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
578 Comments
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.
A good point Raymond. I used to be addicted to sugar and wasn’t wholly honest about it. Until I understood that it was simply feeding the exhaustion and emptiness I found myself in I wasn’t really ready to look at it. Even so it took a long time to wean myself off it and actually feel the physiological reaction in my body to it. Now just a tiny taste of anything sweet sends my body into heightened raciness. Not a feeling I particularly enjoy.
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.
it is true Adam, I find now that they are even in shops that never had any type of food such as post offices. You can’t walk around now without having it presented somewhere.
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 agree Sarah, sugar sure is a great way to not feel your body and your own choices. Having dulled my body for many years I can really relate to that.
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!
There can be no doubt that this substance is “behaviour altering”. Most parents can see that when their children consume sugar their behaviour escalates which is difficult for them to come back from. Not long ago I took my children to see a film in the village hall. There were many biscuits and sweets there and all the other children consumed much of them. It was interesting to observe their faces by the end of the film, which were flushed and their eyes were glazed over. There was definitely a racy tension in their bodies too which impacted on how the room felt. Compared to my own children, whose faces radiated health and vitality, the difference was palpable. I know that many parents offer their children sugar in the form of chocolate and sweets as a treat and/or in many cases as a bribe, but what is it that we are really offering them and what are we really at when we do?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.