Because of my addiction to sugar I have had first-hand experience of how eating refined sugar impacts us both physically and mentally – reinforced very recently through my daughter’s experience with refined sugars. I have also done some research on the subject.
What I have learned is mind-blowing and makes me wonder how this substance can be sold so widely to the masses!
My daughter is 6 years old and the last time we gave her sugar was when she was about 12-14 months old. However, she recently found a friend at school who was bringing lollies to the school so she decided to have some.
The first day she came home we noticed there was something different about her and her behaviour. She was more jumpy, faster in her actions, loud, hyper, over-sensitive, aggressive when things did not go her way, unreasonable, physically invincible (apparently!?), restless and unable to sit still (at all!).
While some of these behaviours could be classed as ‘normal’ for a 6 year old, they were not normal for my daughter. Don’t get me wrong, she is no saint. She has her tantrums and dummy spits like all other children, but what was different this day was the intensity with which these behaviours were coming out and her inability to listen or be reasoned with.
It was only a few days before she spilled the beans and shared what she was doing at school. This was great as it confirmed the suspicions I was having about the cause of her behavioural changes.
We worked with the school to stop the sugar supply, and in the beginning when the supply was no longer accessible we had a very outraged child (addiction behaviour? Ahh yes!) Once she stopped eating the sugar, she was herself again. She settled completely and we have since talked to her about how she feels different when eating sugar, as opposed to when she doesn’t eat sugar. Now that this has been brought to her attention, and we have spoken to her about it so openly, she has been able to feel this difference in her body and her manner.
How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special??
And sugar is everywhere; sugar is in almost everything we eat. It is in our breakfast cereal, our snacks, our drinks (even flavoured water!), tomato sauce, tinned tomatoes, a jar of olives, even sundried tomatoes! Have you read the ingredients on the canned vegetables in the supermarket? Sugar is added to creamed corn and kidney beans, for heaven’s sake!
There are not a whole lot of snack options in the supermarket for people who have chosen to cut refined sugars out of their diets, especially sweet snacks. It is almost impossible to find a refined sugar-free sweet that is also gluten and dairy-free in a supermarket, and very rare to find one in a café (here in Australia).
So in order to support myself and my family to be refined sugar-free, I got busy in the kitchen, baking.
It turns out I have a natural ability to make yummy tasting sweets that are refined sugar free, as well as gluten and dairy-free!
These yummy delights really supported me in my commitment to not eat refined sugar ever again. They provided me with an option to be much kinder to myself and to my body as I healed the destructive energy that was allowing me to keep myself dosed-up to the eyeballs with refined sugar and disconnected from myself (and my body).
However, I have since felt that even these can have an effect on my body so I rarely have them anymore… but there is still a place for them in my home.
These yummy delights are very supportive for my daughter as she finds her way in a world filled with foods that contain refined sugars. She wants to ‘fit in’ at school and have sweet food like her friends, so these are a great option for her as they are much gentler and kinder to her little sensitive body.
I have also taken these yummy delights out to local cafes as I felt there was a place for them in the wider community. There are many people struggling with sugar addiction and also many more choosing to make more healthy lifestyle choices for themselves, especially those dealing with illnesses. So they are a brilliant option – plus they taste amazing, even better than the sweets fully loaded with sugar!!
The feedback I have been receiving from clients and the café owners has been very encouraging. People are really enjoying the lightness and flavoursome delights being offered.
It is beautiful to be able to offer the wealth of experience that I have in this area so it can potentially benefit others too. I feel it is an incredible healing for me to be able to give people an option that allows them to take better care of themselves (as I have learned to do for myself over the years). And even if they aren’t consciously choosing this and just eat the yummy delights anyway, they will be blessed by all the love I have made them with… and that is pretty cool I think!
With deep thanks to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine for showing me that there is another way to live… One that includes great care and love for myself and my body – for what I feed it determines the quality I live my life in every moment of every day.
By Robyn Jones, 38, B.Sc. (Psych), Counsellor, Mother & Baker Extraordinaire, Goonellabah, Australia
Read Part One: Addicted to Sugar… My Drug Addiction
Read Part Two: Exhaustion and the Effects of Sugar Addiction
Further Reading:
Serge Benhayon on Food and Diet
Choices: Weight Loss, Diet, Food & Health
From some time to now I’m becoming more aware about the effects that sugar has on my body. Yesterday I felt quite reactive in the afternoon, hard and not in my delicacy at all. Today I woke up feeling dense, like clearing of a substance that my body doesn’t really need anymore. I appreciate these signals that invite me to make some adjustments in my diet. I’m not planning what to eat or not to eat today but listen more closely to my body and honour it…just this feels yummier than any treat.
Could it be our garden of Eden the way sugar tempts us from being in full connection to our essences / Soul, because as you have shared Robin sugar and sweeteners sacrifice our ability to be fully connected.
I remember when I was a child not wanting to eat sugar, but sometimes in a birthday party I did, eating the cake and afterwards, feeling literally awful in my body. Now I appreciate how in those years I already chose not to eat those sugar refined cakes anymore. I felt then the surprise and even the rejection of some adults, but that choice made total sense for me and I preferred those reactions around me than feeling again that awkwardness inside me.
I recall how after children’s parties my son (when a kid) would return home hyper. We laugh abut it now, but it was all those E numbers back in the day, as well as the excess sugar, which he wasn’t used to at home.
A sweet tooth is our spirit loading us up with an addictive substance that shows up as unnatural behaviours and this becomes especially obvious when we have eliminated sugar and over the top sweeteners from our diet. Also this is especially so in those who have never had sugar as you have shared Robyn as the disorientating disturbances brought on by us eating sugar become glaringly obvious.
When we have a craving for something it is time to look at what it is we don’t want to feel.
So true. Looking behind the reason why we have a craving, be it for sweet, salt, – or any sort of ;comfort food, that can vary. Its not always the food per se. Discipline in going without doesn’t work. Find the root cause – always the go-to.
I have found one of the best ways to deal with addiction is to not have the addictive substance in my home, if its there in the cupboard I will go for it when the tension arises. If its not there I have no option but to look at why I am craving it.
Sugar contributes to mental health problems full stop.
I have been addicted to sugar growing up and know how it plays havoc on your body. I have suffered from hypoglycaemia for many years believing it was normal. In order to treat it I would go for refined sugar.
It was only until I met Serge Benhayon at a talk and recognised that the addiction was from not loving and caring for myself more deeply and holding back my natural sweetness, that the craving started to go away.
It is interesting that many would never go anywhere near heroin knowing of the potential addiction but freely admit to an addiction to refined sugar.
This Christmas the shops are choc (pun intended) full of sweets biscuits and all things sweet. Come January 1st the media will be all about dieting and removing the excess pounds. What if we lived in such a way that we needed neither, as we feel our own natural sweetness?
When my son was young, thirty years ago now, his behaviour would be off the wall after drinking orange squash or Coca Cola. We laugh about it now. Fortunately my grandchildren aren’t exposed to sugar like that…..
We are not so much addicted to sugar as we are addicted to the high we get living in such a reactive state that prevents us from being aware of what is really going on around us and within us. With awareness levels at an all-time high, we are reaching for sugar and its substitutes like never before. It is not so much an issue with sugar (although I do agree that it is harmful on all levels and is best avoided if possible) as it is an issue with our ever-increasing awareness as a human race.
Yes, wanting to dull ourselves so we don’t feel. There is sugar everywhere we look, even in such things as low fat yoghurts, ostensibly made for those on a diet…..crackers!
You describe how it takes a few days for the sugar to ‘let go’… once its in the system it calls for more and that can be a mini battle to just let that go. That is a classic show and tell for an addictive substance and yet its so normal, so everywhere, with a multi-billion £ industry supporting it all the way into our kitchens.
‘How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special??’ This really does need to be looked at doesn’t it! We are all aware of how alcohol changes the state of our body and the behaviour change that comes with that, but with sugar it’s not even on our radar. Kids and sweets are synonymous with each other, but we as adults haven’t wanted to see the ramifications excusing the results as being normal.
Of course the best antidote to craving sugar is to living life in full and not holding back. Who needs sugar when we are already living everything.
I have found certain foods really help with sugar addiction, garlic, limes and lemons and lamb – cooking a loving meal really helps with those cravings.
It is important for us to consider if we can replace some of the things we eat with healthier alternatives, although this always needs to be observed. I have found I can eat anything in an unloving way if I am not being aware of my body. It certainly has supported our family to have unrefined sugar alternatives in the house if people feel like that is what they want to eat.
Sugar it seems is in everything along with wheat and dairy, and then even the most well-intended mum and dad would find it difficult to navigate the packaging in the stores. Having studied nutrition and the many ways in which the manufactures try to fool the general public with their labelling is so corrupt that they have to have a governing body to keep them in line.
Yes, sugar is in many packaged or tinned foods that are savoury, it is very bizarre, you really have to read the labels to know exactly what is in.
Sometimes I work in schools and I see first hand the devastating impact that sugar and caffeine can have on children, its a crazy emotional up and down environment that is definitely not condusive to learning.
I know even when I have too much fruit sugar my movements are different, I am more emotional and less likely to concentrate, the key for me is looking at why I might be craving sugar – am I tired or am I trying to check out from the intensity of life – being super honest is the way we get over any addiction.
It’s wonderful how, as sweetened things drop away from our diet we can taste so much more the sweetness inherent in so many other foods and drinks This sense gets stronger giving us an ever increasing awareness of the taste and also the beauty and quality therein and how it resonates with us – with our bodies.
Recently there was the bringing of the awareness from someone who eats sugar that it was impossible to do one thing at a time just focusing on that one thing. He shared that it felt normal to him when he was doing one thing to have 3 or 4 other things simultaneously happening in his head to consider. It feels like this would be very exhausting.
This bridging support to slowly not needing to consume sugar is huge, something I would like to explore for my family. Teenagers and adults may not exhibit tantrums as readily as children when sugar is eaten, but the effects are no different.
The effects of sugar on our body are massive and the constant intake masks this and behaviours become accepted. Seeing the effect on your child is a clear marker of the effects and a support for mothers and manufactures to change what is offered and a new perspective is needed and the responsibility for our health and for future generations very important
It is so great Robyn how you are educating your daughter to understand, by feeling in her body for herself the effects of eating sugar, and your sensitivity to her relationship with other children at school by providing her with healthy choices. I was quite rigid with my children, sugar was not allowed in the house, I learnt sometime later that they were buying lollies from the shop up the road.
Once you stop having sugar regularly then something sweet can actually almost feel like a punch to the body as the sugar effect can be that strong in my experience.
Absolutely as how can we initiate change if there are no alternatives on offer to support people who want to explore a different way?
It is truly shocking the impact of having sugar on your daughter after so long without any and clearly illustrates the toxic way it impacts everyone it is just that most are more desensitised and the link is not so clear. This needs to be explored more widely as with ever increasing behaviour issues in schools and in our wider society we desperately need to start finding answers that can enable us to live more harmoniously with each other.
‘How can a behaviour-altering substance like sugar be sold to the masses like it’s nothing special?’ – and how/why do we just accept that such a behaviour-altering substance is in the majority of our food? We are prepared to turn a blind eye while huge industries feed us what they want – and all because we demand it. Things won’t change unless and until we want to look at why we feel we need sugar, and what we’re using it for – what are we not prepared to see, feel or handle, and why do we need something to pick us up (that later drops us)?
While we seek to dull our awareness and ourselves, no matter how much research goes into this area, it will not change while the demand is still so strong for this. It requires an inward movement to create an outer movement.
Yes, we need to deal with our need for sugar and that will remove the demand.
What a great example of being the change you would like to see in the world, Robyn. I love how you did not just help your own family with getting off of refined sugar, but took your supportive treats out into the community to share them. This is living in true brotherhood.
Sugar is a legalized drug that keeps us contracted and addicted, once we develop a sugar addiction (which is not hard) we are more likely to grow up with a propensity for addiction and this then as we know can continue in many forms.
Having eliminated processed sugar some (35) thirty-five years ago I now find any thing, which is sweet sends me racy and I end up loosing my connection to my divine essence.
Robyn this is a beautiful example of true parenting, in how you have supported your daughter to feel and understand for herself her relationship with her body, and how it reflects the effects of sugar and food in general. Very empowering, and fostering this relationship that is innate in us all is precisely the education that all children deserve to receive in order to support them to live with greater connection, health and well-being.
The amount of sugar in our everyday food is astounding and the effects go unnoticed in reality and accepted as normal when in fact they are causing us to not live and be ourselves with chronic illness and disease let alone unreasonable behaviour. A great sharing for us all to note and see there is another way to eat and live .
“How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special??” Excellent question Robyn and one that can be asked of too of caffeine and alcohol.
I am reminded of the time I went cold turkey for 3 months having absolutely no sugar and nothing sweet. I then was given this big chocolate cake with a thick layer of fondant that I could not resist (one has to be polite when given a gift!) and of course I had a big piece of it, never even considering this might have an affect. Not long after I felt as if I had taken drugs, my mind was very unclear, my heart was racing, I was erratic and I felt sick to my stomach. I was shocked as I had not expected this but at the same time the harming affect of sugar has been from then on for ever without questioning.
There is plenty of experiential and scientific evidence about what sugar does to us so the fact that is still so widely available can only be because we want those effects, we are asking for it by what we buy and consume.
Super blog, Robyn. It wasn’t until I came across Universal Medicine that I began to understand the effects that sugar can have on my body. Serge Benhayon’s clear and simple presentations on bringing the focus to truly feeling what is going on in the body when sugar is consumed allowed me to feel for myself the effect consuming sugar was having, and the very addictive nature of this substance – to the point where I would cut sugar out for long periods of time and so feel the joy in my body for going sugar-less only to cave in to the craving when going through a difficult and challenging patch.Despite this joy-full feeling in my body calling me back, there were (and sometimes still are!) times when the level of love in my body would drop and I would attempt to fill that drop in the sweetness of love with sugar. It doesn’t work, it never will and so I lovingly bring myself back to the basics of self care and self love and the balance rights itself once again.
Thank you Robyn, should be front page news. You only talk about refined sugar too. What about the fructose sugar in fruits? That needs to be widely understood too.
We are not listening to our bodies where all of this is known. It was not until I had a marker in my body (thanks to Universal Medicine) what it was to actually feel great in my body that I was easily able to say no to sugar forever.
It is fascinating how such a common commodity like refined sugar is accessible to anyone at any time of the day yet it has been compared to as if you are on crack. Either way what is clearly expressed in this blog is that it totally alters our body and our state of being. I know when I have been on sugar then stopped it the impact that it has had on my body and mood is painful. Today I wouldn’t even consider having such a drug.
I find it interesting, the effect that sugar has on children, and yet it is so common place in their diet. But the effects are clear and plain to see. So as a parent, letting go of sugar must also be a process of developing a willingness with oneself to see what is actually and truly going on.
A great place to start freeing ourselves from the sugar addiction, is with our children. When we stop eating sugary foods the difference is huge in us all, as well as the ability to detect too much in almost all foods as you mention. Thank you Robyn.
Considering the impact of sugar on our bodies and the fact that children consume such high qualities of it, could this be a large contributing factor to many children struggling to focus and maintain harmonious relationships at school? Simply observing my classes after a shared birthday cake the behaviour of the children heighten, they become louder, more excited, more hyperactive and less able to remain calm and less able to listen with a steadiness.
Yes I remember that way back in the early eighties I heard of a prison in Lisbon, Portugal, that conducted experiments on sugar consumption and behaviour change. They found that the prisoners became much more aggressive when they had sugary drinks.
It sounds crazy when we liken sugar to illicit drugs, but the effects are not so different – in that it alters our natural state and of course, effects everyone differently…so different bodies react differently in the same way people respond differently to certain drugs. But either way, it has a noticeable impact on the body, and it’s easier to observe in a child who has yet to master the art of control, but take the sugar away from an adult…and look out. No different to quitting smoking or drinking. It’s so interesting.
Having sugar-free foods/desserts is a great way to support people to free themselves from a sugar addiction and for children to fit in with their peers is without a doubt a huge support – certainly helped me and know many others for whom this has also been true.
Robyn, reading this article about the effects of sugar makes me wonder if a lot of behaviour issues that we see with children could be down to sugar and that often we don’t necessarily make this link like you have.
The corrupted way that sugar is being sneaked into the diets of our everyday lives when exposed can feel deeply overwhelming. And the only true way is to start living what we know is true in our bodies, step by step.
With our rates of obesity as high as it is (and seemingly escalating every year) it surely must have a lot to do with the fact that so much of our pre-prepared manufactured food that is eaten in copious amounts at our dinner tables today has such a high sugar content.
Why is it possible to have products that are laced with sugar made for children. There is not a parent in the world that does not see the change sugar brings over a child. I often hear parents say that their child cannot have sugary drinks because they go hyper or they can have the sugary product in the morning , but not later as they will not sleep at night.
But its just not sugar products, we have a name for it “junk food” we make junk food and we feed it to ourselves and our children. Its wonderful Robyn that you are bringing non-junk food to the people and your child.
I agree, these other options offer us not only a different choice, they get us to consider what we usually eat and if there is another way of eating to support us.
It is interesting that it is acceptable to give children, or ourselves, a reward or treat that is laced with refined sugar when this substance is so addictive and harmful to health.
Sugar is literally everywhere and it is great to read this example of your daughter as my daughter has been eating more sugar recently and it is definitely affecting her behaviour, I have suggested a sugar free stint as an experiment but in truth I wasn’t ready for that myself so it is something we are refining and being real and honest about why this avoidance of stillness is such a stubborn issue for us as a family.
It is interesting to read this blog and realise that although I was never a ‘sweet tooth’ the behaviours that are shared are no different if we choose ‘savoury’.
Recently I was at a wedding and there was a beautiful and delicious gluten, dairy and refined sugar free wedding cake. And a lot of the guests were surprised that not only it looked amazing but also the taste was amazing. It tasted pure and natural sweet and it was absolutely made with love.
“How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special” The million dollar question that society does its best to ignore.
There are a lot of people who are invested in it… too many to count, whether that be the financial investment, or their crutch in life. When we collectively don’t want to let it go as a population we are going to ignore its ill effects, and fight any legislation that might restrict our access to it.
Robyn, thank you for this article. I notice at my local school how sugar directly affects the children, they get racy and hyperactive, my son had refined sugar once and this sent him crazy, he was bouncing off the walls, so he has not had it since, he even gets racy and not himself if he has too much fruit or dried fruit, children are so sensitive and sugar certainly does not support them in anyway; how sugar affects children is a really important discussion to have.
Sugar, amongst many other drugs are readily and legally available in society, for us to medicate ourselves with. The fact is, we are calling for this to be available and as a result the supply continues to flourish and invent new ways to deliver what is being called for. What you have brilliantly presented here Robyn, is that the responsibility, and as such the power, is in our hands, to bring awareness to how our bodies are feeling when we consume such substances, and if we feel unwell or not ourselves, question why we are needing to consume them in the first place. Teaching and encouraging this awareness in our children is then what truly empowers them to learn to make choices for themselves, guided by the intelligence of their own bodies.
Even when we quit sugar for good I find my sprit can still be very clever with using different foods to mask an underlying tiredness or an emotion I do not want to feel.
Mask the feelings of fragility and sensitivity that we can feel in the world yet override with the myriad of dulling foods that we so proudly call “treat foods”.
Very revealing that sugar in the mouth may taste sweet but the effect on our body is anything but sweet. So we have the choice of which to listen to.
“for what I feed it determines the quality I live my life in every moment of every day. ” Ain’t that the truth! Robyn, please make an EBOOK or post your recipes for us all to try. Where can we find them?
Letting go of sugar when one has an addiction can be a challenge. This is what is facing many many people in today’s society, not being able to just stop eating such sugary foods, because they really can’t due to the addiction. It is now being spoken about a lot more that it really has addictive properties, but on the other side, it still comes down to our choices as to how much or how often you eat it.
Sugar is so insidious harming to the body it is a poison no less than alcohol, the problem is it is everywhere, and it takes much diligence to read the labels on all foods for it lurks in the most unsuspecting ones. I love this line Robyn, it brings a smile to my face “And even if they aren’t consciously choosing this and just eat the yummy delights anyway, they will be blessed by all the love I have made them with… and that is pretty cool I think! “
Sugar is so incredibly addictive and most people use the saying ‘a little won’t do any harm’ My own experience is that any amount of refined sugar causes havoc in my body and taking it is definitely not worth it.
It’s incredible how sensitive we are when we allow ourselves to be just that.
The change that you saw in your daughter is striking. I have noticed the same change in myself if I eat dates. They are not refined sugar but they are high in fructose, and I notice I get impatient and grumpy after eating them. It is not worth the after affects. I am much happier without any kind of sugar.
A recent report has just been released showing the rapid increase in the UK about the number of children below the age of five that have had to have teeth removed because of decay… from sugar! The report also listed the small number of children under ONE that had teeth removed. It is becoming harder every day to find food that is not laced with sugar!
it is an extraordinary reflection upon our society that something so insidious and indeed so addictive could be everywhere and it seems in almost everything.
It is great that you were able to have a conversation about the affects of sugar with your daughter in this way, so that she has the opportunity to develop her body awareness from such a young age.
Choosing foods that support me in my health, my stability and my vitality means sugars are no longer part of my diet in any way.
