March 30--Q: Is it true there are foods that are designed to be addictive?
JOY D., ANNAPOLIS, MD.
A: It's true, some food manufacturers engineer products to contain (from
their point of view) the optimal balance of sugar and high fructose corn
syrup. Then you feel maximum "crave" and keep eating, drinking and buying more
of their products. It's what they call your bliss point. We kid you not; they
aim for that sweet spot that keeps you coming back for more. It's why you'll
find sugar in spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, ketchup, yogurt and even
low-fat, processed, frozen foods that say "Healthy" or "Lean" on the package.
Sugar substitutes are another ingredient food manufacturers use to entice
you to eat and repeat. These fake sugars trick your body into thinking that
you've had real sugar, but then leave you wanting more, more, more. And here's
a sad fact: The International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk
Producers Federation have petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to
change the "standard of identity" of milk so that "any safe and suitable
sweetener, including non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame" can be added
to milk without listing the ingredients on the label. We say you can't put any
additive into a food and not identify it on the label.
Fortunately, it's easier to break bad-for-you food habits than you might
think: You need to make a 168-hour commitment. For one week give up all sugary
and artificially sweetened foods. Want a sweet? Grab a piece of fruit or a
handful of nuts. Your body will detox as those hours tick by, and pretty soon
you'll be loving how much better you sleep (no blood sugar ups and downs) and
how much happier you feel.
Mehmet Oz, M.D., is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D., is
chief medical officer at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. To live your
healthiest, visit sharecare.com. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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