Why Diets Fail (Because You're Addicted to Sugar): Science Explains How to End Cravings, Lose Weight, and Get Healthy - Hardcover

Avena PhD, Nicole M.; Talbott, John R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1607744864 ISBN 13: 9781607744863

Publisher: Ten Speed Press, 2013

Synopsis

This revolutionary eating plan reveals definitive proof that sugar is addictive, and presents the first science-based program to cut out the sugar, stop the cravings that cause most diets to eventually fail, and lose weight--permanently.
 
If you’re like most people, you’ve tried a few  (or maybe many) different diets without success. The truth is, most diets work for a while, but there’s usually a point at which the dietary restrictions become too difficult to maintain. Why? Because whether you’re following a low-carb, paleo, gluten-free, or even an all-liquid green juice diet, the addictive nature of sugar causes cravings to take over and sabotage your diet-of-the-moment.

In Why Diets Fail, Dr. Nicole M. Avena and John R. Talbott reveal definitive proof that sugar is addictive and present the first science-based program to stop the cravings and lose weight—permanently. A neuroscientist and food addiction expert, Dr. Avena has conducted groundbreaking research showing that sugar triggers the same responses in the brain as addictive drugs like cocaine, nicotine, and alcohol. And like those other substances, the more sugar you eat, the more you need to get the same pleasurable feelings. (No wonder your last diet didn’t stick.)

Avena and Talbott’s eight-step plan walks you through the process of going sugar-free and surviving the make-or-break withdrawal period—those first few weeks when your body feels the absence of its favorite sweetener most acutely. An easy-to-use Sugar Equivalency Table developed by Talbott lists the amount of sugar in hundreds of common foods so you know precisely what to eat and what to avoid. And when it comes to what you can eat, you have a lot to choose from. In fact, you’ll probably eat more on this diet than you normally do—while continuing to lose weight.

This science-based program is the diet to end all diets. It will help you break the yo-yo dieting cycle, end those maddening sugar cravings, and develop a new longing for the good food that will keep you fit, healthy, and happy. 

About this title

Review

Author Q&A

Q. What do you mean when you talk about sugar addition? I don't take sugar in coffee or add it to my food, so I would say I can’t be addicted to sugar – can I?

A. Even if you are not deliberately adding sugar to your drinks or food, sugar is already an ingredient in many foods and beverages – some of which you might not expect. This book discusses which types of foods and drinks contain high amounts of sugar and includes a questionnaire to help readers see if they show signs of a sugar addiction.

Q. What is a 'hidden' sugar, and how do I discover which foods contain them?

A. Hidden sugars are sugars contained in foods or beverages that you might not suspect. We know that many dessert items, such as ice cream and pastries, contain high amounts of sugar, but there are also a number of food and drink items that you may not expect to contain a lot of sugar, including certain yogurts, energy bars, barbecue sauces, etc. Hidden sugars can be identified by looking carefully at a food or beverage’s nutrition label, a topic we discuss further in the book.

Q. How does your eating program handle eating out and holiday times, especially if there are hidden sugars everywhere?

A. This book discusses the types of foods that tend to be high in sugar and that may contain hidden sugars, as well as the social factors that may influence food choices, equipping readers with information to make eating out and holidays less challenging.

Q. If I cut out the hidden sugars from my diet, will I be able to lose weight?

A. If you were to continue to eat the exact same way you have been minus hidden sugars, which also mean hidden calories, you would most likely lose weight, and this weight loss would be even greater if you cut out or reduced the other major sources of sugar in your diet.

Q. Is sugar really addictive? When people say they have a chocolate craving – are they being serious, or just saying that so they can eat what they like?

A. According to the research from our laboratory and others’, binge eating sugar results in similar behavior and brain changes as drug addiction, suggesting that sugar can be addictive. This does not mean that everyone who eats sugar or claims to have a craving for a sugary food is addicted; people often use the term “addiction” in everyday life to refer to their love of sports, online shopping, etc., however, there are certain criteria that are used in the medical field to identify substance dependence. As discussed in the book, these criteria have recently been adapted to refer to food instead of drugs and studies have shown certain individuals to meet the criteria for food addiction.

About the Author

NICOLE M. AVENA, PhD, is a world-renowned neuroscientist and expert in diet, nutrition, and addiction. She received her doctorate in neuroscience and psychology from Princeton University and did her postdoctoral fellowship at The Rockefeller University in New York. Dr. Avena is a faculty member at the New York Obesity Research Center at Columbia University. She has published more than sixty scholarly journal articles on topics related to diet, nutrition, and overeating. Her research achievements have been honored by awards from several groups, including the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Psychological Association, and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Avena lives with her husband and daughter in New Jersey.

JOHN R. TALBOTT is the bestselling author of ten books that have sold more than 200,000 copies in twenty countries. He is an associate professor at the SP Jain School of Global Management in Dubai, which is ranked in the top twenty international management programs in the world by Forbes. Previously a visiting scholar at UCLA, Talbott has published academic research on AIDS prevention, democracy, inequality, and economic growth. He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in engineering and earned his MBA at UCLA. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, The New Republic, Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

Visit www.whydietsfailbook.com

Edition details

• Publisher: Ten Speed Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1607744864
• ISBN 13: 9781607744863
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 230