Yes, I agree Heather, If we are choosing foods for heelth, vitality, clarity and stability. Suger is definitely OUT!
Refine sugar is highly addictive and certainly plays havoc with our moods, behaviours and sugar level in our blood, especially noticeable with children but then there comes a point where we may feel the same effects with consuming natural sugars. When our bodies become more and more aware, even natural sugars can give us the effects of refined sugar. It is very interesting to observe this and to notice this in my own body.
Destructive power of sugar and we underestimate it. I still sometimes get caught in the hidden sugars and no wonder why I feel so tired. There is a deeper responsibility here to really check everything and make things that are supportive without the need of refined sugars.
I find that so interesting that sugar makes you tired Amita, I will watch out for that!
In my day I reach a point when I feel tired and eat fruit which then makes me feel more tired! I have been aware of this for some time but choosing deliberately to ignore the messages my body is communicating to me that actually eating the hidden sugar is making me feel worse!… better to go deeper into becoming more aware of what is causing the tiredness in the first place.
How great that you have enabled your daughter to feel for herself the effects of eating sugary foods. If we stop eating sugar because we are told to, there will always be a deeper craving that will catch us out, but when we can feel for ourselves what sugar does and truly feel how that is in our bodies, it is easier to say no. The less sugar we eat generally, the more easily we can feel its effect when we do. Then no willpower is required.
It is an interesting journey in today’s drug fuelled world! When my daughter goes to a party she can eat what she wants, including gluten and dairy, its her opportunity to do what everyone else does and feel the consequences of that, and yesterday she got a party bag and just looked at the cake and said I don’t want that and we put it back, no big deal. It can only come from them, if we impose what we want for them in my daughters case she will only rebel and have it in some other way. This way she can claim it for herself.
I agree Carmel and Vanessa, children like us adults have to learn for themselves the effects sugar or any other food has on their body. Trying to control or have rules in the home doesn’t work (I have tried!) and I know living in this way always back fires. We don’t tell an adult what they should or should not eat so why should we tell a child.
Robyn, great question, ‘How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special??’ Sugar is everywhere and seems to be such a common part of peoples diets, especially children, only yesterday a colleague commented on a little boys behaviour who had just had some chocolate, usually calm this boy was going crazy, he was like a different child, it seems that we often see these behaviour changes and even talk about them but do not stop giving our children these sugary snacks, sugar seems to be such an accepted part of life despite the harm and changes that it causes.
What a great example of what sugar can do to our body. Just realising how many of us have bought into the ‘sweets for treats’ when our bodies are telling us there is really no treat for them in the aftermath.
Robyn, what you describe is quite a pronounced personality change – it may die down as the child gets used to the sugar and may need more sugar to get equally hyper but I have not heard about much (any?) scientific literature that speaks about personality changes through sugar. This would be interesting to investigate.
This is a brilliant blog and sharing on sugar its effects and the addictions and disruptive behaviours considered normal and i agree too all you share and “With deep thanks to Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine for showing me that there is another way to live… One that includes great care and love for myself and my body – for what I feed it determines the quality I live my life in every moment of every day.”, amazing.
Sugar unleashes and/or feeds the intensity of living in total disconnection to the body. It is a true vacation away from responsibility.
Good question, how can the food industry get away with contaminating everything produced with a substance that causes so much harm.
It is great how you are parenting your daughter and make her understand that the extreme behaviour she was showcasing was because of eating sugar. Knowing this whilst growing up makes such a difference, without the conversation and understanding she easily could have grown up thinking it was her character, temper and simply how she was. Now she knows it was because of sugar and so not truly herself.
Exposing the ill effects of sugar, as you have done Robyn, is very much appreciated. You have also shown us that there is an alternative; where sugar, and all of its guises, are not truly needed or wanted by the body.
Thank you Robyn for your research into sugar addiction. I have always had a “sweet tooth” and I see it in those around me also. A wonderful idea to give other healthy options and see the great results as you have. I have a few foods that I make too that are also healthy options and most people find them just as tasty as sugary treats. We need more people to take the risk and try something different and healthier for themselves and their children. I notice when Gluten is taken out sugar is put in for some unknown reason!
And this was what happened from just one child having a lolly! ‘She was more jumpy, faster in her actions, loud, hyper, over-sensitive, aggressive when things did not go her way, unreasonable, physically invincible (apparently!?), restless and unable to sit still (at all!).’ Gosh so what happens when its loads of children and young people having a lot of sugar constantly? … This is what is currently happening, add drugs and alcohol for teenagers and we have a recipe for poor mental, emotional health and wellbeing-being instantaneously and this does not include other aspects of their lives! We seriously need to wake up to the disregarding, disharmonious and extremely harmful effects of sugar. And it is true sugar is put in everything .. flavoured water, tinned foods, sundried tomatoes. My feeling is it is up to us, the masses to say no. When we stop buying there will no longer be a so called ‘demand’ for it.
I fully concur with you Vicky, that we need expose the addiction that most don’t realize they have silently acquired by sugar being in everything we eat! Its ironic that at one time governments put Fluoride in drinking tap water to help reduce tooth decay and now you can buy bottled water with sugar in it!
If I look back on how I have changed my diet, I did it in steps, the same way you have done with sugar. For me and I would say others this has been a very gentle way to stop eating a particular food. I have given up sugar in an instant and it was not worth trying again, with the way I felt. I feel the fact that you have made these options available for people is a great thing and I know they taste great and they are great because you made them.
The quantity of sugar and its proliferation into just about all of the foods we eat shows the extreme levels of corruption in our food industry especially because sugar itself provides absolutely no true nutritional benefit to our body and in fact harms its natural homeostasis.
“How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special?” The golden question of the ages, we will look back in the future and see the absolute craziness it is to promote such a substance that attacks the immune system and plays with mental health.
To add to the above comment – what if we were to also eliminate stimulating behaviours and activities from our repertoire? This will have an equally less deleterious effect on our bodies, being and planet.
‘She was more jumpy, faster in her actions, loud, hyper, over-sensitive, aggressive when things did not go her way, unreasonable, physically invincible (apparently!?), restless and unable to sit still (at all!).’ And it’s not only children who behave like this – I’ve met plenty of adults who are using sugar and or other stimulating foods or beverages and ‘lose the plot’ in the same way. Eliminating such items from our diets might just do a lot for world peace, and I mean that seriously!
I too with my children are experimenting with cooking and making biscuits and cakes that are refined sugar free. It is a fun activity to do with them allowing them to come up with their own creations.
It’s actually very scary the amount of sugar that is everywhere out there. We were having a conversation yesterday about this, how for example someone who is on the road a lot travelling, up and down motorways there is nowhere to stop to get healthy food – every service station or service stop is filled with fast food outlets or for example when you call into a garage you have to walk past shelves of chocolates and sweets to get to the till, or stand in a queue next to them, to only be met at the counter by donuts, muffins or cookies on offer. For someone who has a serious sugar addiction or craving this is very tough.It also affects them physically and mentally and their moods. For example if one is stressed, the easy and quick option is to reach for sugar or junk food to suppress this, it’s been supposedly known, I can’t be a 100% sure on this to suppress stressful feeling in the body, but in truth it’s only masking this. But with this comes the cycle of depression for eating it again, feeling rubbish, lethargic, grumpy, annoyed at one’s self for eating it again. We need to do more as a society to stop sugar being put in our foods, and pushed so much in shops, supermarkets, service stations etc. Yes we have a part to play, but also we need to care and support each other more with this, than judge another for the food they eat, which can often be the case. There is no quick fix or solution, but definitely for many starting with looking at cutting out refined sugar works, this then allows us to look deeper as to why we crave or use sugar in the first place. As food is the final outplay, the end result of something else going on in our lives that we are not dealing with. But for many this may be too much straight away and they might go into overwhelm, more stress etc, it’s about working in a way that supports you.
People and especially parents really need to understand how harmful and addictive sugar is, and the consequences to our bodies and energy if we consume this substance.
“How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special??” This is one of the questions I would love to be on front page of everyone’s newspaper world wide until we get it, of course that would never happen as the media and sugar industry are as corrupt as each other. Selling ‘drugs’ to ourselves and our children through their mass advertising campaigns should with out doubt be banned.
I remember once hearing on the radio that scientific studies showed there was ‘no evidence’ to suggest that sugar had any negative effect on children. – This was in the ’80s and even then there was a collective eye-roll from the vast majority of parents that I knew. How easily do we allow this kind of nonsensical science to pass uncommented upon. Now we know how much bias there is in scientific studies it would be interesting to go back and find out how these studies were backed.
I agree and it questions what else are we hearing today that in the future we will find that it is not true. It begs to discern every thing we are being presented with.
The harming effect of refined sugar is now becoming much more recognised and discussed as the underlying cause of much of the current ills of society and health. Studies have shown that the effect of sugar on the brain is similar to the altered physiology in the brain caused by heroin.
I wish every parent could read this blog, we have a major mental health crisis happening in our schools and sugar and caffeinated drinks are for sure partly responsible I know myself if I had any form of sugar I could bounce of the walls, unfortunately this poison has become the norm and is effecting our children mental health world wide.
It is a credit to you and your husband Robyn that you have chosen to not feed your daughter sugar, to actually see and feel the impacts of when she did, the fact that you could tell “She was more jumpy, faster in her actions, loud, hyper, over-sensitive, aggressive when things did not go her way, unreasonable, physically invincible (apparently!?), restless and unable to sit still (at all!).” That this was not her normal behaviour, aside from the normal behaviours of a 6 year old. How many kids are out there and parents dealing with a lot of unruly behaviour, just because they are allowing so much sugar in their diets. A really great blog to reflect that there is a different way to feel children with very positive outcomes.
It is deeply beautiful that you can support others through your refined sugar free delights to give people a choice in taking better care of themselves… and in doing so reduce the destruction that sugar has on their bodies. This is a very much needed service in a world that doesn’t seem to recognise or care about the true harm of refined sugar and as such doesn’t offer much as an alternative for those who still have a desire for something sweet.
Your blog is a wonderful expose on the ill effects of sugar, sugar addiction is certainly rife in our society. I love the way you have conquered your sugar addiction and supporting others to do the same; your GF, DF, SF options sound delicious.
And if you want the best cakes possible for your GF DF SF kids birthday party Robin is definitely the go to cook ☺
I travel to the USA for work regularly and it is astounding that not only the amounts of sugar in foods but it is in everything, even meat! No wonder everyone is hooked on sugar because we are given no other alternative – we need to see the food industry make changes to support peoples health and provide a range of food products that are completely sugar free.
Letting go of sugar was a really challenging thing, it is in everything and as you have shared here Robyn, it is very very addictive. This is what is not put on the front of packages, but put in all the very easy to get places, in supermarkets, petrol stations, news agencies, everywhere we seem to look. There is more and more evidence on how sugar impacts on us, so it is up to us to speak up for what that is and means, not just relying on medical or scientific research.
I would love to see what would happen if we were to cut refined sugar out of all children’s diets for a month. I believe we would at first be dealing with a lot of tantrums etc the come down off the sugar drug, but then we would see a massive decrease in behaviour issues in schools.
I agree completely Robyn, as I’ve also cut out refined sugar from my diet years ago, that sugar is indeed an addictive drug like all other drugs. I observe how very intelligent adults on so many levels become like children at a birthday party when sugary treats come out. And how once they are hooked on the high or relief that sugar gives, it is near impossible, even if they are saying they don’t need it or don’t want it, to actually walk past and not grab another one. And often we do not even realise how addictive sugar is until we have tried to give it up.
Even fruit can have a devastating affect on our bodies, The acidity and the fructose have given me headaches and diarrohea and a slightly agitated feeling in my body and mind.
One day in the future humanity will look back at our sugar intake and see it for exactly what it is – a poison to the body. Just how we once believed the world was flat do we fall for the belief that sugar even in small amounts is ok.
Its not easy avoiding sugar, and that is really a bit of an outrage in itself. We are corrupted by sugar, of that there is no doubt, you can read it in Robyn’s description of what happened to her daughter when taking sugar, multiply that by the many millions of children who take sugar, are actively encouraged to have it for energy and it doesn’t make for a pretty picture. I have worked in schools and seen the state of many children’s teeth, that alone should be a big red flag,yet there is a more sinister element in the way it changes the behaviour of children, so the responsibility it not only to your own child in allowing them to eat sugar but also to the children they play with and to the teachers who have to care and teach them everyday. Perhaps every parent who sees no harm in sugar should have to manage a group of 20-30 children high on sugar, it is not a fun experience.
I too have been addicted to sugar my whole life and suffered hypoglycaemia because of it. The consequences of eating sugary foods being an initial high with more energy felt in the body, but mind feeling very racy, task driven, speaking more faster in a higher pitch, being more reactive to others and the environment, and wanting control. Once the sugar high dips in the blood I then suffered feeling exhausted, moody, dizzy and faint, craving another sugar fix.
Thank you Robyn for showing that there is a way to combat the sugar addiction and it’s awesome how you are helping the wider community my offering an alternative to sugary sweets.
The fact that your daughter shared with you that she had been eating sugary snacks at school indicates that she could feel the effects in her body and didn’t really like it. This was a great learning for her at such a young age.
I have had a destructive relationship with sugar my whole life and I am only just coming to terms with the effect it has had on my body. I love the way you have supported yourself and others to let go of refined sugars Robyn. I can feel how loving this approach is.
Thank you Robyn – sugar certainly is a large part of mainstream diets, and though much of this sugar is obvious, there is much more that is hidden. You have shared an example with your daughter’s behaviour that shows how sugar can impact on our body. And I too can share a very recent experience of taking a nutritional supplement to support healing from an illness and it had the same effect on me as having a spoonful of sugar – which shows how careful we need to be as sugar is hidden in so many ways in the least expected places. Taking this supplement left me sleepless all night, unsettled and racy so much so that the next morning I was exhausted after a long night spent half awake tossing and turning and unable to settle into a deep recuperative sleep (the last thing you need when you are unwell). But this again was a great learning in realising how we actually can and do feel everything that goes into the body, and how much it can affect us, and likewise the appreciation of what we do hold when we get to have our body back (in other words once the sugar hit wears off, though you feel the exhaustion, you also get to feel ‘free’ again – free of the onslaught of sugar – and you can appreciate your body and its natural solidness and natural way of being immensely).
Certainly sugar is a poison and harmful as you describe and is one of the components of alcoholic drinks that people go for. Once I stopped eating refined sugar, I started to be aware of many other things and ways that I could get the same harmful effect such as with other foods and substances and even or especially with emotions. It is a constant growing awareness and evolution to not abuse my body in this way, but a very worthwhile one as the result and benefits to my health and well-being are phenomenal!
Most people would not even question the change in a persons behaviour when they seem a bit more hyper or racy. It’s just seen as normal! But it’s in our normalisation of it that we let such an addiction hide in the shadows so to speak. I was in a sugar addiction myself, but it is through the love and care of those around me that I realise that being hyper or racy is definitely not healthy at all.
I went to buy some plain old, unadulterated fresh prawns recently, checking the labelling as you do, only to find that they contained not just salt (natch) but demerara sugar too! Whoever thought that the humble prawn would need to be doused in sugar to be worthy of a shelf life? This is the world gone not just mad but entirely irresponsible. A sugar-coated world indeed.
Eating yummy delights that are delight-full for the body is so much more healthy than options that overly challenge the body to break them down.
Lovely to read your blog once more. Children do show us very clearly the effects of sugar on our bodies and we know sugar is not supportive for us but to truly take responsibility for this is something else. It took me quite some time to get truly honest about what I felt in my body and not that I eat sugar anymore but to listen to my body and feel what it needs is still an every day work in progress.
‘And even if they aren’t consciously choosing this and just eat the yummy delights anyway, they will be blessed by all the love I have made them with… and that is pretty cool I think!’ Very cool indeed Robin and their bodies will know what they are receiving and will respond, no doubt about that.
I have been one of those people who always said that didn’t have a sweet tooth, always leaning towards the more salty, crackers, chips and dips etc. But when I did start to refine my diet over time, I realised just how much sugar was in so so many food items. not to mention fruit. So when I did start to cut more and more out, I realised just how much I had been relying on sugar to still give me a pep up, just that little extra something in the afternoon, ‘to get me through’. I eventually began to look at myself and ask the question, what is it you are wanting to avoid feeling? What is it you are not wanting to take responsibility for? When I began to ask these questions, it became more about that, then what I was choosing to eat, so became a complete game changer.
Awesome sharing Raegan – it is so true that the sweet things can come very hidden and disguised, but it is a process to discover them and gradually learn to pin point them and experiment by removing them from the diet. I love how you show it is a game changer when we look at things from a different perspective, and when we realise that foods (salty or sweet really) can be there to distract us from something that is being called for us to act upon. Are we playing the sugar game or are we here to really be a part of life and bring that which is needed?
Supporting ourselves as we make much needed changes in our lives is so very loving, and for each one of us this support may be different. It is for each of us to determine what it is we need and simply go for it, refining our choices of support as we go, without letting anyone else’s opinion distract us in making our own decisions. This makes us stronger in our own knowing, but also allows us to listen to what others are saying, and choose what is best for us from the deep connection we have with ourselves first and foremost.
Having yummy delights available that are made with love and not loaded with refined sugar is a great way to gradually transition from the addiction to hard core sugar, and to support children. It is certainly a great service you offer Robyn
Yes Robyn I always wanted to have this question answered when I was a young mother of 4 children . . . .”How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special??” . . . when it clearly alters a person’s behaviour. The children, after friends’ birthday parties having eaten lollies and drank soft drink, or eating dinner out where they were fed sweets that they were unaccustomed to, would return home in a state, all hyped up and bickering and fighting with each other. I always felt that sugar was a crime against humanity so never allow it in the home. I also requested my mother and my friends to respect my wishes to not feed the children sugar and this caused quite a stir with outraged people accusing me of denying them the right to indulge the children.
Many times I have seen sugar being used by parents to control their children, they use if for rewards or as a temptation to stop them behaving badly. The sad thing is like any drug sugar ultimately will always make the situation worse. For a quick relief it is never worth it.
Robyn it was timely to re read your sharing on sugar addiction and its effects on children especially. I saw similar behaviour in a 6 year old on the weekend after they were consuming quite a lot of sugary foods and drinks. It is a complete personality changer and agitator to the physical body of a little one.
Indeed Robyn, it is mind blowing that such a pernicious substance has slithered its way into the diet of billions of people to the point where it is having such an effect on the whole world… One would think that there is some evil plot to keep humanity in agitation so that they can’t feel who they truly are… But gosh that’s really stretching it isn’t it!
I agree Robyn that it’s very hard to find snacks in the supermarket that are gluten, dairy and sugar free. There are some that have sugar substitutes but are incredibly sweet and to my taste buds – taste horrible. You have found a creative way to educate your daughter at a young age just how addictive and harmful sugar is in the body. Hopefully many other parents are observing this and considering making changes in their own households also because having a racy body is not the norm!
I can relate to the raciness that effects young children, having see this too. To have looked into how to change this by researching sugar free recipes and trialling your own with such success is inspiring for others of us to do the same if need be.
“How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special?” Such a good question Robyn, It is one of those substances that in the future humanity will look back and see the true harm that sugar caused, to us each individually and as a society as a whole. Due to my own experience with sugar I feel strongly society needs to be aware of the poison we are consuming daily. Let us say it as it is – sugar does absolutely nothing for our physical health and wellbeing and in fact leaves us far worse off as our bodies have to fight on many levels the toxin it is.
“…sugar does absolutely nothing for our physical health and wellbeing and in fact leaves us far worse off as our bodies have to fight on many levels the toxin it is.” and then some…
You are highlighting a great point in your last sentence Samantha – namely why do we eat what we do? Is it because of the nutritional value of food and what our body needs or for other reasons such as stimulation and escape in the case of sugar?
And people look down on those who have succumbed to the apparently more lethal addictions… And yet as we can see how society is absolutely riddled with addictions that are placing intolerable burdens on our health system and the well-being of us all.
Great article Robyn – I have an allergy to refined sugar although it took sometime to realise this, as I loved the comfort that sweet products brought me. The difference in my life since choosing to make different choices is amazing and the many extras I had to incorporate into my diet to counteract the effects of sugar have also dropped away. This is one of the things I realised once I gave up sugar. It is not only the sugar that I consumed that is not suitable or nourishing for the body, it is also the additives we bring in that further dull and block our capacity to be naturally energised and joyful in life. Very confirming article and challenging of the choices many make regarding their diet.
So beautiful Robyn, not only did you go through your own journey with refined sugar, letting go of gluten and dairy, but you are supporting your children to have other choices. It must be very challenging for children, with so very much on offer, everywhere they look, pictures, lollies, chips, enticing them. But your dedication to ensuring they have an alternative is amazing. To then take that out to the community, making them for local cafes, is truly inspiring.
Just gotta add that if your treats taste as light and delicious as you feel then people will indeed be “blessed with all the love you have made them with”… FACT!
“How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special??” Don’t they care? Is it all about $$$??
Sugar is poisonous, the verdict is out. But like tobacco and alcohol, which we also know to be irrefutably harmful to the human body it is still government approved to be added a hugely high percentage of food products whether they be savoury or sweet making no difference. How is this allowed?
Yes Jeannette this is crazy isn’t it, recently a report came out in England that some high street hot beverages contained 20 spoonfuls of sugar! This just highlights such irresponsibility from those in a position to influence. One spoonful of sugar is enough to send the body into complete chaos let alone 20. This is nothing but an assault and abuse to the body.
