Sugar addiction is real: my battle with the giant cupcakes

Are you feeling down, irritable, or anxious lately? It may be worth taking a closer look at your diet. While certain foods can boost your mood and energy, others can have the opposite effect, leading to mood swings, crashes, and other unpleasant symptoms.

Here’s a quick story for you….

A couple of weeks ago, I was getting ready to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of my health coaching business, Full Bloom Acres, being in business. To celebrate the day, I had a vision in my head for this really cute pic of me holding a giant cupcake with a “3” on it and sharing it on social media, you may remember seeing it.

For the week leading up to that “photo shoot” (by photo shoot, I mean me standing in my living room with a cupcake while my husband took a million and one pictures), I thought about this cupcake every day. I even had a dream about it.

Then the day came when we searched high and low for the perfect cupcake to match my vision. We found ‘em!

Let me tell you, the drive home with those four cupcakes in the back seat was torture. And yes, I convinced myself that I needed four cupcakes, just in case one didn’t “photograph” well. That was my brain’s way of justifying it while knowing that I wanted to eat all four cupcakes.

So, we did the photoshoot and got tons of cute pictures. Then I ate one of the cupcakes. My husband ate another one. That left two….

Those two cupcakes haunted me for the next 12 hours. I could not stop thinking about them. Seriously. I was obsessed. I was crabby, I couldn’t sleep that night, my first thought when I woke up was to go check the cupcakes and make sure they were still there.

Where were they going to go? Seriously, is it clear that I wasn’t thinking straight?!

Sounds crazy, right?

I ended up eating one of the cupcakes for breakfast. It wasn’t even that good! I built it up sooo much in my head that it really just disappointed me.

That left one…..

One lonely cupcake sitting on my counter. Staring back at me every time I walked into the room.

I had to get out of the house because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I told my husband he needed to eat it. I certainly didn’t need another one!

Finally, I ate half of it. Luckily, Craig ate the other half. Or maybe he threw it away or gave it to one of our pigs. I didn’t care. Like any good husband, he told me he ate it.

They were gone!!

OMG……

It was insane how obsessed I became about those stinkin’ cupcakes! Sugar addiction is real, y’all! It gives us an instant dopamine hit, just like a drug. The problem is, each time, you need more and more to get that hit. Since I don’t typically eat white sugar like what’s found in cupcakes, this drug really got to me. I just couldn’t stop….

I am a self-identified recovering sugar addict. It’s real. And it’s dangerous.

Can you relate? Maybe we can form a club….

Here are five bad-mood foods you may want to avoid or limit in your diet:

1. Sugar and refined carbohydrates

We all love the sweet taste of sugar, but it's not doing us any favors when it comes to our mood. Studies have linked high sugar consumption to an increased risk of depression and anxiety (1). Sugar can also cause energy crashes, mood swings, and irritability by disrupting our blood sugar levels.

The same goes for refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, pasta, and pastries. These foods are quickly digested and absorbed, leading to a rapid rise in blood sugar followed by a crash, leaving you feeling tired and moody.

THE FIX: Instead of sugary treats and refined carbs, opt for complex carbohydrates that release energy slowly, such as vegetables, legumes like chickpeas and lentils, and grains like buckwheat and sorghum. These foods provide a steady stream of glucose to the brain and can help stabilize your mood and energy levels.

2. Processed foods and additives

Processed foods are often high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, but they can also contain a range of additives that may affect your mood. For example, artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, and emulsifiers have been linked to hyperactivity, irritability, and other behavioral problems (2,3).

Processed meats, such as hot dogs and packaged lunchmeat, are known to contain high levels of sodium, nitrites, and nitrates, which have been linked to an increased risk of several health conditions, including anxiety. One study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that consumption of processed meat was positively associated with an increased risk of developing anxiety and depression (4).

THE FIX: To minimize your intake of processed foods and additives, choose whole, unpackaged, and unprocessed foods as much as possible. If you do buy packaged foods, read the labels carefully and avoid products with a long list of ingredients you can't pronounce.

3. Caffeine

Many of us rely on our morning coffee or tea to kick-start our day, but too much caffeine can backfire when it comes to mood. While caffeine can improve focus, alertness, and even mood in moderate amounts, it can also cause anxiety, nervousness, and jitteriness when consumed in excess (5).

Caffeine can also interfere with sleep quality and duration, which can in turn affect your mood and energy levels the next day (6).

