Halloween is coming up, and if you’re already planning late-night raids on your child’s candy stash, take a moment to reconsider that idea. Sugar isn’t just bad for your teeth or your physical health. It can also take a toll on your mental health. At Palms Behavioral Health, in Harlingen, Texas, we think it’s important for people to understand how the fuel they put into their bodies can impact their well-being.
Your Brain on Sugar
While that peanut butter cup might taste really good and an occasional treat isn’t going to ruin your life, the next thing you know, it will be the holidays, and we will be surrounded by pies, cookies, and eggnog. The candy for Valentine’s Day and Easter will be in stores right after New Year’s, so we find ourselves perpetually drowning in refined sugars for much of the year. Researchers have linked diets that are high in sugar to an increased risk of depression and impaired brain function, impacting memory.
People who consume a lot of sugar also experience reduced impulse control, which can make it harder for them to resist eating more high-fat and sugary foods, which may be part of the reason that you plan to eat one peanut butter cup and end up eating far more. It can increase the likelihood of experiencing physical health problems, including cancer, inflammation, and obesity. These are all medical concerns that can also increase the risk for depression.
Why It’s Hard to Stop Eating Sugar
When we give our bodies sugar, it triggers our brain’s reward system. Our brain releases dopamine, which is a chemical that makes us feel good. This good feeling reinforces the behavior that caused the dopamine release, so we want to do that behavior again. This was an easy way for the brains of our primitive ancestors to help them survive. Today, however, we have access to refined sugar and lots of it. There is research that indicates that the impact of sugar on the brain is similar to the impact of addictive drugs. The good news is that there are other foods that are healthier for us, that can also trigger a dopamine release. Some of these include:
- Chicken and other poultry
- Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt
- Avocadoes
- Bananas
- Pumpkin and sesame seeds
- Soy
- Almonds
Other Ways to Boost Dopamine in the Brain
We don’t just get dopamine from our diets. It can also be released when we:
- Receive praise
- Exercise
- Engage in hobbies we enjoy, especially creative pursuits, such as painting, writing, playing a musical instrument, or crafting
- Kiss
- Have sex
- Listen to music
- Get enough sleep
- Meditate
- Achieve goals (even small ones)
- Spend time in the sunshine or using a light box
- Take a cold shower or just end your shower with 30 seconds of cold water and gradually increase the amount of time the water is cold
- Connect with people we love
- Engage in community activities that increase social connection
Ways to Reduce Sugar Intake
It is recommended that less than 10 percent of our daily calories come from added sugars. For most people in the United States, this is a drastic reduction in consumption. You don’t have to make this change all at once, but if you’re looking for ways to cut sugar out of your diet, you can start with one or two of these changes and gradually add more over time:
- Read labels, not just on foods, but also on beverages, so that you know how much sugar you’re consuming.
- When you feel thirsty, reach for water instead of sugary drinks
- Add less sugar to things you prepare, like cereal, coffee, tea, pancakes, etc.
- Use fresh or dried fruit in cereal, instead of sugar
- When you crave something sweet, have some fruit.
- If you’re eating canned fruit, choose fruit canned in water or natural juice, instead of syrup or synthetic juice.
- Consider using extracts in place of sugar in your recipes, such as vanilla, orange, almond, or lemon
- Choose foods that contain low amounts of sugar when you are shopping.
At Palms Behavioral Health, we offer inpatient and outpatient care for adolescents, adults, older adults, and families who are navigating acute psychiatric issues. We provide our patients and their support systems with a wide range of evidence-based tools for recovery.