Great question Jeannette, how is this allowed? Dr Geoff Jolliffe, clinical chairman for NHS Cumbria Clinical Commissioning Group, has recently been quoted in the North West Evening Mail for expressing his horror at the “shocking” amount of sugar found in our high street hot beverages. He compared it to drinking one litre of vodka or taking two bags of heroin each day.
Thank Goodness we have those saying it as it is, unfortunately it will be some time that the rest of society catches on.
Great blog Robyn. I have seen first hand what sugar can do to a small child, all the symptoms you mention here are present, sometimes in the extreme. This makes the child very difficult to reason with and it’s like he is taken over by something and is not able to modify the behaviour or sit still long enough to eat a proper meal!
We see extreme behaviours in children as their little bodies are not used to being so abused with such toxic sugary foods as their older counterparts. To see a grown adult with the highs and lows that sugar bring is not a very welcome sight either.
Recently I ate some sugar – and my experience was that my dreams were all over the place, very emotional and erratic and kept waking me up through the night.
It was very interesting for me to observe this and the effects sugar has on my entire body – leaving for me a new marker to say ‘your body does not agree with sugar anymore’
I love how sensitive my body has become in responding and communicating with me to things like sugar – when in the past I would use sugar to numb what I did not want to feel.
Ironic really.
The other point is that recently at my wedding, I had yummy delights as our spread of dessert, and I had so many old school friends who still eat sugar come up to me to say how delicious and light the desserts were.
What they were offered, weather they felt it or not, was a marker of what desserts can be – and that sugar does not need to be used in a way that is stimulating. I felt it an amazing bridge for them to feel the difference in their bodies.
This is such an important topic, we are not paying attention to the effect that sugar has on our bodies. I ate some sugar yesterday and today I am totally exhausted and very ill. Too many kids are being affected by sugar but we are not fully clocking that this is the source of their out of control behaviours. We need to show the sugar film in every school.
It is like the society at the moment is a bizarre behemoth that lumbers along and its prime sustenance is sugar in any form, with caffeine as the secondary fuel, just imagine what would happen, if both of these were removed… What a transformation there would be ( after a few withdrawal symptoms !)
I have often pondered on this Chris, I am sure there would be much mayhem when everyone come off the stimulant then when the withdrawals have finished for sure we would have a much more responsible loving vital and healthy humanity.
A great article Robyn and a conversation worth having as many people are still trapped in the beliefs of sugar being ok and beneficial for the body. I work for an International airline and it is quite common for parents to ask for milk for their babies and for this to be heated, many times I am also asked for sachets of sugar that the parents then add to the babies milk. I asked a mother the other day why she does this and she told me that it was good for the babies digestion.
And to explore where the unloving choices come from is also key in our healing the cycle we can get caught in. I had to feel the exhaustion I was covering up that was feeding the cycle I was in with sugar, as well as the want to not feel so sensitive. Sugar has a way of dulling this down and I thought this was a way of coping, but it wasn’t. It just exacerbated the situation and made me sick.
I am loving my ever deepening relationship with my body and the food I put in it.
A few years ago I would of considered myself a stimulation addict. Salt, sugar, caffeine – all things I thought I needed to get by. But as I started to cut these out of my diet I realised that I was much more sensitive and aware of my body without them.
Recently I have been cutting out natural salts and sugars in my diet (caramelised onions for instance) and I have again felt the surge in natural energy as my body starts to let go of any stimulation.
I can say that I really appreciate this ever developing relationship and how I am starting to listen to my body before my mind says ‘eat that you’ll love it’.
Gorgeous Hannah. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, what a great observation and very loving example of parenting Robyn.
Lacing food with excessive sugar makes the food manufacturers very complacent as the shelf-life of processed foods is greatly extended and profits soar. When people depend mainly on processed food they lose the taste for natural fresh food and a taste for food additives becomes the norm. If all the sugar plantations in the world were used to grow fresh vegetables and food there would be far fewer dire warnings of the world being unable to feed the future generations.
Thank you Robyn, I am inspired to go to yet another level with sugar and my conversation around sugar. I feel my part is to offer an alternative so there is the option to choose. Otherwise the world we live in will provide a hit for the sugar addiction that hold us in the same addiction with little opportunity to get out of the cycle. There is one sentence I would like to challenge though… “How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special??” I disagree, I think it has been sold to us as something special, it is a treat, and this was the marketing for long enough to get us addicted, then it became a necessity to make the boring things like vegetables and healthy meals taste good. We have been conned and duped! Once the addiction to sugar clears from our body and our tastebuds have a chance to re-adjust, food tastes AMAZING without sugar.
I agree Lucy, sugar is certainly sold as a treat and for something special. I remember when I was given kinder surprises and yowies when I was little for ‘being a good boy”.
Reading the blog and the comments, it just shows how much of an issue sugar is, but how we as humanity still choose to not really address this issue. I hear from more and more people that they are quitting sugar or at least are trying to and this just shows that we all know that sugar is a drug. I am struggling myself with sugar as well, even though I don’t eat any at the moment, but I know that the need for sugar is still in my body. What is underneath this need needs healing, because without that, the sugar will never leave me.
In some cases in can become quite obvious that individuals have sugar addictions as they crave sweets and sugary foods however when you look to remove all sugar from your diet you realise just how many foods have sugar, or an artificial sweetener of some sort added. These not so obvious sources of sugar are ‘drip feeding’ the same thing to so many more than just those stand out examples of sugar addiction. In truth how many people are actually experiencing the effects of a sugar habit without being aware or even thinking that they are not?
In its attempt to tackle the problem of obesity in our country the government are considering putting a tax on sugar to make it more expensive to feed the ‘habit.’ Yet it is still not asking the question why do we as a nation eat so much sugar, what is the real issue here?
Hidden in plain view we have become so used to the behaviours that all sugars have on us that we try and pass the buck and start to blame it on ADHD or ADD when simple changes can take place and have lasting results.
I remember being addicted to sugar and coffee to get me going in the morning and keep me awake in the afternoon.
But this sugar habit caused me to be very moody, racy in my actions and thoughts, reactive to others and I was like an everready battery on the go all the time. My head told me this was fine as I got things done in the day. But at what expense? I suffered from hypoglycaemia , insomnia and chronic fatigue. What a difference it has made when I have removed sugar from my diet – I am still in the process of totally eliminating it- as it is found in almost everything you buy.
When I was younger I used sugar as a drug I used it to keep myself from having to feel what was going on, I remember when I was younger I even stole money from parents so I could go to the corner shop and gorge on any kind of sweets and chocolate I could get my hands on. I would really react to the sugar becoming super hyperactive – often ending in tears! – like a real drug addict I felt totally out of control with my sugar addiction it wasn’t until I was made to stop that I realised how deeply harming even one grain is.
I too remember when my then young children returned from parties – they were both high as kites and it was hard to calm them down – all due to the sugary drinks and food. One of them even realised this, so altho he loved a particular orange drink he chose to no longer drink it . Wisdom at a young age! How great it is that now going gluten and dairy free is more common these days. However sugar consumption (also in many processed foods) is still rampant and diabetes is going through the roof. We all need to be taking our health more seriously and taking responsibility for it.
Baker extraordinaire indeed! I think it is amazing that you are offering this option for people, there is certainly not much out there like this so this is a much needed service. I love that your daughter was able to see how sugar affects her and you have been able with your skill to lovingly support her with replacing refined sugar with something much kinder to her body… This feels like a deeply loving and supportive option compared to allowing the concerning alternative behaviour that sugar invites.
Yes, it is an awesome support for others as I know how difficult it can be to stop eating sugar. I feel this is the Love you speak of, Samantha. The offering to my fellow brothers and sisters as they realise that there is another way.
Your blog exposes how normal behaviours that are stemming from eating sugary foods is actually normal amongst society everywhere. It is amazing how the amount of tantrums experienced in your daughter which most would consider normal of a person of her age is actually not her at all!
Sugar is literally everywhere! There is almost no food in the supermarkets that does not come with some form of sugar in it and it is deeply deceptive as we often don’t even realise the amount of added sugar in many of these items. I find it interesting how we can say that ‘sugar’ is natural when we eat it ‘naturally’ from a fruit or food which naturally contains it but we are not choosing to deal with why we actually need the stimulation it provides in the first place.
I agree Joshua – it is everywhere and you have to ask the question why? As is mentioned in the article above it is addictive and there can be strong withdrawal symptoms if you decrease or stop eating it. So why is it in so many processed foods? Even those which are not sweet such as processed meats and it even finds its way into salads in McDonalds. Isn’t it clear that the food industry is lacking in integrity and using sugar (amongst other additives) to hook and bring about repeat buying of food products for increased profit.
I really enjoyed reading your sugar story Robyn and love this part “And even if they aren’t consciously choosing this and just eat the yummy delights anyway, they will be blessed by all the love I have made them with… and that is pretty cool I think!” Yes you are pretty cool and oh so beautifully sweet!
So great Robyn to hear first hand the effects of sugar your have experienced through your daugher. How amazing that you are so aware her behaviour and what food choices she has in the first place, so be able to so clearly see, feel and experience the change that occurred when she did have the lollies. Sugar is ‘everywhere’, it is in so many things, I agree, that you just would not ever expect it to be in. Unless you do look at the label of most things, which I now do, you wouldn’t know that it has been added.
This is a really great blog Robyn, I too have a young daughter and can see the change in her easily after she has had sweets or sugary foods. When she was 18 months old I took her on a long haul flight from England to New Zealand , at one stage on the flight she went off with one of the air hostesses and came back a while later in an outrageously hyper state, like she had been shot up with amphetamines. Up until that point in her life she had never had sugar in any form. Even though I told them several times not to give her sweets but I ‘m pretty sure they did. It’s a tough one when they are given sweets at school and all their friends are having them. I feel that to completely ban her from eating them will only cause rebellion. She knows how it makes her feel but she actually says she likes the feeling even though it does turn her into a ‘monster’.
I recently visited a family where the very cool seven year old was given sweet treats at certain times of the day. Shortly after eating them, she turned into a crazy, whirling dervish, and her parents found it hard to cope with her behaviour. I could feel that this was an ongoing struggle for them, and they started talking to me about these mood swings, so it felt ok for me to ask a simple question – could it be the sugar? What was interesting is that this had never occurred to them, so indoctrinated were they into the belief that kids should have sugar.
How mad is that, that it never occurred to them it could be the sugar. It’s kind of ridiculous when our so called treats are so often bad for us and rot your teeth. When you think about it a treat should be something like an early night or food that is nourishing’ but sadly I can’t see the kids seeing the treat in that.
Excellent blog Robyn, I like the fact, that we can really talk about addiction regarding sugar. There was a time in my life, I wasn’t aware of this at all. When I heard the word addiction, I thought about drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, but never about sugar. When we eat sugar, the sugar level in our blood increases very fast, after while the sugar level drops again and we are craving again for sugar – it is just one roller coaster, we put the body in.
And then add the sugar to the morning cup of coffee, or three, plus the croissants or pastries or toast, and you have the breakfast of millions and millions of people. What a messed up start to the day! Imagine taking all these things out of everyone’s diet for a year or so and then take a reading on the national health index. I imagine it would be extremely different.
I totally agree Chris with diabetes going up by 60% in the last ten years in the UK alone it is the only way to stop the health systems from collapsing. Sugar must be up there with the most evilest substances on the planet causing more deaths directly and indirectly than anything else.
I feel that sugar works just like alcohol. If you want to drink ten beers on a saturday night you have to practice all week. drink three or four beers every night. Same with sugar, if you want to go to a kids party and pig out you can handle it much better is you have lots of sugar during the week.
I didn’t so much give up drinking I just gave up getting drunk when I was forty. At first I could handle a couple of beers but I slowed down naturally. I only drunk at weekend and not even every weekend, Soon I was getting drunk on two light beer and I cut down to one light beer. In the end I was not drinking a beer a month. At this rate I got high drinking half a glass. As you say in your comment Toni, “I had not eaten sugar for years and then one night I felt tired and bought some mints. After eating one mint I felt full of energy, like I was buzzing. I could not sit still and wanted to move really fast. That was such a small amount of sugar but had such an huge instant effect, not to mention what I felt only a short time later and that was really exhausted, wiped out and dreaming of bed”.
Like alcohol, extremely addictive
Hi Robyn great blog, It’s amazing how much sugar there is in processed food in the supermarkets today. It’s in just about everything. Although officially not addictive we know from food processors that the more sugar in a product, the faster it sells. Kids are particularly targeted and I wonder whether it has anything to do with that most addictive of substances, alcohol. Made from pure sugar, fermented by adding yeast which turns the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Is all this sugar in our diet a prelude to alcohol addiction in our children?
Thank you Robyn for alerting me to the effects of sugar on little ones especially. I have seen this type of behaviour , that your daughter displayed just recently ,in a small child of similar age and it is very disruptive for the whole family, and they themselves don’t know the reason for their anger and hyperactivity. We cannot blame the child if it is related to what they eat. Great blog, must read for all.
Sugar definitely is a poison. I have experienced it as a depressant over many years, although at the time I was totally unaware the effects it was having on me. I understand there are other causes associated with depression but in my experience I found that sugar certainly sustained the depression. It wasn’t until I cut right back on sugar for extended periods, and then over indulged, that I truly became aware of it’s debilitating effects. Within a short time of consuming sugar I could feel the subtle changes, so subtle that at first you don’t really notice them unless you are actually watching for them, but later you feel like you have been hit by a bus. If you put the headache, tiredness and heaviness down to something else, rather than your sugar consumption, you overlook what is really happening, and keep consuming sugar, becoming more depressed, heavy and tired. And there begins the merry-go-round of eating sugar to pick you up, and then the slump, and eating more to pick you up, creating a habit that is difficult to break. As you keep consuming you become more and more depressed and life becomes flat and grey. You begin to think that is how life is, totally unaware that it is the sugar that has taken you there, and your continual consumption, that is keeping you there.
I agree Ariana and therefore we need more articles like Robyns to expose the price we have to pay so that this truth can eventually drop into their bodies.
Your article is wonderful Robyn. Great the way you guided your daughter to eat food that supports her and makes her feel better than the sweets that are full of sugar. The way you brought your food out for the benefit and inspiration of people around you is very inspiring to me. My two 13 year old sons have a big craving for sugar. One of them likes my bakings with natural sweeteners (not as much as the sugary sweets though) but the other son doesn’t come near the stuff, also because he doesn’t like nuts. They are used to the fact that they are rarely allowed to eat sweets, although they often complained and I am sorry to say I sometimes gave in. Since they started highschool last year they have been eating more and more sugar. They hang out with friends after school and the first thing they do together is get their fix of sugar. Like it is a reward for being in school all day. I remember I used to do the same when I was young and I cannot control their choices. Even though they see how I react to sugar and understand why I refrain from eating it, they are not ready to ‘give it up’ themselves also because everyone else is eating it and they don’t want to stand out bringing healthy snacks. I present the facts to them about sugar and offer food without it and I can only hope that one day they will choose differently. I would love to receive some recipies from you Robyn because I could use some inspiration. I will gladly hook up with you on Facebook.
I wouldn´t mind trying some of your yummy delights Robyn!!:)
But more than that, take the opportunity to feel more deeply why I have opened the door to having “a bit, only a bit” of sugar every now and then. As a relief from the hardness of life? from the long hours at work? as a reward?. Or plainly as a movement of my right foot on the brake to stop my evolution.
I know sugar has an effect in my body, at that moment, and the next day, in my thoughts that are more bombarding and more negative and self loathing…in my emotions that become more painful and overwhelming…but the way you describe your daughter´s behaviour is very clear and detailed. She is very lucky to have those parents that exercise parenthood so clearly in her benefit. Observe and take action to stop the harm.
Your honesty and openness touches me Julia. And yes sugar has that devestating effect on us. It should be easy to stay away from it but through my own experience I know it doesn’t work like that. And this is a great one ‘Or plainly as a movement of my right foot on the brake to stop my evolution.’
Sugar definitely is a poison. I have experienced it as a depressant over many years, although at the time I was totally unaware the effects it was having on me. Even over the last few years I have battled with my need for sweet things from time to time, it is a habit very hard to kick. It wasn’t until I cut right back on sugar for extended periods, and then over indulged, that I truly became aware of it’s debilitating effects. Within a short time of consuming sugar I could feel the subtle changes, so subtle that at first you don’t really feel them unless you are actually watching for them, but later you feel like you have been hit by a bus. If you put the headache, tiredness and heaviness down to something else you overlook what is really happening, and keep consuming sugar, becoming more depressed, heavy and tired, and you are hooked on the merry-go- round of eating sugar to pick you up and then the slump, so eating more. As you keep consuming you become more and more depressed and life becomes flat and grey. You begin to think that is how life is, totally unaware that it is the sugar that has taken you there, and your continual consumption, that is keeping you there.
Well said Rosemary, the depressant side of sugar addition is rarely spoken about, thank you for expanding the conversation.
Knowing now the effects of sugar in my own body I can feel how offering sugar to others in any form is not a true ‘treat’ at all but is offering them a moment of stimulation at the cost of disconnecting from their own natural stillness.
Not being much of a sweet tooth person, preferring more savoury ‘treats’ in the past, giving up sugar was not too much of an issue for me. However in the past few years my digestion hasn’t been so well, and it was suggested by a naturopath to try a fructose free diet. I was astounded by how many foods have high levels of fructose, which can have the same effect as sugar.
It has been 18 months since going on this diet and my body feels so light – no more heaviness after eating meals, no bloating – I feel amazing! Although some may say my diet is limited, I don’t feel this – it has simplified my diet but there is still a great deal of variety which comes from finding new ways of eating these foods.
I agree exhaustion is a major issue today Toni, and many need their coffee which is often loaded with sugar to get them through the day – there is a hit and then energy levels plummet. Sugar is also in alcohol – perhaps its not the alcohol or coffee per se that is addictive but the sugar that causes the addiction?
Thank you gorgeous Robyn! I agree on this practical way of supporting our kids in the school environment. Luckily I never really had a sweet tooth. The moment I eat something sweet I usually have to eat something savoury to counter it! haha I can’t handle it.
Great contribution about the deleterious effects of refined sugar on our organism; the only reason people think it’s okay must be because just about everybody keeps dosing themselves up and then we conclude that the behaviour as described in your blog is ‘normal’ when really, it is not at all and just sugar-induced.
My progression with this is very aligned, Robyn.
When I gave up eating gluten and dairy, I realized that having a child, I would need to know how to make delicious cakes and slices without using refined sugar. It has progressed to also letting go of grains and now an awareness of no fructose sweetener. I have found this process invaluable in breaking a lifelong reliance on sweet foods.
My daughter is still enticed by the range of sugar treats that come into her orbit and I let her try them and then feel how it is in her body and as you say, how her mood and disposition changes. I would love for her not to eat sugar at all but I am content with her eating fruit based sugars and will support her in making her own choices, by giving her homemade options and showing her by example through my choices.
We don’t ever seem to connect the obvious, we are getting sicker as a society, 95% of the world live in illness and disease and our supermarket aisles are lined with sugar infused foods, foods that actually make us sick. There is vested interests in sugar so this won’t change unless we do, only by recognising and saying no to sugary foods will be start to change our health status. I stopped having refined sugar and the effect on my health aaas transformative, it is like starting a new life, that is the harm of this substance.
Wow Stephen, ‘it is like starting a new life, that is the harm of this substance.’ What a powerful experience you had on giving up sugar.
This is fantastic Robyn. It is amazing to see the effects of sugar on these little bodies. I help out at school sometimes and watch as they share in a morning tea where everyone brings a plate and it is easy to see the effects on these children as they chow down all these sugary foods. I am equally amazed that the teachers don’t seem to put two and two together to realise the behaviour change after the morning tea. The principle announced that he was going to give all the students a pancake breakfast with maple syrup on top before their NAPLAN Test to encourage them. I wonder how they went?
I am sure one day in the future they will look back at this period in time and see our addiction to sugar for what it truly was – an addictive poisonous substance that added nothing of value to society.
Fantastic blog Robyn – It is as you share so difficult to find everyday items in the supermarkets that are free of sugars and those little extras (colourants etc) that are not necessary in a healthy diet. It has certainly inspired me to get creative in the kitchen.
I would so love to have your delicious food sold near me! I really struggled to give up sugar – I found it highly addictive and the only way I knew I had a hope of giving it up was when I addressed the deep exhaustion that lived in my body as normal. When you described your daughter … that was me…but I didn’t stop – for 35 years.
Sugar indeed alters behaviour in a big way. It is not hard to explain though. As you eat sugar, you become very racy inside your own body. You loose presence and get disconnected to your being. Once this happens everything and anything is possible.
Sugar is a key factor in our living disconnected from us and from the others. Humanity needs to know this.
A beautiful blog Robyn, that confirms what I have felt in my own body when consuming sugar and felt in others when interacting with them. Sugar makes me racey, foggy and then lethargic, not to mention sick in the stomach if I eat too much. I would like to one day give sugar and all sugar substitutes up completely but it is a process I am working through with no perfection sought. I know I will get there. In a world where sugar is everywhere, its great that you are offering your community a loving alternative. Thank you for sharing.
That is what I find with sugar or sugary things that they can actually make me super tired to the point that I almost have to lie down so it sure has affects in all sorts of ways.
