Episode 22: Is sugar addiction really a thing?
Why does sugar seem to be the root of all evil when it comes to health and wellness?
There was definitely a time in my troubled past relationship with food when I thought I was addicted to sugar.
I grew up with the understanding that you can have 2 cookies after lunch or dinner, but no more. Because of this food rule, I’d try to carefully pry off the lid of our cookie tin without making a sound so I could sneak a few more cookies. I’d scurry to my bedroom to eat, avoiding a lecture from my Mom.
Is Sugar Addiction just like Drug Addiction?
This taught me that in order to get my sweet cravings met (be satisfied), I had to do it in a shameful, secretive way that left me feeling awful about myself and my body. If this story sounds too familiar, don’t miss this podcast episode!
Emily Fonnesbeck, anti-diet dietitian, and Stephanie Webb, holistic nutritionist, and certified intuitive eating counselor, are here to answer the question, is sugar really that bad?
Listen to this Savor Food and Body Podcast episode to find out…
- How to identify diet-wellness culture messaging about sugar.
- What the research about sugar addiction really says and why comparing sugar consumption to drug addiction is problematic.
- Why the harder you resist eating sugar the more you’ll crave it and binge on it.
- What it means to have full permission with sweets and how to do it.
- Finally, how to help kids be confident eaters when it comes to sugar and food in general.
Find out if your sugar addiction is really a problem…
This conversation isn’t about whether or not sugar is healthy for you. (Yes! You need carbohydrates to survive and thrive. No! You don’t need sugar 24/7.)
It’s about how the messaging you hear about sugar affects how you feel about yourself when you eat sugar.
In Emily’s words, “…to feel out of control with your ability to self-moderate sugar intake, says more about your lack of practice with moderation than a lack of willpower, self-control, or development of addiction.”
Emily Fonnesbeck is a Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Therapist living in Hyde Park, Utah with her husband and 4 kids.
She owns a private practice with a professional focus on treating eating disorders, disordered eating, body image concerns, and digestive issues.
Emily knows how it feels to be confused, overwhelmed, and frustrated with food while hating your body, which is why she is passionate about helping individuals just like you create a peaceful relationship with food and your body, building confidence in your own natural ability to know how to eat. Emily joined Stephanie in Eat Confident Co in 2018 and on the Eat With Confidence podcast in 2019.
Stephanie Webb MS is a holistic nutritionist, eating psychology coach, and certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who works with women to take the guilt + stress out of healthy living.
Stephanie is the co-founder of Eat Confident Co. and also runs her own private Intuitive Eating coaching practice. She is a host of the Eat with Confidence podcast and loves spreading her message of food + body confidence. Stephanie holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature (aka book nerd with credentials 🙂 ), a master’s degree in Holistic Nutrition, and is a certified personal trainer. Stephanie lives in Houston, TX with her husband and three kids.
If having Halloween candy in the house is stressing you out and you’re feeling the pressure to reign yourself in, this episode will help you calm down (Emily’s mantra) around sweets and any other foods you struggle to make peace with.
Learn more about Emily’s and Stephanie’s work:
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