If you're sensitive to caffeine or notice that it worsens your mood, consider cutting back or switching to decaf or herbal tea. Green tea is a good alternative that contains a moderate amount of caffeine and also has mood-boosting and antioxidant properties (7).

THE FIX: Know your body. I recommend to my coaching clients that they ditch all caffeine for two weeks and see how they feel. If there’s no change, you are probably processing caffeine just fine. But if during those two weeks, you feel more energetic, sleep better, feel more positive, are in a better mood, or feel less anxious, sorry to say, but the caffeine has got to go!

4. Alcohol

Alcohol is a depressant that can initially make you feel relaxed and happy, but it can also have a negative impact on your mood in the long run. Heavy drinking has been linked to an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems (8).

Alcohol can also interfere with sleep quality and contribute to dehydration, both of which can worsen your mood and energy levels. To minimize the negative effects of alcohol on your mood, it's important to drink in moderation and stay hydrated. 

To be clear, no amount of alcohol is healthy. Alcohol is a toxic substance. Drinking any amount has shown an increased risk for chronic diseases, such as cancer. Plus, the immediate effects it has on your good gut bugs should be enough to encourage you to ditch the drinks. Is one drink here or there going to kill you? Probably not. Remember, health is not what you do one time, it’s what you do consistently.

THE FIX: Commit to lessening your alcohol intake or, ideally, eliminating it altogether. There are so many amazing non-alcoholic beverages out there so you can feel part of the festivities without the booze. Do a quick search on Pinterest for “Mocktail Recipes” and you will have more than enough to choose from. Just be mindful of the sugar and chemicals that may be in there to make them taste yummy. Try to find more natural options.

Here's a bonus tip for you. If you’re going to have a glass of wine or whiskey or something, order a glass of the most expensive one. It’s a lot easier to justify 3 or 4 glasses of the cheap wine than it is to justify $30 for one drink! Mindset – flipped!

5. Fried foods

Foods that are high in overly processed or excessively heated oils and trans fats, such as fast food, fried foods, and many processed snacks, can contribute to mood swings and fatigue. These foods can cause inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain, leading to impaired mood regulation.

Instead of high-fat and fried foods, opt for healthier sources of fats, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, and fatty fish. These foods contain omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to improve mood and cognitive function (9).

Let’s land this plane….

What you eat can have a significant impact on your mood and overall well-being. By avoiding or limiting these bad-mood foods and incorporating more mood-boosting foods into your diet, you can support your mental and physical health and feel your best.

Need some help with this? You’re in luck! I help people walk away from the cupcakes! Click the link below to schedule a FREE Consultation Call and start giving those cupcakes the cold shoulder!

References:

1. Sánchez-Villegas A, Martínez-González MA, et al. Added sugars and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, dietary carbohydrate index and depression risk in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Project. Br J Nutr. 2018 Jan;119(2):211-221.  doi: 10.1017/S0007114517003361.  Epub 2017 Dec 22

2. Arnold, Lofthouse, et al. Artificial Food Colors and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms: Conclusions to Dye for. Neurotherapeutics. 2012 Jul; 9(3): 599–609. Published online 2012 Aug 3. doi: 10.1007/s13311-012-0133-x

3. Holder, Peters, et al. Dietary emulsifiers consumption alters anxiety-like and social-related behaviors in mice in a sex-dependent manner. Sci Rep. 2019; 9: 172. Published online 2019 Jan 17. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-36890-3

4. Li, Lv, Wei, et al. Dietary patterns and depression risk: A meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. 2017 Jul;253:373-382.  doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.04.020. Epub 2017 Apr 11.

5. Richards, Smith. Caffeine consumption and self-assessed stress, anxiety, and depression in secondary school children. J Psychopharmacol. 2015 Dec; 29(12): 1236–1247. doi: 10.1177/0269881115612404

6. Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T. Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. J Clin Sleep Med. 2013;9(11):1195-1200. doi:10.5664/jcsm.3170

7. Dietz, Dekker. Effect of Green Tea Phytochemicals on Mood and Cognition. Curr Pharm Des. 2017;23(19):2876-2905. doi: 10.2174/1381612823666170105151800.

8. Kuria, Ndetei, et al. The Association between Alcohol Dependence and Depression before and after Treatment for Alcohol Dependence. ISRN Psychiatry. 2012; 2012: 482802. Published online 2012 Jan 26. doi: 10.5402/2012/482802

9. Grosso G, Pajak A, Marventano S, et al. Role of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of depressive disorders: a comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. PLoS One. 2014;9(5):e96905. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0096905