Very true Susan our bodies do already know. It is a shame that we often wait for science to confirm what we have already felt. For a long time science told us that sugar and cigarettes were not damaging to our health and now we are discovering this is far from true. We are each our own scientists and our study is our own bodies.
This is a great sharing Robyn. I love how you didn’t just decide to go without, instead of denying yourself or your daughter you found ways to enjoy food but without the addictive and damaging consequences. Very inspiring.
I too find it fascinating that so few professionals are making the link of increases in behaviour disorders like ADHD, conduct disorder and the increase in sugar consumption, not forgetting to mention that the impact on tooth decay which is at an all time high. It’s on its way to being recognised for the drug it is and the sooner this happens the better.
Very true Vanessa. There is more and more research confirming that which many have already observed, that certain foods and diets, including gluten, diary and sugar significantly impact on the quality of one’s mental and physical health. It has been recorded that up to 85% of psychological and physiological conditions are directly related to lifestyle choices, including diet, sleep and exercise. We have far more control over our health than genetics likes to tell us.
I totally agree with you Vanessa the sooner sugar is being recognised for the drug it is the better.
My children have been without refined sugar pretty much all their lives, and they are aware, connected, fun, loving, steady and very gorgeous. Any tantrums, anger, hyper activity comes from a lack of sleep occasionally, or feeling stressed abut a c certain issue. It is wonderful to support my children and know that sugar is not a factor on how they are feeling generally. I have noticed how sugar really does have an impact on them if they choose to have some at a birthday party. The great thing now is because they have felt a life without sugar, they really notice for themselves how it feels and often chose to stop eating it.
That’s wonderful, Samantha that you have such an honest relationship with your children regarding sugar and they are free to make their own choices to feel for themselves the effect that sugar has. It is only by example that we will be able to show the world the dangers of sugar and that probably most of our population are living lives in a heightened state due to such a high consumption of sugar, not to mention caffeine and other stimulants. I eat very little sugar, only an occasional piece of fruit, and if I do indulge in too much then all I want to do is fall asleep!
Robyn, it is great to re-read your blog and appreciate how much you now listen to your own body, knowing that the yummy delights are no longer serving you. It is lovely that you still making these with a quality of deep care and love to bring these to your daughter and people in the local cafe who are finding their way through the maze of the sugar food world – in time this will support them feeling more of what serves their body too.
This is great, to read and recognize the behavioural changes that occurred after eating refined sugar, and the impact this has on a human body, especially small children. It’s incredible how addictive refined sugar can be. Thank you for sharing.
Johanne, it is interesting how much refined sugar we all eat and not understand the impacts on our body. I have been more aware now, of my foods and catching the sugars and it makes so much of.a difference to my body, when o avoid them. I have also been observing children around sugar and how hyper they become, it really is about educating children at young age of the harm of sugars, giving them a choice to choose.
I would say that sugar has ruled a lot of my life, with me using it to soothe a pain or smother a tiredness. The problem with sugar is that it never satisfies, and the craving is always for more as it is never enough. This is not even to mention the harm it does to our insides. Crazy that we are so lax about the food we eat, I considered myself healthy before but I couldn’t have been with so much sugar in my diet.
Today I had a conversation with a young man I know about sugar. He was saying that he would like to put himself on a diet of no sugar. We talked a bit about why and then the conversation moved to become about choice, and it became clear that rather than limiting the food he eats, he could give himself permission to make lots of different choices about what he eats, no matter the food placed in front of him, there is always a choice. And that any choice he makes is always the right one because no matter what he will learn from the experience.
Hi Robyn, There are many things in life which are addictive and sugar is most certainly one of them, its just one of things once you begin to eat it you simply want more. Sharing the effect on your daughter and the change when you removed refined sugar from her diet shows us clearly the difference it can make to behaviour and therefore life, since if we are having a sugar induced behaviour we aren’t being ourselves and I wonder how much harder it must be to learn for example if you are racy and unable to concentrate at school.
Today I was walking in the supermarket and went to look in the treat aisle. Nothing in me wanted to buy any of it. The destruction that sugar causes to the body is so clear. so why do we need to have it on our supermarket shelves? have we forgotten what it is like to be still?
Wow Robyn this is truly showing Your power and share Your Livigness. I feel such dignity in what You are offering and it’s so fully claimed. Very inspiring and so beautiful to read that the response is so wonderful, too 🙂 thank You, dear. With love Nadine
It is a high price we pay when we ignore the fact that sugar has an addictive impact onto our body. It keeps people functioning like puppets and controlled by the foodindustry.
When I was a teenager I used to crave chocolate a lot and cookies- specially after school. It was a quick high feeling just like with taking a drug to numb the problems. My problem was that I had a struggle to go to school and being confronted with the girls having their groups and looking down at me. I did feel less than them what has been a terrible feeling. Today I am off the sugar drug and feel amazing.
I have witnessed the same reaction in my children when they have sugar at a birthday party or something like that so we have also made the decision to be a refined sugar free house. The kids still have a little honey or maple syrup at home which I have noticed still affects them (so maybe they will go one day too) but nowhere near as much as refined sugar.
When my oldest son was a toddler, if he ate a combination of dairy and sugar, within 20 minutes he would also become hyperactive, aggressive, unreasonable, disconnected and tearful. I would often describe his behaviour as similar to someone who had drunk too much alcohol. The dairy-sugar combination for him was like a drug – it was addictive and altered his behaviour. We can’t pretend that we only eat sugar just because we have a sweet tooth.
Robyn as I explore all the areas where sugar comes into the foods I eat and that are around me I was amazed at how nearly everything in certain supermarkets contain sugar from the fish, meats to all the small snack pots. Certainly showing the extent of a sugar addiction I was almost unaware of a few years ago – yet probably the substance I was most addicted to.
I find that sweet things are very much associated with a reward factor. More often than not, I would want to eat something sweet on a friday for getting through the week. This is telling me something. Was my week not sweet as it was? If not, how am I living to not enjoy the sweetness of my love?
Yes Robyn, you have described my bad behavior when I used to eat sugar as my main staple.
Today I had some chocolate cake, gf, df, sugar free – had honey and it was very yummy, no doubt about it. But I felt horrendous after anxious, wired, reactive, impatient, simply awful. It always surprises me that I can eat certain foods all the time and then when I have a break from them and have it again my body shows me loud and clear that what it is really doing to my body, it is never good! I don’t understand how we can be so numb to feeling how stimulating or heavy foods, drinks can have on us.
“I feel it is an incredible healing for me to be able to give people an option that allows them to take better care of themselves”…what a lovely statement to be making and what a lovely action to be taking to the world. It warmed my heart to read that this morning, thank you.
I was at the pool recently, sugar packets are left on the tables there I watched these kids open a packet and scoff down the sugar, I was in a bit of disbelief they went to go again, I walked up to them and said you guys will be bouncing of the walls they replied yep we know… But do they really. Sugar has been a hidden poison for so long how do we educate the young and reeducate adults without sounding like preaching
What amazese me is how many children’s drinks have sugar, and how parents would give their children fruit shoots and other drinks one after the other because the child is thirsty, rather than giving them water. I see this happen so often. Then these children are so wired up they run around out of control, then a few hours later they are screaming, crying and so tired but unable to go to bed. If parents really understood the impact of these drinks, I am sure they would not offer their children the drinks. It’s just a lack of understanding out in society.
The more sweet things we eat the more we want, it is so addictive. Stopping can be very difficult then, and even when we do we can be caught out again. I haven’t eaten refined sugars for years now, but found that the substitutes, even fruit, start to have the same effect. Choosing to give up those I can feel my body and mind so much clearer, but if I add just a little bit of something sweet it is again hard to choose not to eat it the next time, the addictive nature of it is so strong.
Sugar is a highly addictive drug with devastating effects to our bodies and our society. For to long we have fallen for the illusion that it is harmless, we now have a world wide epidemic of diabetes and other sugar related diseases. It is time we wake up to how poisonous sugar is to our physiology and to the underlying harm it causes in our societies.
Robyn, the less sweet foods I have (and I have virtually none now) the less I can tolerate the sweet flavour. The addiction to sugar is so strong and what makes it worse is that it is so “normalised” in our society. The story about your daughter is incredible – our schools are full of children high on sugar. If parents had a greater awareness of the addictive nature of it our schools would be entirely different places to be in!
Robyn, it’s really interesting to explore sugar and food. We are repeatedly told of the damage that Sugar causes, the fact the brain responds in the same way to it as cocaine yet I know how hard it is to let go of. What’s interesting is through the gradual process of cutting sugars out my diet I now find something sweet I became accustomed to is off the scale on sweetness. Yet when I was eating lots of sugar things didn’t taste that sweet! As I get to learn what my body naturally is like when it comes to sugar I too am finding lots of yummy delights in items that contain no refined sugar.
Thank you Robin for sharing this awesome experience! The effect of sugar on my kids is very visible and my experience is no different to yours.
Hi Robyn. Its great that you were able to see the first hand effects of what happens to children when sugar is consumed. The change in behaviour and the coming down off the sugar can be frightening. There may be a place for sugar in the world, but as you have written about it shouldn’t be so widely used.
For years I tried to give up sugary treats but would always fall off the wagon and start up again, then I went to the Universal Medicine presentations which explained the effects sugar was having on my body and it then became easier to stay off the sugary items.
Now I have been off them so long that the slightest bit of sugar will give me a headache and it makes me wonder how on earth I could tolerate it before without feeling really ill and racy. It’s only when you stay off sugar for a while you get to feel the true effects of what it is doing to our bodies and if I knew what I know now, I wouldn’t have given it to my children so freely when they were small.
Robyn, sugar remains a great influence and I find if I have ‘one little bit’ it can ‘bring on’ a massive demand that reflects the addiction and influence that sugar can have over us. Totally agree that Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine make a difference showing a way to live that promotes connection. That is a whole lot yummier than any sugar laden treat!
A beautiful sharing with us all Robyn. It is lovely that you choose to share your cooking skills and bring them out into the community. The struggle for some with ‘sugar addiction’ is huge and the results are very clearly evident for all to see. Introducing alternative recipes into schools where choices appear to be very limited would make a big break through for the younger generation to be offered more choice of the unsugary variety.
Everyday I hear stories like this about how it is for children after they have had sugar. Parents everywhere are experiencing this problem. Now it is time to really face up to the problems that come from eating sugar at any age.
Great topic, sugar is everywhere and not always named as sugar either!! When you start looking at all the different syrups, juice concentrates, fructose, glucose and multiple other forms of “use” it is truly amazing what we have managed to put sugar into… in fact food scientists’ research the optimal level of sugar to maximise the addictive quality without being ‘too sweet’. After a few years being sugar free, you can’t imagine how sweet a capsicum can taste!!
Yes, sugar and gluten appear EVERYWHERE and many places I would never have suspected it.
“and we have since talked to her about how she feels different when eating sugar, as opposed to when she doesn’t eat sugar. Now that this has been brought to her attention, and we have spoken to her about it so openly, she has been able to feel this difference in her body and her manner.” This is still unknown to so many parents, and it seems that even many of those who have been told do not really believe it. There is still a big gap in the general understanding that what we eat affects our moods, even though I remember reading books about it 40 years ago! There also seems to be a reluctance to go against the wishes of the child for fear of exacerbating the behaviour, rather than approaching it in the way you did. This is a very important blog for parents to read who may not feel they can speak to their children in this way. It has to come from love, not duty or rules, but allowing the child to understand and feel their own changes, as you did. thank you for bringing this to the attention of all.
Great article exposing the harm and pervasiveness of sugar.
I once did an experiment with myself where I did not eat sugar for a month.
After the first week of serious mood swings, headaches and body aches (like I was detoxing from a dangerous drug), I felt clearer in my head, I had more energy, I felt more alive and woke up easier. It’s a no brainer really. I have done this same thing in my life with alcohol, coffee, gluten and dairy. And each time the difference has been remarkable. If you really want to see the difference something makes in your body and see whether it is right for you – I say stop having it for 6 months and then try it again and REALLY OBSERVE HOW IT FEELS. I did all of these things from my own accord, and so there is no book, no diet, no study that can tell me what is good for me or not good for me about eating or drinking any of these things. I know it for myself from what I have experienced.
I did these things of my own accord before I discovered Universal Medicine. And when Serge Benhayon presented that each person could really consider for themselves that these things are not good for us – it just hammered it home and I finally heard someone talking sense about what we eat and drink and why.
We could all do ourselves a favour and put these things to the test.
Beautifully said, Simon. This is the only way to feel without a shadow of a doubt that certain foods on the market are actually detrimental to our health. If we were to learn from our bodies, our eating habits would be very different and we would be much more responsible in general.
Thank you Robyn for this article, it gives the reader the view what this sugar addiction does to a child. This behavior – like restless and overactive and nervous is very common in kids. I could see that cutting out sugar could show a totally different child. I would like to see more education in schools about the effects of sugar in the body.
Very beautiful to read Robyn, you capture the ‘addictiveness’ of sugar so well in your blog when you talk about the example with your daughter. It is amazing how hooking the substance is and it is alarming the reality is of how many people are hooked within our society .. Many truly not knowing the magnitude of affect and consequence of eating the substance. Great exposure on this topic.
It is a great question you pose here Robyn, how can an altering substance like this be so widely available and accepted? There is a wealth of information, research and testimonials like yours about the true workings of refined sugar to be found, and yet many choose not to see. Is this not a testimonial to the addictive nature of sugar? Would it not also be good to ask the question why is it that we continue to choose something that we know is harming to us?
It is incredible to see how kids react to sugar, even the ones that have it all the time, but what is interesting is that as adults we react the same way, we just choose to ignore this. Robyn I think you would love “the sugar film” that recently has been in cinemas (but long enough) it really is getting the message out there that ‘health foods’ are just as full as sugar as you mentioned. It would be great to have your baking in the local school canteens.
I enjoyed reading this article Robyn, the lightness with which you presented the topic and situations. I agree, I too have had similar experiences with sugar and am finding as I develop and refine my relationship with food as part of my own self care, that sugar is worse than almost any other food or substance I have taken for its addictive quality and its ability to cut me off from naturally caring for myself. We as society need to continue to be open and honest about its effects so that everyone has the opportunity to begin to see it for the drug that is actually is.
Its great we are now becoming aware of our addictions to sugar and its also alarming to see the companies that produce the most sugar laden products scrambling to keep a market edge with using other equally addictive sweeteners. It will be a different scenario when we decide to be aware of our bodies response to all we consume and choose well being instead. Then we will see real change.
Indeed how can behaviour altering substances be sold to people as if it is normal? Unfortunately foods like coffee, energy drinks, fizzy drinks, juice and sugar in so many processed foods is the norm and we have accustomed to and de-sensitised to how they make our bodies racy, numb or dull and ultimately exhausted. What we are ultimately avoiding by the consumption of sugar is being aware of what we are feeling and how the choices that we make directly affect how we feel
Its everywhere, its normal, and its great to have it exposed Robyn for it truly is. I’ve been particularly interested in some Government’s efforts to start taxing sugary drinks and guess what – these Governments are being sued by the sugar companies! Its a crazy world we live in!
I didn’t know this Simon, it certainly is crazy.
It is said and also very crazy that this could happened even to Governments efforts. How much influence these sugar companies have that is ridiculous.
It was the same with the tobacco companies – yet in the end measures were taken and I feel this will eventually happen with the sugar too.
A brilliant article exposing the ‘everywhere-ness’ and impact of refined sugar. Thank you Robyn for your authority on this.
This is a brilliant subject to discuss, sugar has such an impact on society, on so many levels, health wise and also significantly concerning emotional stability and behaviour, in both adults and children. I agree, I consume almost zero sugar in my diet and we all feel the benefit of it, I know I can speak for myself, I feel much more well than I did in the past and those afternoon slumps are gone!
You raise some great points Robyn – it is extremely ridiculous that “a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special??”. It seems like sugar may end up being a repeat of how the companies and we approached smoking – being sold to people en masse with some professionals/researchers even telling us that it is GOOD for us. Crazy, considering the impact it is having on all of our weight/health/behaviour
Robyn I too am amazed by the amount of sugar that is in practically every product. I have also witnessed big changes in behaviour when observing children eating cakes and sweets. Often when I am teaching and children bring in cakes to celebrate their birthday I notice that within a couple of minutes children become louder, more over excited and more buzzy. When supported they can feel the impact sugar has on their bodies. The effects of sugar are only beginning to be discussed and there has been more media attention to it in the UK recently, but this is a whole health arena that needs unpicking. Sugar was my drug of addiction and it took me a long while before the cravings stopped and my body was able to sustain itself without the need for sugar fixes.
Robyn, after reading your article I am now wondering the extent to which what is considered normal behaviour for children is actually accentuated and fueled to a huge degree by sugar. My experience is adults notice the more extreme reactions of children but have gained a tolerance for children’s everyday high induced behaviour given sugar is so prevalent and is so rarely never not consumed.
I wonder if there is a general level of denial in adults as to the effects of sugar in children because they do not want to admit their own addiction. From reading this blog it’s reassuring to know that I can support myself in dealing with emotional reactions by cutting out sugar in all its forms.
Its an interesting question Karin. I’ve always wondered about the increase in ADHD in kids of this generation, and wonder if there are some incredibly simple steps like cutting out their sugar intake that would allow those that suffer from this to settle into a more natural relationship with themselves… and find that stillness does exist! It would be a fascinating study for the research companies to undertake.
This blog and discussion is so very needed to be had, in a world where so many are addicted to sugar and are constantly triggered to eat or drink more and more as a side effect. Thank you Robyn for clearly sharing your journey with seeing the effects on your daughter and then how you supported not only your daughter and family but many others by looking at ways to eliminate processed sugars from recipes. I have been so inspired trying out new recipes over the weekend for my children, so they can also feel the difference in their bodies.
I loved your blogs on the effects of sugar Robyn, very informative and very needed, as we are told so many lies about sugar when it is so clearly harmful to our body and mind. Your daughter is blessed to have a mother like you, that observes the changes that are happening in her behaviour, takes the time to find out what is going on and then gives the necessary support to sort out the issue. Then come up with a great solution, in this instance bake yummy sugar free cakes. Can I be your daughter too!!!!!
What you present here Robyn is revolutionary and it brings home that refined and processed sugar actually IS bad for our health and that it IS addictive. It is high time to say NO to it once and for all.
It is really interesting to read how you negotiate this with your daughter and also that your journey with food and sugar has kept evolving. It is too easy to get stuck in a way of thinking or a discipline and loose the understanding and connection to our bodies which are constantly telling us what is going on. I have certainlt exxpereinced this
Yes, Nicole, I too can get stuck in a mindset with food. Even though I am not going for sweet food any more, there is certainly room for deepening the connection to what my body actually needs that would support it. And it feels like a key to be open to this changing from day to day.
Oh yes Janet, I can rely to what you are saying. Food is an ongoing development and needs constant adjustments.
Yes I find that too – it is getting easier, much easier – the adjusting I mean, and I feel it in the way my body responds. That alone makes the adjustments joy-full.
Its a great topic Robyn…the effects of sugar are becoming more and more understood by the general public and not just left in the laboratory…especially in recent years thanks to the great work that Dr Robert Lustig has done. His utube presentation on the topic of sugar and the metabolic syndrome has been watched by millions and brings great understanding of what actually happens to the body when excess sugar is consumed.
But what we need to do as responsible individuals is look at why we need the sugar in the first place…what need is it serving? Then some true healing and rebalancing can unfold.
When we allow ourselves to be aware of the way sugar has been introduced into our diets through every processed food, it really is an eye opener. What a great idea it is to break from this cycle and to feel the way the body adjusts to be calm and harmonious. No wonder anxiety is at epidemic levels when just about everything people eat has been laced with this additive. Keeping people in a spin is an awful thing to do.
It’s so encouraging to read of your success with making healthy and delicious food Robyn. I often wonder how difficult it would be for children when they are out in the world surrounded by fast food and snack options. Well done.
I couldn’t agree more, Amanda – “Keeping people in a spin is an awful thing to do.” This blog reminds us that this is a serious issue that affects pretty much everyone in the world. A question worth asking is, what would society be like without sugar?
I am touched by the way you describe your daughters body as ‘little sensitive’ Robyn Jones. And it feels true to me, not only for your daughter but for us all, we all have high sensitive bodies although we are not always aware of this. As how you describe what sugar does to your daughter it feels that refined sugar is such a harsh type of nutrition that is absolutely not suitable to put in your body and that it can be considered as a poison instead.
I like your initiative to make your own yummy delights and that you bring this into your community for them to have the experience of sugar , dairy and gluten free sweets. I am sure ithat it is a blessing for all who have a taste of it, and I fully agree with you, that alone is pretty cool on its own already.
What you have expressed here Nico about all of us being as sensitive as my daughter I completely agree with you. Since I don’t eat refined sugar anymore and have decreased my natural sugar intake also I have been able to return to this level of sensitivity again.
Thanks Robyn – it is interesting that we have pushed ourselves to be almost ‘immune’, or more accurately numb, to the effects of eating sugar, like how when you take drugs and you have to take an increasing amount to feel the same ‘hit’, but if we remove sugar and then re-introduce it even in a small amount, you feel the effects.
I love how the children mentioned in this blog and a number of the comments have felt the affect of sugar in their bodies and been able to make the choice for themselves to not have it.
