ARE CARBS ADDICTIVE?
Carbohydrates, especially sugar, can be addictive. Some people have trouble accepting this notion because, surprisingly, there are no clear scientific studies to demonstrate that claim. Many health-care professionals have struggled to help patients who could not reduce or eliminate sugar despite its unhealthy hold on them.
While we don’t have a clear scientific study that shows addictive properties of sugar or other refined carbohydrate foods, studies do show that sugar and high-glycemic foods can trigger the brain’s reward centers. These are the same brain areas stimulated by cocaine, nicotine, and other widely accepted addictive substances.
The fact that sweet-tasting and so-called comfort foods can be addictive is well accepted—and even proven—by the very companies who employ marketing as a powerful tool to sell these products. Food advertisers who spend billions of dollars each year know very well about addiction and how to tease and tempt you with foods that can end up killing you. These ad campaigns are especially successful with teens and children, and they are not unlike those used by the tobacco industry for so many decades. Just look at the beverage giants like Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Each twelve-ounce can may contain forty grams of carbohydrates, or about nine teaspoons of sugar. In late 2009, Coke came out with a smaller-size can, marketing it as a “healthier alternative” since it has fewer calories!
If society truly recognized the real harm caused by refined carbohydrates, especially sugar, much like what has happened with cigarettes in recent years, there would be a revolution by consumers. State, city, and even federal government agencies would place a huge tax or outright ban on sugar and refined carbohydrate foods due to the astronomical cost of health care associated with their use. Companies that make cereals, candies, cookies, and sugar itself would be sued, much like the tobacco class-action lawsuits. I can imagine the secret after-school cookie deals, or sugar by prescription only, and the growth of sugar addiction clinics where the treatment of choice would be artificial sweeteners. Well, things may be heading that way.
Some European countries are already banning sugary food ads during children’s television shows, and California is prohibiting the sale of soda in schools. Restaurants are now required to post the calories of their meals. So yes, the food war has already begun. Science is catching up too. But let’s not rely on the government, science, or society—or anything or anyone else—to get us to act. As with other addictions, we are the responsible party. There is help if we need it, but after spending a long time in clinical practice, it’s clear to me that each of us holds the key to control or eliminate addiction despite the ongoing propaganda from big corporations who continue to peddle their deadly foods.
Not only can carbohydrates be addictive, but CI is a prevalent problem in persons addicted to alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, or other drugs. Often, the drug is the secondary problem, with CI being the primary one. Treating this primary problem should obviously be a major focus of any addiction therapy, which can make recovery from other drugs more successful.

Before starting the test, perform an MAF Test. Then perform it again soon after the test for comparison.

Plan your shopping list. Before you start the test, make sure you have enough of the foods you’ll be eating during the test—these are listed below. Go shopping and stock up on these items. Make a list of the foods you want to eat and the meals and snacks you want to have available. In addition, go through your cabinets and refrigerator and get rid of any sweets in your house, or you’ll be tempted. Remember, many people are addicted to sugar and other carbohydrates, and for the first few days you may crave these foods even more.

Make sure you do not go hungry during the test; this is best accomplished by eating frequently, even every two hours if necessary. Schedule the test during a two-week period when you are relatively unlikely to have festive distractions such as the holidays or times when social engagements are planned; these can make it too easy to stray from the plan. As noted, avoid athletic competition during this period.

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Following the diet for less than two weeks will probably not give you a valid result. So, if after five days, for example, you eat a bowl of pasta or a box of cookies, you will need to restart the test from the very beginning.