Ditch the SUGAR FOR GOOD!

MOST PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH A SUGAR DEPENDENCY IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, WHETHER IT'S HORMONAL CHOCOLATE BINGING OR ALL-DAY SWEET GRAZING. HERE'S HOW TO QUIT.

- ASHLEIGH ROMAN

The term 'sugar addiction' may seem over the top, but statistics indicate otherwise: sugar dependency is a very real and extremely harmful phenomenon, with some studies indicating that sugar is as addictive as cocaine.

HOW DID WE GET HOOKED ON SUGAR?

We all know that cakes, sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks and sugary treats should be consumed in moderation - but what we don't always realise is just how much hidden sugar we eat every day, even if we lay off the usual suspects.

Sugar occurs naturally in most foods, and is added to most of the processed foods we buy at the grocery store. You may recognise glucose, corn syrup, dextrose and maltose among the names for various types of added sugars, but there are many, many others.

A report published in the journal Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety reveals that there are five major reasons sugar (sucrose) is added to food:

• To increase sweetness

• To preserve it

• To enhance its colour and flavour

• To aid fermentation

• To add bulk and texture

Combinations of natural and artificial sweeteners are used to achieve these effects, with the result that we eat way more sugar than we think. Hidden sugar is a daily reality, even in the healthiestlooking food available on our shelves. It's in almost everything we don't make from scratch, because the taste makes us come back for more.

Food has become all about convenience. Many of us don't realise we're eating processed goods packed with sugars and refined carbohydrates, with little if any real nutritional value. The fast-food industry is a global enterprise worth nearly $700 billion - and sugar is the star of the show.