Sugar is really tricky because it seems to switch off something in the body that says ‘I’ve had enough’ and so it’s easy to consume large volumes of it until the body says ‘now I feel sick’. As a teenager I consumed large amounts of sugar as I worked in a sweet shop on the weekends, and had a never ending supply and consequently always battled with my weight. It also messed with my hormones – I was very moody, had acne, painful periods to name just a few symptoms and I attribute all of this to my high sugar diet. It’s toxic stuff!
Hi Robyn, I enjoyed reading your article andit reminded me of a time when I too was addicted to sugar in the form of any variety of tarts, cakes, slices etc. in the belief that it would give me the energy that I was craving. In those days I didn’t look at taking responsibility for my selfcare, I didn’t read labels on bottles or tinned food in the supermarket, and I conveniently did not choose to have the understanding of complex sugars – oh how my body suffered during those years. However, since attending the presentations of Universal Medicine, I am continually expanding my awareness around self nurturing and taking responsibility to listen to my body as far as what it now chooses to consume as food – as a result, I have more energy now and feel more ful-filled than I did 30 years ago. I agree with you it would be very educational if the truth about the potential harm that refined sugar can bring to the human body would be more available to the general community, and even introduced into the science classes at the schools.
Definitely a gorgeous woman. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience with us Robyn Jones. Sugar is in so many foods as you say and has become an addiction for many. It’s great to read of someone who has made huge changes in this regard. I love how you’re giving back to the community – they must love it. It
How ironic that children are often ‘bribed’ to be good with the very sugar loaded sweets that incited the erratic behaviour in the first place!
Haha, great point, Kathie. We have created a vicious circle of eating sugar, not liking the consequences so then eating it again. I have often wondered what it would take to break this cycle, so that a large percentage of the population can see that they are constantly having to feed an addiction.
Sugar makes food taste nice and as a result we have learned to eat to taste and not to nourish. It also gives us a lift so that we override what we truly feel. I’m still weaning myself off sugar – when I’m tired, it is so easy to go for the sugary foods, so I’m learning to (a) find out why I’m so tired and (b) take a rest instead of eating more. It’s very simple, really.
Simple yes, but I find the pattern is very strong in me. Its exactly as you say, when I get over tired my habitual response is I reach for a pick me up. Having explored the relationship for a number of years its easy to say that yes the pick me up works for a short time, but because m y body is not so used to it anymore, there is a corresponding crash very soon after. The only way to delay the crash is to keep cramming the sugar in and so it becomes a vicious cycle. In my experience its much simpler to just deal with the tiredness!
Super powerful blog Robyn. What you’ve shared about your daughter needs to be shared with all the specialists and medical doctors who see children with learning difficulties and behaviour disorders. It’s not to say that all children displaying behavioural problems are addicted to sugar however, with an increase in the use of sugar in our foods and increasing numbers of children being diagnosed with these conditions, removing sugar would be a great place to start.
Great blog Robyn. The fact that sugar is in so many foods, even kidney beans is scary. If we do not consciously make a choice to be aware of our sugar intake and take the time to read labels, our palates can become so used to everything tasting sweet. Then when the sugar is taken away things no longer taste as good. Well they do, they taste even better but we have to be re-trained. The whole set up is out of control and scary. And I am interested in your baking for my own children.
Thank you Robyn for such truthful informative and simple articles on the effects of sugar. Having been addicted to sugar all my life to I can really relate to all you share. Now any sugar I can feel the effect of straight away and cannot keep awake, feel vital and participate in life or feel my body. Wow and sugar is hidden in everything and eaten more and more and the world craving it is the biggest addiction and downfall we have. Fed and festered by business and money, affecting the health crisis explosion and world crisis epidemic in every aspect. WOW when really looked into sugar it has so much to answer for and this needs to be seen and called out.
Great blog Robyn, I have also noticed that the supermarket does not really cater for the sugar free choice of customers, even the so called ‘healthy section’ is usually loaded with sugared up products. More and more I actually find I have no craving for sugar foods, it’s great, my daily livingness is much more consistent.
It doesn’t make any sense that sugar is allowed in schools when we all know the effects it has on the children’s mood and learning capabilities. There is enough of a challenge for teachers without having 30 children high on sugar in your class. I have seen the effects many times when I worked in schools of the children after their playtime sugar rush, it is quite remarkable how out of control sugar makes children (as well of course many adults). The rise in the high sugar energy drinks with their caffeine and sugar makes for a potent mix. There is a freedom to buy what we please but surely that freedom should be considered in the context of our health and the wellbeing of those around us who have to work with us. If it acts like a drug in our body it should be considered as such.
Stephen, you comment on the rise of energy drinks now available, which mix caffeine with sugar all the name of giving people ‘energy they so desperately need’. But there is also available ‘energy’ drinks that are advertising ‘no sugar’ in them, meaning they contain instead artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, a known cancer causing chemical. This means that while consumers are choosing to drink these, they are choosing low or no sugar options, most likely as harmful as the originals, knowing on some level that sugar is harmful for them. People just don’t know how else to combat the sugar cravings. What’s available on the market is a great marker of what humanity is asking for.
When looking around schools for my children I talked to teachers and head teachers about this habit of rewarding children with sweets/chocolate. It felt so mad to celebrate someone for great behaviour or something they had done by giving them a substance that makes it really hard for them to maintain that standard! Just a small insight into the madness of some of our habitual behaviours. Thank you, Stephen.
In the past the Government has used taxes to try and modify behaviour (like the high taxes on cigarettes), or the law (by making it illegal). Round the world there are various pressure groups trying to get some changes introduced but the power of the food lobby is incredibly strong as it always has been. It reveals a very sad trait in humanity that profits are more important than health. Even though our understanding does increase, we are held back from evolving by self interest and greed.
Great observations about the effects of sugar, generally they are easier to see in a child than an adult, even though sugar affects adults in the same ways. Thank you Robyn
Understanding sugar is not good for my body or well being was quite easy for me to come to but with 2 teenagers and a pre teen in the home I’ve found it hugely challenging to provide low sugar foods as I feel I’m up against a huge force against this. Your story is inspiring Robyn and has helped me realise it is possible, it’s all about creativity!
‘How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special?’ This is a super important question, especially when you describe how your daughter’s behaviour changed with eating sugar. As children we grow up with sugar so by the time we are adults we are well and truly hooked on this poison. More questions like this are what is needed to keep the spotlight on exposing sugar for the addictive drug it is.
Thanks Robyn, I’m amazed at what sugar does to me and I find that I am less reasonable and with less patience ‘on sugar’. Ever wonder why brushing your teeth can feel good – it is because some toothpastes contains sugar too!
It is incredible to think that not even toothpaste can escape the sugar treadmill. For me, I love brushing my teeth (with sugar free toothpaste) as I enjoy the feeling of having fresh clean teeth. Ahhh, it is the simple things in life nowadays that feel so good.
It is crazy how many things have sugar in them Andrew… I am often dumbfounded at what I find sugar in, it’s almost like – yep there’s something missing, oh lets throw in some sugar! If you are not super onto every bit of refined sugar in products, it can keep you ever so sneakingly addicted or craving it.
I have felt the effects on sugar on myself and I have seen them firsthand with many children. It is crazy that it is in everything.
Totally crazy – one has to read absolutely everything on the labels and be so aware of all the different ‘names’ for sugar…
Robyn you are so right about sugar being in ingredients everywhere, and milk when it is just not needed. Maybe if more people demanded no sugar or milk in products the more the companies will have to listen.
Brilliant article Robyn. I love how you write with such lightness whilst delivering such truth from your lived experience and study. ‘I feel it is an incredible healing for me to be able to give people an option that allows them to take better care of themselves’ – I absolutely agree. And you are offering such an amazing service to the wider community in presenting that there is a choice, another way to live, where the true sweetness of life can be felt from within, lived and sustained and the where side effects are; Joy. Thank you Robyn.
It is really eye opening to know there is another way out there, the awareness and service that you provide to the world of another option to eating refined sugars. Sugar is a big addiction in the world, one which is so hard for us to be honest about, because it has been made so normal, as you have shared, almost everything has sugar added! The awareness of how sugar affects us has to be exposed for us to know sugar is not something that supports our body, whether it is accepted as normal behavior of children and adults alike after having sugar, and to come to this realization we have to be very honest.
Robyn this is a great example how strong the effect of sugar is on our bodies and moods and I agree it is an addiction and it is surprising that it hasn’t been seen like this yet. Imagine the whole world had to go sugar free just for one day…
You simply can’t beat the science that has shown you all of this Robyn. And what a blessing for your daughter – it is easy to imagine how her school life and home life/relationships could all have been seriously sabotaged with her erratic behaviour, had the influence of refined sugar not been addressed.
Having taught music to children for many years, I have seen how erratic kids can be when dosed up on sugar. I actually witnessed one boy who already had behavioural problems, come to my door with (I kid you not) a red fizzy drink and a mouth plus hand full of mild chocolate – this being his after school ‘snack’. Impossible to work with him, until I spoke to his mother about how badly his behaviour deteriorated afterwards. There are many more examples… And of course, I’ve experienced its effects myself. The thing is, what leads us to want it so, to feed ourselves and our children such refined sugars as some kind of ‘reward’… when it is actually the polar opposite, and an incredibly damaging substance?
With all the problems in school with unruly behaviour this should be something to look into. But most likely we’ll find a resistance in us doing so because pretty much all of us are so used to having sugar in the many shapes it comes so if we were to address this in schools then we would have to look at our own usage as well. Tough but well worth it for the sake of the health for the children.
Oh no, I’ve just been ‘caught out’ with the tinned tomatoes thing … thought I had picked up the usual brand but having a look now can see I’ve picked up tinned tomatoes with garlic and oregano. What is dismaying me is that the Ingredients list does not have sugar on it, but the Nutrition Information shows sugars as being 5g per 100g – that’s really high! How can it not be listed in the Ingredients?! Does this mean that tomatoes themselves are high in sugar?
Anyway, thank you indeed for this article and for raising awareness about this addictive substance, one I’m still hooked on :(( but am dedicated to removing from my diet and lifestyle, a work in progress.
Fantastic article, this is REAL news, this should be the type of story we see reported front page of the daily newspapers. Sugar is deeply harming and has such bad effect on all systems of the body. Just as they once thought the world was flat it will be common knowledge one day what are the poisonous effects sugar has on our bodies.
When I was young I remember being given black bread with butter and sugar on top of it for afternoon tea. In those days it was considered good and healthy, great for kids to run outside with. Then there was no awareness of the effects of sugar on the body. Being a mother myself, I became very aware of the effects of sugar on the children, and one of my children had its own experience with overdosing on sugar at a young age (5) at a party. Shortly after this child went to bed, I heard a call and a cry and I went to see – and my child was lying in bed, the whole body was shaking uncontrollably, sweat on the face – and this beautiful child of mine got his own realisation that this was the body’s way of communication about all the sugar that was consumed. We sat and drank a lot of water, until the shaking and sweating stopped. My child came to the resolution that this would never happen again, and that there would be no overindulgence in sweets. This has lasted to this day (as far as I know…)
I wonder what would happen to the world if sugar was eradicated for a week… complete meltdown followed by joyous celebration? May be.
Ha, yes it would need longer than a week without any sugar, remember its an addiction. Maybe 3 weeks meltdown 2 months later the joy : )
Ha ha, yes Jinya, I’m sure there’d be at least a week of mayhem while everyone detoxed but what a different place the world would be once the storm had cleared.
Yes, looking to remove sugar from one’s diet is a great strategy – in the long term. But looking to remove sugar in one hit is doomed to fail, as do all diets. It is much better to takes one’s time, deal with what really exhausts us – emotionally and physically – whilst simultaneously looking to remove sugar gradually as the body naturally reduces its need for it. These days I count having 2 or 3 apples a day as a high day for sugar (I am quite physically active), but it was not always this way, and had I tried to have such a disciplined diet in the beginning I would surely have failed. Sugar is not the evil here but rather the underlying factors behind the exhaustion that really needs exploring.
It would certainly be a reality check Jinya!
That would be the best – I wonder if one week would be enough …
Robyn this is an amazing blog… such an important thing you are bringing attention to. We all know refined sugar has an impact, particularly evident with our kids although no less in truth for adults either, but few find what it takes to eliminate it altogether and commit to providing or consuming healthier alternatives. An amazing gift to your daughter to grow up with such an awareness of who she is and the distortion that occurs when consuming what really amounts to a drug. We are horrified at the idea that a 6 year old might smoke, but not at the idea of all those changes to personality, energy, ability to cope with life and addiction that you witnessed. So much of that behaviour is considered normal, as you so aptly pointed out. You are uncovering more than most are willing to see or be honest about…
Great point Jenny. We would be outraged if a 6-year old was smoking or drinking alcohol but it is seen as normal for children of this age to consume sugar. What I’ve noticed is that it is often viewed as depriving children to not allow them to have sugar. I find this interesting because it is the adults who are making the decisions based on their own needs for sugar to comfort and reward them, or pick them up when they feel exhausted.
We see it all the time – parents ‘reward’ their children with sweets for being ‘good’ but it’s pretty obvious that they are unlikely to be quite so well-behaved after eating those sweets!
We have coined the phrase “sugar rush” and accepted the ensuing behaviour as the norm. This is where the harm is done. Robyn you have shown that this needn’t be the accepted way or the norm, it does take effort but the returns are well worth it.
A very inspiring blog Robyn. It is true that refined sugar is in almost everything. It is the hidden evil in our food. It is worth all the time and effort to live without it by creating alternative options like you have done. It would be amazing if this became the new normal!
Very inspiring how you take your steps out of addiction so lovingly without beating yourself up, Robin!
Wow, Robyn, awesome article — you are so right, how can such an addictive and clearly altering substance be everywhere — in almost everything you can eat? We wouldn’t be comfortable feeling our kids on other ‘drugs’ so how come we’ve accepted and even encouraged sugar to be OK?
I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few years sugar is largely seen as the epidemic it is, and a vary harmful one at that. Weren’t cigarettes once viewed as beneficial and relaxing? Its time we opened our eyes and really read the small-print — and the labels of everything we buy.
Sugar is in every packet of bread on the supermarket shelf, in one form or another – one gluten-free bread I looked at recently had black treacle in it. Trying to make it taste nice, I suspect.
A great article redefining what is normal based on how our bodies respond. It is bizarre when you think about it that this has not been the basis of what we normally consume. How much aggressive behaviour in children might simply come down to this one ingredient?
A beautiful conclusion to your writings Robyn. The effects of sugar on my daughter are as obvious and extreme as they are with yours. Not only does her behaviour change drastically, she also ends up with blocked sinus’ and a runny nose for many days after. I too wonder how sugar has for so long been considered ok and allowed to be an ingredient in so many of our foods. Now as true research comes to light and people share their lived experiences with sugar as you have done, things will begin to change and sugar will be seen for the drug that it is.
So true, Penny. As more people share their experiences with sugar the more awareness is on offer to the world. The sugar drug is in every supermarket on sale in so many variations, totally legal and guaranteed in 90% of our processed foods. This is a huge problem that not many people are willing to see, because there is fear of being taken away of what helped to numb for so long from feeling the truth and what is really going on.
I am learning that anything sweet still has an effect on my body that is not supportive, foggy and racy. I eat far less sugar then ever before, yet still get slipped up with too many nuts or coconut cream and other gluten, dairy and refined sugar free foods. Now I am choosing to honour my sensitivity and slowly rebuild a loving foundation of eating what is needed and not what is desired for indulgence.
In honouring my sensitivity to foods such as refined sugar it is much easier to not choose these foods and I find that I don’t reach for them so often as a reward.
I love how you describe the changes that occurred in your daughter and these behaviours could be seen as normal for a 6 year old, but this is the problem as these behaviours are accepted as ‘normal’ as most 6 year olds are eating some or a lot of sugar so for most parents they do not question the extreme or out of character changes. A very insightful blog, thank you.
I enjoyed the awareness Robyn has shared of her daughter’s radical behaviour changes too. I also felt that sugar has A LOT to answer for with the kids being whimsically diagnosed with ADHT or ADD and put straight onto medication to calm them… But does anyone look at what these children are eating? As Robyn said, sugar is in pretty much any store bought food; so giving children excessive amounts of sweet fruits, lollies and cakes has got to have an effect on their attention spans, activity, rashness, emotions and sensitivity. This is a great blog to uncover more about the evils of sugar.
This is so true Julie and Robyn,, ‘I love how you describe the changes that occurred in your daughter and these behaviours could be seen as normal for a 6 year old, but this is the problem as these behaviours are accepted as ‘normal’ as most 6 year olds are eating some or a lot of sugar so for most parents they do not question the extreme or out of character changes’, I have noticed how at children’s parties when the kids have eaten all the sugary foods on offer towards the end of the party the children seem to become hyperactive and there are often children that get hurt, they become more violent towards each other and there are usually tears, often my son and myself are heading out the door before the end of the party because this always seems to occur.
Thank you Robyn for a great article regarding the effects of sugar addiction. I love the fact that now, if I have sugars that are disguised in food the effects are so noticeable within my body. In the past I loved tropical fruits, now from my present perspective they are way too sugary for my body to handle.
Awesome Blog Robyn. I was doing a home assessment for an energy company where I had to go to peoples homes. I was at a woman’s home. She had a toddler, and he was sitting playing and very content and joyful. He was given a crumpet with honey and almost immediately the child changed from a quiet content child to a screaming tantrum throwing child. I was surprised that it wasn’t noticed that the food that was given was the culprit for the state of change.
Having given up sugar some time ago, when I think of the amount of sugar I used to put in baking, it shocks me now. 3/4 of a cup in biscuits or a cake was the average, I developed an addiction to certain lollies as well.
Now I find I can taste my food properly and most vege’s and fruit have a natural sweetness and are more flavoursome without any additives. Very surprising. Great work you are doing Robyn.
I agree Jeanette. Giving up sugar I now love and appreciate all the different flavours in food which the sweetness in the sugar had masked before.
Great work Robyn on exposing the harm of sugar and also of finding alternative recipes without using refined sugar , your blog is a must read for all
After I canceled sugar and other obvious sweets from my diet years ago, I felt also to not eat very sweet vegetables anymore. You may think that this is going to far or crazy but since then I can say sugar and sweets are a drug. I had and still have addictive behaviours because I am still not living totally in a way that would make me not need any sweets. Any time I choose to not really care for me in full, not express all of who I am, hold back and so on – I get a bit exhausted and then I am craving for sweets. In my case it is now a tomato sauce instead of a lolly – but anyway, sugar and sweets are not to be underestimated. Also it is not the sugar at first that is “the bad guy” so to say – but the way we are living to create the sugar cravings.
Great point Sandra to introduce that how we live is what has us seeking sugar to fuel our bodies.
That’s right Sandra, the exhaustion epidemic is feeding the sugar epidemic.
Yes Sandra, you have touched on such an important point…what is driving the sugar cravings? I feel as Lisa has said, most people are exhausted due to the way they are living – in so much motion and not taking the time to be still or present. Too much ‘doing’ and not enough ‘being’. When the quality of life drops one needs to ‘sweeten it up’ so to speak.
Also, when I started the process of eliminating sugar out of my diet, I noticed how much sweeter foods tasted – foods that I had eaten before but would never have said that they were sweet, because in contrast to refined sugars, they were comparably dull. So all of a sudden carrots, pumpkin, tomatoes, sweet potato etc tasted so sweet. It was like discovering food all over again. And this from someone who didn’t consume a lot of sugar in the first place. Its like salt…the more we have, the more we want and in bigger doses.
Thank you Robyn for describing so clearly the disturbing impact on a child when they consume refined sugar. I was definitely a sugar addict but since choosing to remove, as much as possible, sugar from my diet I can now taste a sweetness in natural foods that I never tasted before. I never could understand why anyone would eat a sour tasting Granny Smith apple but now I find them very sweet!
I recently watched a documentary on super sized and sugar loaded fast food…the guy ate just fast food and was quickly in a vicious cycle of addiction. There was also sharing of a high school that had serious violence and behaviour issues that ‘corrected’ the behaviours by changing the diet, taking out all the soft drink machines and sugary foods, and it totally worked! Behaviours changed overnight, aggressive incidents almost omitted. The stats were incredible strong evidence, in fact just the vibe in the common room, with teens sitting settled was strong evidence. Your story of your daughter reminded me just how physiologically behaviour altering sugar really is. With it pumped into most foods today, makes me wonder how different our behaviour-scape might be without it.
Yes Kate, great point… we are talking about a drug here, perhaps our most socially acceptable and commercially endorsed one – followed closely or equalled by coffee l’m sure.
Another good point Jenny, Coffee, with milk (lactose = sugar) and sugar. Caffeine and sugar, both harmful to the body, and being consumed everywhere in the world. You could probably call it physical abuse – self inflicted. A world wide case of self inflicted physical abuse, and everyone paying for it.
Great blog Robyn. I have a long experience with the effects of sugar from a long involvement with the wholefood industry, and have done my own research, the reading and body experience kind….and watching the kids offers tangible evidence too!! Sugar is processed in the body as a poison, and fructose, like refined corn syrup is even worse. The body, specifically the liver, has to deal with it in exactly the same way as alcohol! It even gets processed by the body in a way that overrides the usual ‘you’re full’ chemical support that makes us stop eating! In my own body for many years I have eaten sugar free, as the spikes and troughs of the addictive cycle were too much of an up and down roller coaster. Love your blog.
