Not surprisingly, all of us constantly hear about how comfort food will make us feel better and happier, as it gives us a haven for when we feel stressed or tired, but we often fail to understand that these “times of enjoyment” can also represent a crucial aspect of our out-of-control sugar addiction. Comfort foods make us forget about all those trials and tribulations, are typically easy to prepare and are easily accessible. They can often contain a significant amount of refined sugar and have questionable, if any holistic nutrition value.

Stress is an everyday occurrence in all our lives. Some of us are able to deal with it better than others. The recent severe economic downturn around the globe has piled on additional levels of stress and has challenged us more than ever before in many cases. Many people choose to turn to external influences and “fixes” to deal with their stress levels, often turning to cigarettes or alcohol or maintaining a less than optimum dietary level.

Stress and diet are often very closely linked, and if we’re not able to keep our stress under control, and we also eat very poorly, the problem usually spins out of control. Sugar addiction is a widespread problem in modern society because sugar has an inherent quality which enhances flavors and adds marketability to some otherwise almost tasteless foods and drinks, making it an extremely valuable commodity to the major manufacturers.

What is often termed comfort food could just as easily be called stress food, as when we turn to these particular products we are trying to modify a certain situation that we are going through. Unfortunately, most people simply don’t realize that when they add sugar-based products and super-refined sugars to what they eat in such situations, they can greatly aggravate the issue or the stress they were trying to deal with. When we are stressed, our natural digestive processes may not function as well and the interaction of the sugar with our existing body chemicals can cause our stressful situation to become apparently worse. What we set out to try and temper, can be aggravated in this way.

Experts in holistic health solutions recognize that sugar addiction is a primary contributor to the very stress that we are feeling in the first place. Our over-reliance on sugar has undoubtedly accumulated over time and is contributing to a chemical imbalance within. This makes it more difficult to deal with everyday stresses and strains, and the vicious circle can be repeated when we turn to comfort foods to try and remedy our symptoms.

It is important to understand that a certain amount of stress is a vital ingredient and makes the human body function well. It can generally create good brain function and a level of awareness allowing us to deal with our complex lives. However, when stress becomes overbearing it can be very difficult to deal with, can lead to irrational decisions, the potential for long-term health problems and a significant sugar addiction, all of which must be contained if we want to live long and fulfilling lives.

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