rooted in science. Just because your co-worker tells you she feels amazing having eliminated sugar, doesn’t mean you should do it too. If you enjoy research I recommend checking out the study: Sugar Addiction: The State of The Science.

Final thoughts on “small diets” like temporary detoxes. It is common to think of these things as being harmless, but the truth is “small diets” add up. With each small diet, it can reinforce the idea of certain foods as being good or bad. It reinforces this idea that you can’t be trusted around food and need rules. These “small diets” can add up to creating a mistrustful relationship with food.

 If you are reallllly jonesing for a detox, might I suggest a detox from diet culture?  Free yourself from all of the things that make you disconnected from your inner intuitive eater. Out with the diet books, unfollow the diet promoting Instagram accounts, ditch the food rules and body preoccupation. This is the only diet detox worth doing this year! 

What are your questions surrounding sugar, food addiction, or binge eating? Leave them below or send me an email! Kelsey@21stcenturyrd.com