My Sweet Escape
The bittersweet truth about using sugar as your stress coping mechanism
Stress, stress, stress. We all have it in our lives and we know it is not going anywhere. When scrolling through social media feeds we look at others and think - ‘Wow, that person lives such a stress-free life’. Deep down, we know that everyone experiences stress. Grant Cardone, a billionaire real estate investor in the US, puts on huge conferences with over 80k attendees. When asked if he feels stress and anxiety before going on stage, he says ‘Damn right I feel stress!’ So what makes people persevere through these challenging times? The secret sauce is how they deal with stress. If they tense up, think of worst-case scenarios, and let fear envelop them, chances are it will do just that. If you become aware of the fear or stress, take a moment to breathe through it, and center yourself, you are much more likely to have a perspective that helps you deal with it more constructively. The key is the coping mechanisms we use.
There are different ways to deal with fleeting moments of stress. Some are renewing coping mechanisms such as running, meditating or getting a massage. Others can be toxic like using alcohol or drugs to help you forget about your problems. My deleterious coping mechanism is sugar consumption. I grew up not having open access to sugar. In fact, cookies and treats were hidden from me. I mean literally - I would come home from school and spend 20 minutes searching for that elusive bag of Oreos that was tucked away in my mom's walking closet. When I found this treasure, I would get a high and proceed to eat a full row. This happened throughout my life and because of my fast metabolism, I never gained weight. This is both a blessing and a curse. As an aside, I recently read that 22% of lean individuals suffer from metabolic syndrome (characterized by high lipids, high blood pressure, and elevated sugar levels).
When I did my DNA Labs genetic test 4 years ago, I learned I had a SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) related to insulin resistance. This meant that over time, my pancreas would need to secrete more insulin because it was losing its effect to decrease my blood sugar levels. Insulin is a hormone that helps take sugar from the blood and put it into the muscles or store it as fat. All this is fine and dandy until you realize that insulin is a growth hormone and having too much of it around leads to chronic inflammation and hormone imbalance effects such as:
Increased hunger1
Increased thirst1
Frequent urination1
Blurred vision1
Headaches1
Vaginal and skin infections1
Slow-healing cuts and wounds1
Increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease2
Myocardial infarction2
Decreased lifespan2
Higher triglyceride levels13
High uric acid1,3
Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) 1,3
Weight gain3
Hypertension3
So what have I done to curb my sugar intake?
You can't consume what you don't have in your house. I stopped buying Haagen Daaz ice cream, ruffle sour cream and onion chips, decadent chocolate chip cookies, or other sweet delicacies. If you are ever in Oakville you must try the chocolate croissants and pistachio eclairs at Narenj. Hey if I’m not eating these things I can still write about them!
With the help of my accountability group, we have set goals for curbing our depleting coping mechanisms. One person is limiting their alcohol consumption, and another has struggled with sleep so he has stopped watching TV. We all put money into the pot every week. Whoever falters from their goal loses their contribution and it is split between those who stay on track.
I periodically use a CGM (continuous glucose monitoring device) made by Abbott called the Freestyle Libre 2.
This is a sensor that goes on your arm and measures your glucose levels. No finger pricks are necessary! This has been helpful in improving my awareness of what I eat and how it impacts my glucose levels. Studies have shown these devices can decrease your A1c (3-month average glucose readings) by 1% which is clinically significant. As an aside, I’ve always wondered why Abbott doesn’t gamify the app to give e-ribbons or congratulations to users (similar to Duolingo with learning languages and the Zero app with measuring fasting).
When I have a craving, I set my iPhone timer for 5 minutes. In the majority of cases, the craving goes away after this time. This is a tip I give when counseling people who are trying to quit smoking.
When a craving comes up, I ask myself what I really need in this moment. The most common realization is that I'm feeling bored and my mind is looking for a distraction. What better distraction than eating something sugary to give my mood a short-lived boost? What I need to remember in these moments is all the stuff I have written about in this article.
Part of the reason I write these newsletters is to put my stuff out there for you to see. The hope is that some of the messages resonate with you. The other benefit is that I become more accountable to everyone reading. So the next time you see me eating something full of sugar, you can question me about it. When I respond, I will know in my heart if I am making an excuse or if I'm just enjoying a treat. Life has all these things to experience and enjoy. The key is to enjoy them in moderation so we can live long, healthy, high-quality lives.
Sources:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24178-hyperinsulinemia
https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-020-01688-6
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/hyperinsulinemia.html
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34149259/