Pandemic Survival Blog

  Feeling triggered? Eating too much sugar, drinking too much alcohol, or using too much nicotine literally changes the brain's chemistry, but these addictions can be replaced with natural remedies that quell the urges and replace that feeling that you "need" the crutches just to get by. Many people quit addictions, only to be dragged back into them because they get "triggered" when someone around them engages in the activity they quit, like eating sweets in front of them, drinking alcohol near them, or smoking or vaping in their vicinity. Once addicted to sugar, alcohol, or nicotine, the human brain is wired to want it, and it would seem that there's nothing else on the planet that can replace it, but you would be surprised. The neurotransmitter dopamine is the hormone responsible for our "feel good" chemistry, and there are ways to boost it, without using drugs, sugar, or alcohol. You don't have to be a "repeat offender" of the ad...

Just like hard drugs, namely cocaine and heroin, sugar spikes the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens area of your brain.  Dopamine is a neurohormone  and is created several different ways in the brain, especially when stimulated by drugs like cocaine, nicotine, prescription opiates, and yes, sugar.  Regular sugar consumption, it has been scientifically concluded, inhibits the so-called “action” of the dopamine transporter, meaning daily sugar binging eventually reduces how much dopamine is produced and carried through pathways in your brain, including areas responsible for  pleasure and reward . 3 Stages of sugar addiction: binge, withdraw, crave (rinse & repeat) Feeling nervous, anxious, or depressed? It could be that your body just doesn’t feel like producing dopamine until you feed it more sugar. Got a headache or feeling lethargic? You could be experiencing sugar withdrawal symptoms, facilitated by sugar deprivation. Sounds like a d...