Awesome info Kate on how the body has to cope with sugar. I too now eat sugar free but remember the days when I used to carry chocolate with me in readiness for those awful lows in mood and energy which would be part of the up and down roller coaster.
Yes Kate, a lot of people mistakenly think fructose is fine, but it is another very harmful ingredient, ‘Sugar is processed in the body as a poison, and fructose, like refined corn syrup is even worse’.Two substances to definitely avoid.
Thank you Kate for the detailed info on the effect of sugar in the body. It seems like sugar is one of the biggest and most accepted drugs in the world.
I was watching a documentary that talked about Corn Syrup. Its one of the cheapest products to grow (even more so in America were it is subsidised), and was found to be a component of 70% of all foods on sale in supermarkets. I found it staggering to consider this turn of events, and what is worse is trying to think about how we are going to unpick this situation.
For a long time and i think for many people it didn’t matter whether it had large amounts of sugar in it or not. I use to always enjoy a large frozen coke when going to the movies. I still remember my mum saying how can you possibly drink that because it was so sickeningly sweet. I now realise it was overwhelming sweet however back then thats just what I tolerated to get a buzz. it wasn’t until I started to realise the negative effects and start to get myself off it bit by bit. I’m far better off for making that choice.
Having healthy alternatives when we are are giving up sugar (or dairy/gluten) is important. Most of us use food as a reward and it takes a while to break this pattern. If the reward is taken away before we come to an understanding of what has been going on for us, we can freak out and give up. I also loved your attentiveness to your daughter and realising there was something going on with the lollies at school. We know our kids so well and it is important for us to name it when we see something is ‘off’ in their behaviour. Parents have an important role to play in confirming who their kids really are.
In weaning off the sugar, I get to experience as you say Fiona that I can either eat foods sugar free that confirm me or eat foods that dull me, stimulate me so I feel racy and then can’t feel or connect to who I truly am.
What was really scary was the first time we went to the USA how sugar was added to foods that I had not seen anywhere else in the world, and how a society was so ‘acclimatised ‘ to this taste. : 25.8 million children and adults in the United States—8.3% of the population—have diabetes…. (in the UK now diabetes consumes 10% of the NHS budget) the really sobering statistic is the 79 million people with Pre-diabetes in the US…Pre-diabetes is a metabolic condition that, if undiagnosed or untreated, develops into type 2 Diabetes. The overwhelming quest for true love and nurturing that humanity is on can be truly answered by what Universal Medicine presents simply and truly by re-connecting humanity back to its heart.
I wonder how much ‘problem behaviour’ we label kids with, who then carry round a belief they are bad, which could be solved by not feeding their small frames what is basically a drug, then expecting them to act normally and well behaved?
Great point Rebecca, with more children being diagnosed with behaviour problems, it would be great to ask ourselves the question: could the problem be the enormous amount of sugar that we allow our children to eat? Most children can not go one day without sugar, which shows that sugar is an addiction.
Yes, really its a crime, getting children addicted at that young age. The food industry has a lot to answer for, are they adding this known poisonous ingredient to support health or to support their pockets?
Exactly Rebecca, it will make such a huge difference to their lives if giving them sugary things were not the norm.
Well said Rebecca. There is definitely a science there between what we eat and how we feel and behave and this should be studied extensively and truthfully in the science arena.
Refine sugar is certainly addictive. Reflecting back to my early childhood, I am now grateful that I grew up in a family that wasn’t able justify spending money on buying treats and sweets. It was very rare, almost unheard of to spend money on anything other than the bare essentials. Therefore, my body was very sensitive to sugar at an early age. I noticed that I couldn’t eat the same amount of cakes, chocolates and sweets like my friends did when I moved to England. I would start feeling sick in the stomach, have headaches and just didn’t feel like myself if I ate too much sugar. Slowly but surely I became addicted to sugar from snacks and junk food throughout my adult life. I probably didn’t consume a huge amount of sugar but the fact that I was addicted to it was very interesting. I decided to cut out refine sugar from my diet 2 years ago. What I noticed was that I was craving for something sweet when I felt a bit down or bored. So, it became very apparent that I had used sugar for comfort, to not feel or look into why I was having those feelings and cravings. Now, I am more aware and highly sensitive to sugar that there is no way I would go back to it again. I feel more energised, more clarity and more in touch with my body. I have learnt to really take care and love my body by not feeding it with food that is harming. This level of love and care is inspired by people at Universal Medicine and blogs like yours Robyn, thank you.
This is great Robyn. It’s amazing how you could see the difference in your daughters behaviour as soon as she had sugar, and that you had such a marker beforehand to really feel the difference. Also speaking from experience (as an ex sugar addict) it certainly is addictive and had me on a daily roller coaster of ups and downs. It seems like more and more light is being shed on this topic which is great at asking us all to take another look at the harm that sugar has on us physically and emotionally.
Sugar in one form or another is all over our supermarket shelves, chillers and freezers. Part of the issue is that these sugars are ‘hidden’, not only in the sense of finding sweetner in savory snacks but also from a general non acceptance of what foods act as sugar in the body – bread or potatoes for example. Such widely consumed products are in fact having a daily (multiple daily) effect on how we are in our day – and therefore in our sleep too.
Yes great point Rosanna, the impact on sleep when we consume appreciable amounts of sugar from any source through the day is far greater than most are aware. It’s racy physiological effect keeps the nervous system more active than necessary and ensures the body stays in a state of alertness long into the night. A simple thing to change, with profound and life-long benefits to health and wellbeing.
Jenny and Rosanna I can agree most deeply because I was a woman who was not aware of all the hidden sugars in food. I could not sleep and I was always in a nervous tension the whole day and that was a normal way to be for me. After I allowed myself to let got of all sugars (also the hidden ones) my body started to change and for the first time in my life I could feel this warm stillness inside of me. I can tell you that is so much sweeter then every sugar hidden or not.
A lot of the articles I have read on sugar and its perils feel very serious and down. I love how what you share is so full of joy and playfulness Robyn. You show that it’s not about ‘going without’ but just how much sweeter life can be when we live sugar and addiction free.
Love your last line Joseph, “how sweeter life can be when we live sugar free” – this could be a T-Shirt slogan.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with the highly addictive nature of sugar Robyn and the clear impact it had on your daughter. I loved reading how you have used your baking talents to support your family and the wider community and the benefit for you: ‘I feel it is an incredible healing for me to be able to give people an option that allows them to take better care of themselves’
I agree Robyn, ‘What I have learned is mind-blowing and makes me wonder how this substance can be sold so widely to the masses!’ I was addicted to sugar for about 20 years until I used to get such back headaches that i could no longer carry on eating it, it was then hard to find foods without sugar in as you say and so I started to use all fresh ingredients and make my own foods, even baked beans seemed to be loaded with sugar, I have really enjoyed going back to basics and knowing exactly whats going into the food and drinks I make.
Sugar is not only addictive and causes behavioural changes in adults and children, it also affect dental health particularly in young children. Research findings published by Public Health England (2014) found ‘that 12% of three year olds had evidence of tooth decay. Researchers said a small number of children had a particular type of decay known as early childhood caries. This affects upper front teeth and spreads quickly to other teeth. It is linked to the consumption of sugary drinks in baby bottles and sipping cups. The question we have to ask is why is this happening? Where are the public health warnings on national TV informing parents of the consequences of feeding babies and young children sugary drinks and foods. A lot more could be done to raise awareness and inform parents in nurseries, parent and toddler groups, schools, day centres, wherever children are.
A fantastic article Robyn, great that your daughter is sugar free, my children were sugar free until they went to school. I sent them with sugar, gluten and dairy free homemade snacks, which was fine for a while, but as they grew up they wanted to eat similar to their friends. I love how you discussed with your daughter how she felt different when she ate sugar as opposed to when she didn’t eat sugar and, ‘Now that this has been brought to her attention, and we have spoken to her about it so openly, she has been able to feel this difference in her body and her manner.’ Great for her to have this understanding too.
Great article Robyn – ‘sugar bullies’ – those behind the insertion of sugar into everything we eat – annonymous big business with ‘greed’ and ‘profit’ as their foundation. Everyone is being stalked by them – in that people are analysed, tested and chemically defined by them in control groups etc as to what they – the ‘sugar bullies’ can come up with next to ensure people keep coming back for more and using people’s beliefs against them by inserting the words ‘healthy’ or ‘organic’ along with the sugar! People are becoming more aware of it….but wanting change and willing to change are definitely not the same thing especially when that craving hits! Education at a young age through responsible schooling on really understanding what effects the human body and what is not good to put into it would go a long way. I was fed on a diet of ‘tablet’ from my mother (many years ago!) this was a form of Scottish fudge – pounds and pounds of pure sugar, mixed with thick condensed milk and butter and it was made every week in the home. Anything in our lives that upset or caused us to pause and the answer was “have some tablet!” and my mother was the biggest addict.
Wow using such a sugar cocktail has guaranteed to stay totally stoned and numbed. I am so thankful to myself that I have stopped this sugar addiction and I feel very amazing in my body. I don’t miss any sugary food because I know how it all works in the bigger picture. I choose to stay clear in my mind and body so I can make loving choices for myself and my body.
Refined sugar is an addictive drug so offering people real alternatives made with love and integrity is a blessing Robyn.
I love this blog post Robyn. It is really quite strange that sugar is added to so many foods that really don’t need it. We get told sugar improves the taste but my experience has shown that this is absolutely not true.
Recently I ate out, and checked that the curry I ordered was gluten and dairy free but didn’t think to request sugar free because I would never add sugar to a curry. When my meal arrived sugar was the only thing I could taste and the meal left me feeling buzzed and regretful. The next day I felt hungover. This made me realise that I never actually liked the taste of sugar at all (much like alcohol) it was the hit I was always after as I had been subtly addicted for so long.
When we rely on sugar for taste we miss out on the amazing flavour combinations that can be created from herbs, spices and fresh ingredients. Giving up sugar has definitely opened up a world of yummy delights for me too!
I have had a very similar story Leonne, it baffles me why sugar is put in curries, it does nothing to enhance the flavour. Not now eating sugar it is even more noticeable and unpalatable to have sugar in a savoury meal and shows the extent to which sugar is used.
Great comment Leonne, I really enjoy fresh foods now and love herbs and spices. I even enjoy plain food too. I very, very rarely eat out because of the salt and sugar content put into food.
Having tasted these incredible delights, I’ll have to say I couldn’t agree more – there’s a place for yummy things still. I too don’t eat much sugar, apart from what I need in the form of fruit and veggies. I used to eat loads of supposed good foods like beetroot from a can for example, only recently figuring out that even this has added cane sugar in most cases, which when eaten, doesn’t feel good at all (due to my very low sugar intake). Read the label and or, put it back on the shelf and head to the fruit and veg shop for the real deal I say..
Yes Oliver, there’s a lot to be said for the ‘real deal’… in every sense!
This is a really amazing example of how deeply sugar effects our lives. I too continue to grapple with a sugar addiction which has been with me since childhood, it’s a substance that as you say Robyn can be found in almost everything prepackaged. I am finding that the way in which I use sugar seems to be to numb or comfort myself from truly feeling what is going on for me, but I can see that truly embracing who we are is an awesome place to start in cutting the attachment or reliance on sugar. Thanks for exposing what you have on what is a truly insidious substance.
Thank you for sharing the effects that sugar had on your daughter Robyn, it is amazing the contrast in her behaviour and without you knowing your daughter so well you could have easily accepted this as being normal, ……. this is how children behave as they start to grow up. It is so hard to find food without sugar in, so I love how you are taking your gluten free, dairy free , sugar free baking to cafes so that customers get to know that sugar free is not such a big step and that many of the foods are not only healthier but tastier than the sugar ladened options.
Hi Robyn, when our daughters were young we also found that sugar was sending them nuts and seemed to be causing hyper-active behaviour. So we took everything out of the diet and their moods changed but what I always found difficult as we were living in America at the time, was the level of sugar in everything.
Then I took them off of milk because one of them had eczema and glue ear, then I took the gluten out of their diet because the other one was really moody after eating bread and had allergies, stomach aches, tiredness and headaches.
People used to ask me if it was hard to do but it wasn’t because we just went back to cooking the way my parents and grandparents cooked, before all of the convenience foods.
That is so significant, Julie. Obesity and diabetes and heart disease have arisen at the same time as the rise of the use of convenience foods with added sugar, all sorts of fizzy and sugary drinks, and a variety of cereals with added sugar, since the end of the war. So also have children’s behavioural problems. It is so obvious I find it hard to believe that people don’t see it. It really needs to be pointed out clearly by everyone in medical health, government, and other bodies which have an official position that the public will take notice of. The problem is those in influential positions are probably mostly sugar addicted too so unwilling or denying the necessity of pulling together and making a stand. So it is up to those who are coming to realise the dangers and damage it causes to all our lives, to speak out strongly and clearly. Eating well cooked healthy food need not be expensive, in fact, it is probably a lot cheaper.
This is a great article on the addictive nature of sugar Robyn, I am still struggling to remove it from my diet.
Goes to show just how sensitive we naturally are and what a massive difference it would make if sugar was removed completely from our diet. We would get to see and feel the level of addiction that is gripping humanity.
I totally agree Merrilee, sugar is an ingredient that is in almost all processed food. It is not just in treats and desserts, it is in almost all processed or pre-packaged food and drinks. It has become so ‘normal’ to consume sugar.
Robyn it really is beautiful the way you share your love and the way you live in the way of baking and providing an option to the myriad of sugary alternatives out there. Indeed sugar is considered a traditional ‘staple’ food item so it is in so much of what we can buy from the supermarket. I love now not eating refined sugar as I have definitely noticed changes in by body and behaviour too. Definitely a win-win for me. Thank you for sharing!
I agree. One of the surprising things is how much suddenly has a sweet flavor, even where you would not expect it.
This is great Robyn. Applying your experience of sugar addiction in supporting others and offering a different choice. Through my conversations with people most are very open to choosing refined sugar free options once given the choice. You offer so much inspiration to the parents at school.
There is talk in the UK to put a tax on sugary drinks. Is this not unlike putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. The genie is out of the bottle… sugar is in everything. What if, you can get people to feel and choose what they put in their bodies is the way forward?
Good point smatson – sugar is indeed everywhere, and similar to a hydra; if you were to cut off one head (e.g. put tax on sugary drinks), 2 would grow back, or in this there would just be more products containing sugar, and another alternative to the sugary drinks.
I would go as far as to say it is an absolute disgrace the difficulty that is to be found in accessing food that is sugar free. There is such deception in regards to the sugar to be found in foods that you would never expect to contain sugar. This only makes sense in respect of the financial rewards that are there for those with a vested interest. When it affects us all as greatly as Robyn has described I really feel this is where it is time to say enough is enough. I don’t consider sugar as a personal choice when it is so often hidden from our view and our palate.
I am interested that after a while of making substitute sweets you felt they were just that, only substitutes, Robyn. It exposes what we use sweets for, to fill up a hole we feel needs to be filled in order to avoid some feeling we don’t like, they are a sort of comfort food. So when our bodies get more sensitive we start to feel the energy of these new, seemingly harmless delights. I find that I can turn perfectly healthy foods, like tahini, into a “sweet!” It is the way I have chosen it and eat it, mostly by helping myself to a spoonful on its own, whereas combining it in a recipe with other foods seems acceptable. These two contrasting ways of eating it certainly have different effects on my body.
It is a head scratcher to think that even with the increasing research and first hand accounts such as with your daughter that sugar doesn’t seem to be leaving the supermarket anytime soon. Is the sale of an addictive legal substance such as refined sugar worth it? When there are statistics showing more and more exhaustion and workplace productivity levels dropping and from my own experience many I work with live on energy drinks. When cutting it out for myself I found I had more energy without the refined sugar than with it despite the claims that sugar is needed by the body for energy (I understand that cells require glucose but that can be extracted from other foods other than refined sugars.) What I am asking is – is the reason that sugar is still on the menu is because for some it is profit over people?
Awesome article Robyn – I can relate to so much of what you have so brilliantly shared with us. As a result of struggling with ill health for most of my life I began the process of removing sugar from my diet about 15 years ago and I began to read every label on everything I was thinking about buying, and even those I wasn’t. And like you I was absolutely horrified at the amount of sugar in products, in fact in nearly everything I picked up, in one form or another. I have come to know that sugar is a poison to my body and that by removing it totally from my diet my health has improved dramatically. No more runny or blocked nose, no more mucous, no more itching, no more racy highs followed by exhausted lows. Do I miss it? No way! Why would I choose to enjoy a few moments of sweet pleasure in my mouth only to feel miserable for the next few hours or even days – now that doesn’t make sense. Life without sugar is the way I choose to live, and my body thanks me every day.
It’s interesting that when a substance becomes widely accepted, like alcohol or sugar, no one notices what it does anymore, nor questions its place in society. It’s an attitude of “if everyone is doing it, it must be ok”. When did we stop questioning and accepting? Observing your daughter and the effect of the sugar really exposes what this does to the human body. I wonder how many kids have ADHD/ADD or other behavioural issues which are all attributed to sugar? I read about a practitioner once who treated such children, put them on a whole food diet, addressed all mineral and vitamin deficiencies and had great success in eliminating these conditions.
Thank you for sharing Robyn, Even though I had a feeling of what sugar does to your body it is still quite astonishing to read about the changes in your daughter’s behaviour. It makes me think like wow everyone is almost eating refined sugars, what would the difference in behaviours be when everyone would cut out refined sugars?
Hi Lieke, I agree and wonder if less youngsters would grow up to become aggressive teenagers, less violence in the world and possibly even less crime.
Robyn it truly is shocking the way they put sugar in so much of our food. I wanted to buy myself some lunch in the supermarket the other day. I picked up some plain roasted chicken and found that sugar was an ingredient. I know I have been addicted to chocolate and other sweet things in the past. It’s only when you stop having sugar that you realise the numbing effect it has on your body.
Thank you for sharing how instantly you daughter was not only affected by sugar, but also started to become addicted. It is amazing the drug-like substances that are in our supermarkets – sugar, coffee, alcohol. It is a reflection of where society is that these things are so acceptable.
It is very interesting to reflect the effects sugar has on society. I wonder if most, aggression, behavioural issues, crime and relationship problems can be resolved by cutting out sugar? I tend to think, most definitely.
I love what you have shared Robyn! Indeed you are offering a service and a reflection that there is another way of eating. I found it fascinating to read your daughter’s account of eating sugar. Sugar is something that we can so easily take for granted as it is something that is very much part of most people’s life. Your story clearly indicates the adverse effects of sugar and leads me to consider the intense effects that it has on children.
Robyn, there is one area in children’s lives in regard to sugar that does need attention….the party lolly bag.
I have spoken to numerous parents about this at work (as a dentist). Children attend so many parties these days that lolly bags have become a big and constant problem. Most people know it but they are afraid to act, or to speak up.
It would be great for parents to start this conversation before the dental bills start rolling in, lead by people such as yourself who are developing ways to stay away from refined sugar.
Sugar is inescapable Robyn. Like you I found the only way to let it go was to go back to the kitchen, but not everyone has the time for that, so the service you offer with baking is brilliant. Kudos to you.
As a dentist I see the outplay of this all too often. Too many children are getting decay (along with their parents) and the problem is that parents have given up finding the supplier. Suppliers are everywhere.
Your approach to baking is a great support for your daughter and for others who have become overwhelmed by the ubiquitous nature of refined sugar…
You article also begs a deeper exploration of the question how many behavioural problems would be significantly reduced if not at the very least eased by eliminating sugar?
You make a very true point here Rachel, that suppliers of less sugary foods are “everywhere,” it’s just up to us to make the choice to say no to sugar.
Thank you Robyn this is great. I love the feeling of support offered here by what you have written. Even though what you have shared is about your daughters and families experience, I can feel how many could benefit from not only what you have shared but also the loving and very gentle way that you have treated yourself and your family in regards to eating sugar. Sugar is consumed in endemic proportions and is widely considered to be harmless. But the example you shared of your daughter’s experience shows that it is anything but harmless. Like any addiction however, our eyes cannot see the truth of the effects of a substance that we use to numb ourselves from our true sweetness in this case.
Robyn I predict that they will be taxing sugar as a drug within 15 years if not sooner. Everyone is waking up to how much of a drug it is and how much of an impact it has on our selves and our children’s behaviour. Much much more needs to be done to support the shift from this drug addiction to more supportive foods. Great that you are doing so much to support your local community!
Michelle it will be interesting to see this discussion broaden out even from these blog comments. There will need to be lots of support for people to transition away from a sugar dependent society. We see the tantrums in the kids but wait until adults are detoxing from it.
My favourite bit in this blog is about your 6 year old totally getting that she/her body changed when she ate sugar. That we dismiss children as not being ‘old enough’ to understand things is utter nonsense. They are so unbelievably more intuitive than us adults (we are ALL intuitive, but we kicked our intuition out the window when we grew up and replaced it with learnt knowledge). How awesome to be able to have that conversation with her. She is well on her way to holding on to her light as she grows up, that’s for sure!
Thanks Robyn for another great blog on the effects of sugar and how you supported your family to remove it from your diets.
Hello Robyn, it is great to continue the conversation around sugar and the effects it has on all of us. I have noticed where sugar is in products that you find in the supermarkets and it doesn’t make sense in some of them as you have said. We are often mislead by the front packaging of products and it pays to read the fine print at the back to see exactly what you are buying. I have noticed there are a lot of people now making ‘refined sugar free’ products which is great to see but it’s not really the ‘answer’, this seems to just be a ‘better’ option. I agree with what you are saying as this is a great support for people but not the long term solution. We as individuals and families etc will at some point need to look at why we are sugar dependant. This maybe a tough or touchy thing to look at but as you say with your daughter we need to be honest about how sugar changes the way we naturally are.
Definitely Ray! But in some cases the ‘side affects’ so to speak aren’t even in the small print!
The daughter of a friend of mine is displaying behavioural problems, I will show my friend your article, thank you Robyn.
Awesome blog Robyn – sugar is such a poison for our bodies and its great that this it starting to come out and be known. So that we can make more loving choices. Sugar addiction is huge, and I don’t eat refined sugar anymore but I still find it in other food eg fruit and dates etc… I feel the fizziness in my body when I eat it and really don’t like the feeling anymore. I know that it’s just a matter of time before I remove this entirely from my diet.
Robyn,
Baker Extraordinaire is an entirely appropriate description. Your Yummy Delights have the most amazing taste and I wish I could still eat them!
Me too Christoph. Baker extrodinaire indeed.
Oh Christoph, those were the days! 🙂
Me too Christoph! They look so delish but I just can’t tolerate the sweetness anymore. I do very much enjoy making them for others though because they are such a great support for so many.
Love feeling the deep love and care that those ‘sweets’ you make Robyn are made in and how healing this truly is for everyone else. Truly taking action to show others what life can be like practically without sugar – I love it!
I agree Joshua, the love you put into the Yummy delights Robyn is so palpable.
Thank you Joshua and Lieke. I very much enjoy offering the service I do. It is a beautiful way for me to express the love I have developed for myself and give back to those who are where I used to be.
Thanks Robyn, so true what you have outlined in regards to the effects of sugar on behaviour. It is clearly a mind altering substance that I have witness turn a child into a monster. I can recall the state my kids would return home from after a birthday party or trip out where they were fed copious amounts of sugar. I would curse the providers of this poison at that time. Even though this was over 20 twenty years ago I can still recall the devastation I would be left with as the children would be so affected that they would be totally out of control, emotional and hyperactive. I thought that my kids were reacting in an extreme way because they were not given any refine sugar in every day diet. Lots of fresh fruit but little to no processed food. But later I have come to understand that none of us can handle sugar. We may not show such dramatic reactions as our tolerance levels may be higher but the truth it is poisoning us and altering our behaviour.
I completely agree with you Kathleen. Sugar has an effect on everyone who eats it. No one is immune.
Sugar is an addiction, just like drugs and alcohol, but this is not seen as such. Beautiful what you share here Robyn, we can all learn from this.
Yes I agree Mariette – sugar is a major addiction and it is in most of our foods. We are so acclimatised to sugar being in everything that our natural taste buds cannot appreciate the simple wholesome foods in life that contain no sugar. We have a society that is reliant on sugar and therefore it is seen and accepted as ‘normal’ when in fact it is far from it.
That is truly awesome Robyn, that you are offering a choice in a world that is overloaded with sugar containing foods and drinks. And with sharing the effect that sugar has on your daughter, I thought about children and adults that are labelled with for instance ADHD or other attention disorders. Can you imagine what would happen if they would stop having sugar?
Very interesting point Diana. Knowing just how serious the affect of sugar is to the body, can we really label children (or adults actually) with attention disorders such as ADHD, without first seeing what it would be like without sugar in their diet.
Thank you Robyn for the very real scientific observation of the impact that sugar has on our bodies and how dramatic the affect is on the sensitive ‘little’ bodies of children. Most people would consider the erratic behavior of children as being the ‘normal’ state of affairs but would never consider the association that it has with sugar.
It is normalised by the fact that so many children are eating too much sugar. I saw a little boy this week who was “off his face” on sugar. He was loud to the point of raucous, aggressive with his sister and simply could not sit still. His mum just rolled her eyes and said that this was normal…..but I do wonder, if his parents were willing to ride out the painful detox process who they would discover at the very end? Would he be the same “Jack in the box”? Or would he be quite a different person?
Yes, any parent who is willing to look at the sugar intake of their child would most likely find a completely different child without the sugar. It seems almost criminal that we don’t offer the chance for our children to be all that they are, and instead allow sugar monsters to run around. It is certainly crazy that it is seen as cruel to deny children sweets and treats, where is the treat in that, it’s anything but.
Haha very true Stephen – I have noticed this with kids that I’ve babysat or children at the swimming pool where I work; give them a little bit of sugar and BING they’re off like a rocket. It may sound funny but one must ponder what this is actually doing to their bodies…
Sugar is everywhere. Unfortunately there is a lot of work to be done breaking the belief that something sugar free will be tasteless in the mass market, particularly if it is gluten and dairy free. However the more people are turning to this way of living, and feeling the huge benefits the more others are themselves becoming aware of the options, the alternatives, and learning to make these choices for themselves. There has already been a huge turn in the tide and it seems this is just the beginning.
Robyn I love the honest insight you share in regards to sugar and how it affects our bodies. Reading how different your daughter was after having sugar at school really shows just how damaging sugar can be on our bodies. It baffles me how so many foods are laden with sugar in our local supermarkets, especially things such as tinned tomatoes and kidney beans.
Great blog Robyn. I have also began to challenge and question what I have been putting in my body. There is a word the food scientists call the Bliss factor, the perfect mix of fats, salt and sugar. makes you want to eat the whole bag or box of what ever it is. Now so long ago I was in the US and went to a large restaurant chain for lunch. In the US they are quite good and allergy menu’s the only thing on the whole menu that did not have dairy, wheat and sugar… was the raw broccoli on the kids menu. We found another place to eat.
I agree Robyn, sugar has a striking effect on our minds and bodies, whether we feel it or not, it’s still at play as a chemical within us. I remember going to a language class once and before going I’d eaten something sweet, I think it was dates, but as I’d had a very low carb and sugar diet for a long time, that was a large dose of sugar to which I felt the effects of in the classroom. The shocking thing to experience was it was as though the teacher was speaking gobbledegook, I couldn’t focus and I couldn’t follow or understand what she was saying. It was very hard work even though normally the lessons would be easy and fun. It’s concerning how much of this is going on in schools and classrooms all over the world.
Great sharing Robyn and a great support you offer with your delights. Sugar is very addictive and this is scientifically known, but the sugar business is huge and very reluctant to look at it.
Rachel I agree, the sugar business is hugh and therefore there is a reluctants to look at it. The addiction to sugar is high and until something truly gets done about it, it’s only going to get worse.
Yes, sugar is an addiction, and accepted as a special gift. Where I work, in special care nursery, the parents say thanks by bringing in so many treats loaded with sugar e.g. boxes of chocolate, lollies, cakes, pastries etc. I once ate a small piece of macaroon- what a sugar hit I felt instantly. I felt racy, on edge, not fully in my body, reactive and charged “like an everyday battery”, for 1 hr and then felt flat.
Because our work can be emotionally challenging at times, and the fact that is gets busy, many staff members look forward to eating sugary treats for the taste, as a reward, or to overcome exhaustion, with cups of coffee. I also used to do this, but thankfully since attending talks from Serge Benhayon , I have learnt that there is a reason why we can be addicted to sugar, and now I can feel the negative effects of it on my body , so I have lovingly chosen to go sugar free where I can.
Yes they do this in schools too Loretta – whenever anyone can get their hands on sugar to distract themselves from what’s going on around them, feel the rush and release tension within their body they go for it. It’s gotten to the point now where people tend to eat their break/lunches in actual lessons… The teachers almost never notice that half of their class is munching away at either super sweet foods like mini cakes, chocolate bars and sweets or super salty foods like crisps.
wow Susie! at my school that was forbidden! haha
I was with a friend at the weekend when she was opening a gift… wine and chocolates. Its such a ‘normal’ thing to do but its sugar plus sugar (one of the main components in wine is the sugar!). It seems to me to be a very clear statement that truly we are all exhausted, and the pick me up is the normal way for us to offer treats to another.
So what are we allowing into our life’s that is searching for a numbing effect?
Thank you for sharing Robyn.
I love how you had a conversation with your daughter about how she feels with and without sugar. That is so beautiful to have an open discussion with her and get to a point of honesty about what sugar does to someone that young and sensitive.
Refined sugar is so bad for us, and so addictive. Its sad that we live in a time where mass companies use this to sell more products and make more money and yet we are all getting fatter and sicker.
It will only change with us taking responsibility of what we put in our mouths – and your gluten, dairy and refined sugar free treats sounds like an amazing bridge between what’s hurting our bodies and what’s healing.
Robyn, I also have seen the side affect of sugar in my family members and what a difference it makes in their bodies not having these foods any more. Thank you for sharing.
Robyn reading the article takes me back to my childhood and makes me wonder how many of the times I could not concentrate, felt irritable, upset, could not be reasoned with and that things felt overwhelming was at least in part due to my diet and the sugary foods I would start the day with, have at lunchtime (and in breaks) as well as the sugar in afternoon tea and finally at dinner. I suspect if I was a child now I may have been labeled as ADHD yet mostly likely refined sugar would be playing a key part in that.
Great to read of your experiences Robyn and how you approached the topic with your little one, I am sure many parents were they to read this will appreciate your words. I once worked in a school where the head teacher tried to implement just one day of no sugary snacks for the children, but it was shot down by the parents as it was claimed sugar was needed for energy. It feels like even clearer demonstrations of the science of how sugar impacts our bodies is needed to remove this kinds of thinking. As it is clear from the behaviour you describe and that I have seen first hand that sugar is quite harmful and that it impacts greatly on the behaviour of children.
Interesting Stephen that the headteacher’s attempt to eliminate sugary snacks was met with such strong resistance from the parents. Robyn sharing her daughter’s experience demonstrates that if they could just have been more open minded they may have had the opportunity to benefit from less hyperactive children at home and all the stress that this causes.
I often hear children promised sweets ‘if they are good’ and I find myself wondering just how ‘good’ they will be after eating them! Some young children scream when they don’t get what they want and parents give them sweets to shut them up – it’s a vicious circle!
Another great blog Robyn. I’m allergic to gluten, and have found that both dairy and refined sugars makes my body bloat and feel heavy… Once I cut these out of my diet, I had to start checking the ingredients of everything I consume; supermarket foods, drinks, when I was at a restaurant etc. and it really surprised me just how much particularly sugar, milk and flour were in EVERYTHING! Although there are still plenty of things I can eat from the supermarket, I have to be very careful when buying things or eating out..
It’s amazing how much sugar can change our behaviour. I’ve only recently cracked my sugar addiction and can really feel the change in my body and how much more me I am
It is true Anna, sugar is totally addictive and changes our behaviour, and another scary thing for me is that many people are eating too much sugar, therefore affecting their bodies, and this is not a natural way to be, but unfortunately it is now being perceived as ‘normal’. I believe that a sweet tooth is cultivated, and if we limit, or cut refined sugars out of our children’s diet they won’t become hooked on it in the first place. So it comes down to changing the consciousness that feels the need to feed our babies and children sugar to keep them from behaving in the manner that is natural to them, in other words, it keeps them away from being who they truly are.
Thank you Robyn to sharing more on the effects of sugar. As you say, it is everywhere, in products and in places you would never imagine before reading ingredients labels. It is the modern day ‘legal’ drug that is so normalised and accepted in society we continue to gulp it down even though there are far ranging health reports detailing all the health related problems it can cause. We ALL know the effects just mostly choose to ignore them. It is great that you have been able to offer people alternatives.
Yes James, sugar is everywhere, in products and in places you would never imagine before reading ingredients labels. I never really understand why sugar is put in in soups and so many savoury meals, what is the intention of the manufacturer here? Is it to make a really nourishing supportive meal, or could it be something to do with profit?
I agree James – it is the modern day legal drug…and I would take this further to say it is the No 1 drug world-wide that is literally killing us!
Thank you for another great article Robyn exposing the true effects of sugar on us. The shift in your daughter’s behaviour could not have been so obvious if she were not free of sugar to begin with and its the type of behaviour that we so often just assume is just bad behaviour and end up discipling the child for, which is extremely unfair to them. We have accepted refined sugars so readily without truly stopping to assess its real effects on us, effects your daughter choose to demonstrate for us all to see. I have witnessed many times a mother palming her child off with a sugary treat because of the way the child is behaving, not realising that the sugary treat is fuelling the bad behaviour in the first place. When we truly face our need to be ” dosed-up to the eyeballs with refined sugar”, as I was until a few years ago, huge miracles can occur with our health and wellbeing. How fantastic for your daughter that your response was to create other options for her to have so she does not feel left out but her body is treated with the real respect she and it deserves.
You describe the impact of eating sugar with great awareness, as you say from your experience and also in observing your daughter. My children also have a very low sugar diet, and will only usually have some when they go to a friends party. This can change the way they behave and deal with life beyond measure, their bodies are hyped up, they loss their temper, cry and can not sleep. We have an opportunity when tis comes up to talk about how it feels in their bodies, and they are very aware that they feel different. I have noticed that my daughter will chose to stop often and not eat very much party food, she has told me it does not make her feel good. It is wonderful to observe a 6 year old choosing this for herself. Sugar brings in a lot of nervous and mental energy and it is addictive. I know this from eating it myself, not having sugar in our regular diet supports the whole family to be more themselves and deal with what comes in life.
Samantha this is beautiful. I love that your daughter has been given the opportunity to live with a low sugar diet and then feel from her own body what it is like when she has some sugar at a party. Having felt the changes she has then felt to self regulate her intake when at a party. This is super awesome and very inspiring.
Equally Samantha, I have watched my youngest child aged 5 go to birthday parties and feel really unsettled by the frenzied, crazy behaviour of his school friends who are dosed up on sugar – he no longer enjoys attending these parties.
Beautiful Samantha and how lovely that your whole family benefits from living sugar free. I also think it is great that your children get to truly feel what their bodies are like when they eat sugar. Lets face it, at least they can feel what is going on as most people think they are fine eating sugar and it does not impact on them.
Lovely sharing Samantha…I love how your daughter chose it for herself based on how it felt in her body. The fact that you allowed her the space to unfold this for herself is beautiful and so empowering for her at the young tender age of 6. She gets to really understand that there is choice and that every choice has a consequence.
Very inspirational and eye opening to see how sugar effects children at such a young age, Robyn thank you so much for sharing your journey.,
It makes me wonder what’s in that taste of sweetness we so crave. Sugar indeed is in almost everything sold in supermarkets. My mother grew up during and after the war, and she says that, for her, eating anything sweet means the war is no more, and she enjoys her little treat everyday. When I go food shopping, all the fruits are classified according to their sweetness, and the sweeter they are, the more expensive/valued they seem to be, and the food critics praise the rice and the meat for its sweetness. I wonder if our five senses might actually be hindering our connection to what truly is going on.
Well said Fumiyo, are we blinding our five senses with the taste of sugar? I know that having addressed my addiction and removed all sugar from my diet, my sense of taste has been completely restored, I have a new relationship with the natural tastes of foods, especially herbs. Sugar robs us not only of essential nutrients but the real pleasure food has to offer us. Going sugar free is in the top 10 best decisions I have ever made, my health and well being has improved beyond all expectation.
Robyn, your daughter’s reaction to sugar and how she behaved as a result will be recognised by parents all over the world. Sadly, because of a general lack of awareness of the harmful effects of this widely available and addictive substance, these behaviours in many homes and schools are not questioned or explored, but accepted as normal The difference in your case, is your alertness to changes in your daughter’s behaviour and ability to confront the problem quickly. I loved the way you took responsibility and raised awareness by working with the school and educating your daughter to better understand how sugar affected her body. We all have a responsibility to raise awareness of dangers of sugar addiction wherever we are and of course refusing to buy it ourselves in any form.
Thank you Robyn. I have enjoyed reading how you have discovered that you can make sugar free sweets very well and have not just kept this for the benefit of your family, but have shared this with your local community and then with all of us.
Thanks Shami. We all need to know there is another way, as Serge Benhayon has presented to us.
Robyn I love the way that your daughter got to feel for herself the effect that sugar had on her behaviour, that is so much more effective than simply being told that sugar changes her behaviour. Such awareness at such a young age will ensure that the future choices that she makes on behalf of herself are so much more honouring.
I agree Alexis! Letting the little girl feel for herself the insidious effects of sugar is true education. Her body is untainted by years of abuse. To restore our health to this level of pristine well being takes effort and commitment but reconnecting with oneself is the ultimate reward.
Yes Alexis it is a beautiful thing to talk to your child about honouring herself with food rather than just doing what everyone else is doing. It can be challenging going against the so called normal but such a gorgeous foundation for my daughter to develop whilst still so sensitive.
There was so much in my life that I accepted as ‘normal’ until I removed all sugar from my diet and then discovered my true normal. I don’t think we have fully comprehended the full extent of the impact of sugar on our bodies, our lives, our families, our relationships and in society in general. Thank you for bringing more awareness to this Robyn.
This is such a great point Kylie and I very much agree that the impact of sugar on our living way is enormous and is highly under estimated by many. It’s is an absolute assault on the body.
Correct Kylie we have not felt the full impact as yet of a world full of people running on sugar to get them through a day.
So true Kylie, that rush of sugar going through my body and never abating was my ‘normal’, considering it took a good 24 hrs to get sugar out of the system (my experience) and the fact that I was ‘dosing myself up’ with sugar every 12 hrs at least. That rush meant less sensitivity to every aspect of life – other foods, exercise, sleep, how I relate to people and to work, sense of purpose, all dulled through not being truly sensitive and receptive to my body. I have more recently discovered how wise the body can be, sending signals all the time informing me how I am living, but at the time there was no way I was making ‘informed’ choices with all that sugar in my system. I could not have come to this understanding without choosing to be supported by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine practitioners and connecting with a source of true vitality within me (instead of seeking artificial stimulation through sugar).
Thanks for sharing Kylie – I love how you have seen such a change since removing sugar and how you see this as ‘normal’ now – simply because it is closer to your true self. Yes – sugar has deep roots in addiction, obesity, anxiety and unhealthiness.
Amazing exposure.
And we won’t for some time Kylie because as a world hooked on sugar we are numb to what is truly going on!
So true Kylie. Between sugar and coffee I left little room for me to know what my normal was. The coffee was the obvious hit but the sugar was a slow and sneaky hit that often I was not even aware of due to it’s sneakiness. I now take for granted my normal and how stable I am not just throughout the day but day to day. Sugar consumption puts you unwittingly on a roller coaster ride and I know I thought that life was just that way. Take sugar out, it’s a different ride entirely.
3pm in a corporate office is always an interesting time to observe…the sugar cravings are high and the work productivity low. And this is just one of the many dysfunctional patterns that exist as a result of sugar addiction.
In retail too, staff are feeling low and go for a ‘sugar’ fix.
In the Health and Social Care Industry I have noticed the 8am sugar bun or chocolate bar for breakfast fix can be quite common! Unfortunately this is just hiding the exhaustion and misery that is there, I too can remember being there, thinking I could not get through the day without my many sugar fixes- thank God those days are gone now, I would really not like to wish it on any one.
I agree Kylie and I can feel that the world would be shocked if the real affects from sugar will stand out. Our medical system for example will not be able to handle all costs that e.g. diabetes will cause.
So true Kylie, it is the same with alcohol and coffee. People think it is normal to have a wind down drink after a day’s work or a coffee in the morning. Even if it is not in excess it is a totally different ‘normal’ when you live your day without any stimulants at all. Personally I would never have it any other way now.
What is considered normal is so destructive to our bodies… running our bodies at a million miles an hour, putting it through highs and lows of sugar shocks is a most unnatural and unsustainable way for it to function.
Very true Kylie. I get the sense that if we did truly wake up to what sugar is doing to our bodies we would ensure it was removed from our food supply. The damage this drug is doing is huge.
Robyn the effect of sugar on children is remarkable and as you have noted, it is very difficult to find treats, snacks or ‘sweets’ that are not loaded with refined sugar and/or salt these days. I grew up in the 1950’s with restricted access to sugar in the form of lollies and soft drinks, but still had sugar with every meal – white sugar on my cereal, jam on toast, biscuits for morning break (little lunch), a homemade biscuit with lunch, biscuits when I came home from school, dessert with dinner, Chocolate milk drink before bed … when I was sick freshly squeezed orange juice with a spoonful of sugar … . It became associated with pleasure and home comfort and the pull to sweet is still in my psyche as I discovered a while ago when I realised that I was not counting honey as a sugar, which it most surely is. It is hard to be aware of its pull when one is caught in the cycle. I totally agree that the food industry must be called to account for their marketing of sugar laden food to young children and the irresponsible lacing of common foods with sugar.
Love your comment Anne. I too was raised on a diet of sugar and I can remember my grandmother making me white sugar sandwiches (with white bread and margarine!) for lunch. Puddings, desserts, cakes, biscuits and sweets were a huge part of my diet and boy was I ill as a consequence. Now I am completely sugar free and no longer require any sweet foods in my daily diet and feel extremely well as a consequence. The way we have accepted sugar into our diet needs to be honestly questioned, because it is clear to me, not only from my own experience but from accounts such as Robyn’s and yours that sugar is the cause of a great many health and behavioural issues that we attempt to blame on other factors. The food industry does need to be called into account about the un-necessary use in sugar in many food substances that simply do not require it. We are poisoning our children and ourselves through the excessive consumption of sugar in all its forms.
True Rowena. The food industry has a vested interest in continuing to lace foods of all description with sugar, regardless of the ill-health consequences it causes in many people. It is irresponsible of them to do so, but they do it because governments let them. Business first, people last.
‘The food industry does need to be called into account about the un-necessary use in sugar in many food substances that simply do not require it. We are poisoning our children and ourselves through the excessive consumption of sugar in all its forms.’
Totally agree with you there Rowena. I am amazed by the amount of sugar they put in all our food. Also the ones that are meant to taste sweet. If you start cutting back on sugar you will notice how incredibly sweet everything tastes. How come the food industry gets away with this? Could this be because there are many parties out there that are more than happy to to keep us all addicted and make lots of money?
Much like alcohol and other drugs, sugar helps people to avoid dealing with their issues.
Sugar is highly addictive and an easy and cheap fix when you feel hurt. If you consider the fact that people keep smoking even when the label says it can kill them they will certainly not just stop eating sugar because some people say it is bad for them. Looking at the bright side: not so long ago it was considered normal to smoke everywhere and to let teenagers drink alcohol. Things change so there certainly is hope for the future as long as there are people taking a stand.
Love your sharing Anne and Rowena- thank you.
This conversation about our on off relationship with sugar is important as it exposes (as you have shown Anne) how deceptively powerful our attachment to sugar is. It’s also about young children and what we are reflecting to them as we pursue our sugar addiction in our homes and elsewhere. A young friend of mine has two young children under three. She tells me that since birth neither child has ever tasted sugar. her view is ‘If they haven’t tasted it, they don’t know what they’re missing’. The challenges will come when her children leave home, go to school and form relationships with other children. Based on Robyn’s experience, she will have to prepare herself for the time when her children are on thier own and exposed to a world in which sugar is freely available and accepted. What we can do is make them aware of the effects of sugar and encourage them to be discerning in their choices.
What you have shared here Kehinde is spot on. When my daughter started at preschool this is when she realised that there was sugar in the world. She was three. Then came all the birthday parties with copious amounts of lollies…. and the lolly bags to take home plus a piece of cake. It is sugar overload for everyone, even us who are just seeing it and not eating it! There is so much to navigate in the world of sugar and children.
Robyn you have hit the nail on the head when you wrote about the effects of sugar on children in the day. Working with children I often see the effects of sweetened cereal in the early morning and children craving sugar fixes in the day as they crash energy wise and can’t keep up with the normal pace. The levels of irritability is very high and the children often don’t know how to share this with adults as a big sugar diet is the norm for so many.
These foods are deemed to be quick and easy too and I can see how they are so tempting to use for the convenience in fitting in with busy family lives and routines. especially if they are labelled healthy, natural, no added sugar etc. But as you have shown nb the effect of these foods are anything but easy and convenient.
So true nb, I have experienced teaching teenagers on sugar or coke and they are all over the place, no focus and no presence. It has a huge affect on our children, young people and as adults.
nb I am amazed that schools are not crazily overrun with the amount of sugar that some kids eat.
It must be fascinating nb to observe the sugar addictions play out in the classroom. The sad things is that many children do not know any different from what is fed to them. It must be interesting seeing the parents that must also be eating similar amounts of sugar.
True nb and then the kids take this way of living into adulthood and the cycle just keeps on going. I find it hard sometimes with my daughter being in a world where everyone eats sugar and we don’t. It can be quite a challenge for her with all she sees go on around her to continually stay sugar free but she knows I will know immediately if she has eaten any. It is an unfolding process for all of us with how to be in a world dominated by ways to alter who we really are in order to not feel what is going on around us. This can be tough as a child (and adult) to not have this numbing effect but necessary if we are to learn how to just be ourselves no matter what everyone else is choosing.
A lot of people feel sorry for children to not have sugary foods. When our children were young and I did not want them to have sweets, ice-cream, chocolate etc when we were visiting friends or family there were so many comments and it was hard to stay with what I felt was right to do. I knew how they would behave when coming home.
I can imagine it would be extremely challenging to teach in a classroom where the kids are all in different stages of having consumed sugar. I’m amazed that any kind of learning can take place with the effects of sugar going on – the highest, the lows, the manic behaviour, the lethargy, the mood swings, the inability to focus…when we really take a close look, the effects of sugar are horrendous and impacting society in so many ways.
I agree Nikki with all your symptoms. Just to add to what you say here having seen what sugars does to kids over years I would say the affect on children is not unlike the affect of alcohol on adults. They go crazy for a while all hyped up and then they crash.
It is interesting to read your experience of the effects sugar has on children at school. At the school I went to as a child there was a tuck shop full of fizzy drinks and sweets and I have heard that many schools now have vending machines full of this junk food too – how can this support our children to focus at school – very crazy!
It is sad to see what parents do feed their kids. And at school often it isn’t much better. I have seen many kids who can’t be still for a moment, they must be active all the time. This is exhausting and creates the next sugar hit.
Thanks Robyn for letting everyone here know what has helped you and your kids.
Thank you Robyn. We so need this. There are plenty of free-from foods here in England, that is free from gluten or dairy and sometimes gluten and dairy but very few are free of sugar, in fact they often have more sugar, especially in the cakes and biscuits. There is a section for diabetics but this is very small and usually contains gluten and/or dairy. The sugar free jams are loaded with fructose. Several cafes have started serving gluten free cakes and sometimes dairy and gluten free but they still have loads of sugar in them. We need alternatives and so do the shops, and even more than that we need the presentation of people’s experiences like your own that can inform people of the real effects of sugar on behaviour and how that impacts all of us.
It’s true Elaine, I steered clear of ‘Free From’ gluten and dairy products when I discovered their high sugar content and steep mark up prices. Another marketing ploy.
True Elaine the supermarkets here in the UK have really expanded their supply of gluten free and dairy free foods which has opened up greater choices for the general public, but as you say Robyn sugar seems to find its way into everything – its no wonder exhaustion is so rampant. The food industry and the greed of world food giants have much to answer for, money continues to win over health.
Awesome Robyn, having alternative snacks when making the change was imperative for me…it’s always hard to go cold turkey from something that you are so used to having all the time. It’s really cool that you’re supplying for cafe’s too, it gives people a chance to try something new and get to see what its like.
Same for me, Emily – and I still do! There are definitely foods in my diet that are substitutes and ‘alternatives’ for things that no longer support my body. I’m working on it though 😉
Me too Susie, I’m still experimenting with sugar free ‘treats’. Its interesting that i can go for days without them, and when I get ‘the munchies’it gives me a warning that i need to observe and evaluate how i have been living.
What a game it is – when we are in reaction with something we want something sweet, confirming us that we are not making loving choices for ourselves. To have sugar is a total disregard to the body and we know is making us addictive.
We forget sometimes that it is actually a really big thing for people to give up sugar or to go gluten and dairy free. So I agree Emily to provide people with a stepping stone of trying something gluten and dairy free is awesome.
Yes I did it gradually…my body guiding the way. Its a bit like salt…the less I had the less my body wanted. But I also had to address why I needed the sugar, so I couldn’t avoid also looking at my lifestyle choices. Food is never an isolated thing – emotional eating is so common and so self-destructive. I really got to see how much I was using food (including sugar) to numb or checkout so as to avoid feeling what came up in my day…feelings that if I didn’t want to deal with got buried underneath the sugar hit or excess food that I ate.
I agree, Marike, emotional eating is very common and often eating is used to not feel the problems but survive the day with cofee and sugar. As I have let go of sugar I realize that today I take other foods to numb myself , so it is absolutely crucial to look why I need certain foods or the amount of certain foods.
I found that too, that things for me gradually changed and the ‘alternatives’ were exactly that, stepping stones. Some stayed for quite some time and others were only there for a short time, and all supported the transition as was needed by my body, rather than being something that came from the ‘head’.
Same for me Emily. I was addicted to sugar and had been for close on 40 years…all my life. So having alternatives to refined sugar was a stepping stone to coming off sugar. It’s amazing how our bodies adjust because now even some fruits taste and feel so sickly sweet that I don’t want them anymore.
Exactly Sandra, I can rely to what you are saying. I was having alternatives to sugar food that helped me over this addiction. I remember that I liked sliced apples with almond spread on top.
Emily I agree it is important to have alternative snacks, giving people options to slowly change. Sugar is in everything and it is not easy to completely give it up in one go. The body has to slowly start to adjust, before it can consider letting it go.
There is no doubt that sugar is highly addictive. It took me years to properly remove sugar from my diet, a process that was made all the more difficult by the physical addiction to sugar, but also by the fact that from a cultural perspective, sugar is everywhere in the supermarket as you described.
So true Adam, sugar is everywhere. I work in hospitals and I am astounded at the amount of sugar (conveniently hidden in all the packed foods) that patients are given. As an observation, when patients are particularly unwell and not eating a great deal, this is the type of food (ice cream, jelly, yogurts, sweet drinks) that is given and wanted.
Isn’t that interesting Jen, how recovering people in hospitals, who really need their energy to heal, are given and aks for sugary foods. Great Robyn is shining some light on this highly addictive ingredient and its effects.
Yes, Jen. When I was a teenager I had pneumonia and got fed chocolate bars to make me feel better! It is amazing how something like sugar (or alcohol) is so detrimental to our sensitive bodies and yet is absolutely accepted and administered throughout society without question.
What is also astounding to see in special care nursery where I work, is that sugar ,in the form of sucrose is given to babies prior to procedures which may be distressing for them. There has been medical papers written on the benefits of sucrose administration for babies.
From my experience it does settle babies but what effect does it have longterm?
Jen Smith, I have noticed this in hospitals too and it is disturbing as I know firsthand sugar compromises my immune system and capacity to heal from minor ailments. On the other hand patients opting for this food when it is in front of them makes sense knowing how addictive the taste and temporary mood lifter sweet foods are plus the effect of sugar once eaten goes unquestioned by most.
Once I began to cut sugar out of my diet, the addictiveness of it became so apparent. If I had something with a tiny bit of sugar, I just wanted more and more. All reason went out the window and I could easily allow myself to be consumed by the desire for more and more. It is a highly addictive drug, and one that we can slowly de drip-fed continuously if we do not bring huge amounts of awareness to.
Nikki this is so true. You keep wanting more sugar, then you find yourself over eating, not sleeping properly, going to bed late, having negative thoughts, emotions creep in and life just feels hard. Well that’s what I experience anyway.
Nikki I made the same experience with sugar so there is no doubt of the addictiveness for me. It is astonishing how people know that they are addicted to sugar – my colleagues mentioned it – but could not stop eating sugar. And if they could not stop it how is this for their children or grandchildren????
So true Adam, sugar is everywhere hidden in the supermarket, like a drug that is making people addictive to need more of it all the time. The food industry knows this.
I would go one step further and say not only is sugar everywhere but it is imposingly made available everywhere, by that I mean for someone who is trying to quit sugar it suddenly becomes extremely noticeable just how often sugar is offered to us and we have to make the choice to say no. For someone trying to give up sugar as a world we have set it up perfectly to make this as hard as possible, in many places, shops, schools, business’ there is sugar that is offered to you completely for free and therefore the choice is far harder.
I agree Oliver, it is hard to kick the habit when we are encouraged to consume sugar. Such as when I buy petrol and am asked if I want to purchase lollies at a discounted price.
That’s nice Robin. It’s a bit funny how you said that you found “the supplier” of the sugar to your daughter at school. Sugar really is like a drug! And I haven’t tried any of your delights but I’m sure they are fantastic. I made a lot of gluten free and dairy free sweets when I was coming off those foods and also eventually refined sugar free as well. It was really supportive to do that or I think I would have gone mad! But I am astonished that sugar had such dramatic effects on your daughter. Now that I look back I remember feeling those effects as well when I was younger. But I wasn’t blessed with being able to talk about it and know the difference in my behaviour. It’s wonderful that you took the time to really help your daughter see and feel how different it feels so she can make a choice.
This is a really great topic to bring up Harrison and Robyn. I have recently spent a bit more time in cafes and hotels and I observe the children while I am there and what they are eating. All I can say is Wow! I watch the mountains of sugary cereals, cakes, pastries, ice creams, yoghurts, fruit juice, chocolate milks and so on being heaped onto children’s plates and into their mugs. I hear the pleas and winges for ice creams, cakes, juice and other sugary treats. And then I watch the results: kids often totally out of order like jumping beans gone crazy, unable to listen to the admonitions of their increasingly stressed parents. Parents, who I am sure, on the whole simply don’t have the information on what all this sugar is doing to their offspring or how badly it impacts on their behaviour. Your blog needs to posted to the parents of the world, Robyn.
I have observed this with children too. I was staying with a family for a week and each afternoon the children would have vanilla ice cream. The change was undeniable, the sound in the home would increase by decibels almost immediately, movements became erratic and the running around had a craziness compared to earlier in the day, not long after the siblings were fighting and there were tears. It strikes me as well Josephine that many parents don’t have the information about sugar but there is also a tremendous amount of denial for all sorts of reasons. Just as there are books about how to give up sugar and the physiological effects and harm of sugar there could also be books about the psychology behind sugar consumption and our relationship with it.
Robyn, I have been shocked by the different foods that I have found sugar in, foods that quite frankly taste fantastic in their own unique savoury way. Tinned tomatoes was one of those foods but also, chicken drumsticks, smoked salmon and packets of prawns. Why do these foods need added sugar? I am fairly religious about checking the backs of packets but occasionally when I am in a rush I have picked up food without checking. The only reason I know that some supermarkets in the UK add sugar to their chicken drumsticks for example is because I have reduced the amount of sugar I consume so significantly that it is glaringly obvious to me when I taste it. I imagine this would not be the case for many who would probably be unaware how much sugar they are consuming. It is evil to encourage consumption of a substance that effects the brain in the same way as other drugs. I wonder how long it will take to make this drug illegal?
This topic is covered in the movie “That Sugar Film”. We got sold sugar and the sugar industry did exactly that – they paid scientists to “research” sugar who then put out glowing reports.
Yes, Mary and as you talk about this, to me the sugar industry feels no different to the drug industry – rife with corruption and fuelled by the desperation of people to ‘sweeten’ their lives in some way.
Definitely corruption at play Mary…but no amount of scientific studies can replace the truth of what my body says.
I too have been shocked by the foods I’ve found sugar in Fiona…like you I have been diligent when shopping to check the list of ingredients. We love salmon – it is so delicious on its own and it never occurred to me that anyone would want to put sugar with it, however, not being used to sugar in our diet we noticed how we couldnt eat very much of a particular chilli salmon – only to find that it had sugar in it!
Sugar is very insidiously used, placed in a lot of foods in low levels and then being gradually increased as people become used to that amount, not realising how they are being affected by their food.
This is great Robyn, it is crazy indeed how such a behavioural changing substance is widely sold in almost everything that has been processed.
Yes Benkt, you’re right. Sugar is literally in almost everything! And for this reason, the addiction problem reaches far wider than we may think. I have felt first-hand the effects of sugar, thankfully, and am now very aware of how much it is hidden in the vast majority of foods.
Too true Benkt and Sara – “Sugar is literally in almost everything!” I caught the tail end of a report where in a small town somewhere in a far away place where obesity and diabetes is prevalent in children/teens there is a move by a group of women to call for a bill to ban ‘energy drinks’ being sold to children at school and elsewhere. One cannot even imagine what their young bodies must feel like while on a daily basis consuming copious amounts of these addictive drinks. Where does the responsibility lie to protect young children/teens from thinking it is normal to seek ‘energy drinks’ to help them get through their day. Is it really the government’s responsibility, surely not, perhaps each of us has to take up and accept this responsibility to facilitate a deeper understanding and further education as we, ourselves, have been fortunate through the presentations of Universal Medicine to now have a deeper awareness as to how over consumption of sugary foods and drinks undermine the natural harmonious rhythm of our bodies,and especially the bodies of our children.
Jane it will be great when this happens, when sugar becomes something of the past, as sugar really has gone out of control.
Hi Jane I was not aware that sugar is even in painkillers, vitamin supplements, and savoury foods – wow . . . so you are right that sugar become a “norm” to be in almost everything. So I am lucky because I love the simplicity with food already because I prepare my own food without sugar . . .
Yep its an addiction that most don’t even realise the level and effects that the addiction is having on them. Like when your in the midst of being drunk your not fully aware of the effect it is having on you. It won’t be until you are fully off sugar that you become aware of the effect it is having, its like coming out of a very foggy slumber.
It is so true that we are not able to feel the full effects of food and drink on our bodies until we are clear of them. It was astounding to realise and feel how much of a detrimental effect sugar had on my body after I stopped. It really brought me to a much more honest place about the state and condition of my body.
Great article exposing the effects of sugar in such a simple yet powerful way. It is a drug isn’t it – and one so readily available, just a visit to the petrol station shows how available it is. I loved the line “How can a behaviour-altering substance such as sugar be sold to the masses like it is nothing special??” It is so damaging as so evidenced by your young daughter. We need to have more conversations like the around what is truly going on for us when we have sugar.
I never really was a sugar fan, but in my late 20’s when I felt deep hurt, I started on sugary things. This so makes sense now, as it was a means to numb myself. Subconscious behaviour, I was not even aware off.
yes Amita – as a child most things were too sugary for me also, but I learned how to take it for the payoff of the numbing and raciness even though that made me feel pretty ill… but as I begin to understand why we do it, to not feel what is hurting or coming at us, then it makes sense, and it starts to create the space to let it go.
I never realised until the work of Universal Medicine that sugar was such a numbing agent. Although never a massive consumer of sweet things I have certainly come to understand how sugar affects me and those around me and why it is used so commonly even though it is such an invidious substance. They used to put arsenic in the bread once upon a time. There is a lot of work being done now to highlight the harmful effects of sugar and my feeling is that this understanding is on the rise and that one day the need for sugar will be outgrown. Having healthier substitutes as baked by you, Robin is a first step towards this.
Josephine I too only came to understand that sugar was a numbing agent through Universal Medicine. I remember as a child I would love savoury food over sugary food. I had a pretty joyful child hood with my family and friends. My hurts started kicking in during high school, but not for too long. Then the next batch was in my late twenties, that knocked me back quite deep. But now looking back, I can remember they where the times, I went to chocolate and alcohol, both numbing agents.
I can totally understand and relate to what you are saying. I was into sugary food very much myself. By choice I got to break this sugar cycle, it is worth it in so many ways, my body feels clear and healthy now.
and I lost lots of weight when I removed sugar from my diet, this included refined sugars, honey and complex carbohydrates. It was incredible and that was not even my intention!
Yes Sarah I agree sugar is really a drug – for me this addiction was 51 years long!!! I am so thankful that others show me by example that there is a life without sugar. So I knew from my own experience how important it is to talk about it more openly and therefore we need “more conversations like this around what is truly going on for us when we have sugar.”
Sarah, I feel that so many people are hooked on sugar that they don’t realise anymore how it affects their behaviour and their bodies, could it be that they are accepting it as the norm and have forgotten what it is like to be “sugarless” making the excuse that it is too hard to give it up.
There is definitely a supply and demand, is it not the case that the ‘sugar’ industry is taking advantage of society’s exhaustion and wanting to comfort and numb themselves to get through the day.
So true Sarah. Sugar is everywhere as seen in the petrol stations and dedicated supermarket aisles, at the checkouts etc. It is incredible how sugar has become a staple in our diets The effect on children (and adults) may be bigger than what we’ve considered. I wonder what would happen if more families started to cut refined sugars out of their diets. It would be interesting to see the impact of this, on family, school and community life.
Sugar is in so many foods, that you’re right – is so readily available, especially in quick to eat foods. We can be addicted and not even know it as a result. The change in Robyn’s daughter’s behaviour says it all really, in terms of the strong effect sugar can have on our behaviour.
Great question Michelle. And here in lies the great ill of our society considering sugar as being ‘innocent’ and “sweet” to eat. How are we going to see its true impacts on our children if we are feeding them sugar from almost day one? Their behaviours will seem normal when it is coming from their over stimulation from the sugar.
Absolutely Sarah, it needs to be seen as a drug so that as a society we really start to look at the damage it is causing and also the cost of this on the health care system.
I agree sugar needs to be seen as a drug, only then maybe people will start to see the impact it has on their body and health. At the moment it us just an item that is used for taste.
Thank you for sharing Michelle. I know exactly what you are talking about. I was on a flight this past Christmas when the airline staff handed out candy canes to the passengers, what was only moments earlier a calm and pleasant flight descended into chaos as the sugar kicked in and the kids behaved much like many adults do when they drink alcohol. Tantrums were thrown, seats were kicked and the noise increased tenfold! When I spoke to the people around me it was clear that everyone was aware of the affect the sugar was having and agreed it was terrible and yet kids are being fed sugar like this every day. This incident shocked me as the mind altering affects of sugar were so undeniable and unpleasant for all involved.
It’s interesting when we observe not only the emotional but physical effects of sugar and how harming that these can be – short and long term – that we continue to accept their consumption as normal. Not unlike our consumption of alcohol, coffee etc. at what point do we start being more honest and really start to take responsibility for the harm they are doing to our bodies and also why we need these substances in the first place.