Having once suffered from sugar addiction, I now think of sugar as like an allergy; if I eat a lot of it, it causes negative effects in me, which I do not like.
It makes me irritable, low in energy, and brain-fogged.
Because I choose to go through life energetic, mentally sharp, and emotionally balanced, I do not bring sugary foods home anymore.
What’s scary about sugar is that manufacturers put it in just about all processed foods in one form or another.
Check out the labels of some of the items in your cabinet. You would be shocked!
For me, my limit is nothing above 10 grams of sugar per serving.
When you look at these brain scans of people below, you see the clear effects of addiction.
Certain parts of your brain get dampened or turned off in addiction: “Little” parts of your brain like your ability to reason, exercise self-control, and your ability to experience joy and real pleasures.
That is not what the Lord wants for you. He wants you operating with all parts of your brain functioning the way He designed originally.
Two scriptures tell the story of God’s will for me in this area:
1 Corinthians 6:12:
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
To me, this means I can eat anything, but I shouldn’t eat everything.
Once I discern that a food is not helpful to me, I should seek the Lord’s wisdom and strength get that food out of my life so that I can take my brain back.
The second scripture is 1 Peter 5:8:
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
If I am brain fogged, confused, and listless then how can I be alert to the enemy’s schemes?
When you are in a war, you need all of your brain faculties to plan and execute your strategy to overcome the enemy.
Otherwise, you are an easy target for him.
He may start out exploiting your food weakness but once he gets that foothold, he may target your family or finances next!
This can happen when your mind is not alert enough to practice the Spiritual warfare necessary to protect all that is dear to you.
I know some people may say, “Kim, you are exaggerating this. One little bite won’t hurt.”
I counter that with, “Yes, it will hurt if it leads you into an addictive cycle that will keep you in bondage to sugar addiction and obesity for 30 years!”
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made (Genesis 3:1).”
The word “cunning” means, “having or showing skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit or evasion.”
That sounds like a being who can think, plan, or create strategies, doesn’t it?
No wonder the enemy wants Christians to lose their ability to think!
That makes you more vulnerable to his lies.
Easy prey.
Oh and by the way, that belief that you will always be in bondage to sugar addiction and you’ll never get free? Another of the enemy’s lies!
How long will you believe the lie above God’s truth?
Jesus came to set the captives free.
So to me, the choice is simple: It’s your sugar or your brain.
Choose wisely!
Be Blessed with Health, Healing, and Wholeness,
Kimberly Taylor
Author/Christian Life Coach of the Take Back Your Temple Weight Loss Community
P.S. Do you struggle with overeating sugar? If so, you are not alone!
Overcoming sugar addiction was a key factor on my weight loss journey; I lost 85 pounds and dropped from a size 22 to an 8.
In our 14-day Sugar Detox Challenge online course (inside the Take Back Your Temple Community), you’ll get the same success strategies and support to gain peace in your eating habits and achieve lasting weight loss.
Click here to learn more about the Take Back Your Temple Christian Weight Loss Community.
awesome Kim i like this the choice we make is so very important. Lord help us to always choose wisely amen.
Yes, Renee – I like the taste of sugar but it is not worth my brain!
This article is very poignant and no nonsense, as it should be. So often I look at things that appear trivial or on the surface irrelevant related to my health, food choices and the pleasures of this life. Though it may seem trivial it really isn’t! I need to fight the good fight of faith against the negative impact that sugar has had on my life and not just weight gain either! After thinking about it this came to my mind.
Ephesians 6:12 says…. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Sugar, salt or anything else may seem innocent BUT if it tries to lord over you or if it becomes your master, is it?
The Lord is taking me on an eye opening journey showing me the TRUTH about sugar, me and my brain!! Lord thank you for opening my eyes!
I join you in praising Him, Tina! I love the truth the Lord is showing you. When you think about it, the food you choose to put in your body is even more important than the gas you put in your car. If you choose to put sugar or rubbing alcohol in your car, wouldn’t you expect damage to eventually occur? Of course! So keep making wise choices in your food and it will make a real impact in how you feel and function every day
I am wondering there are not any current comments. The last comment was in 2017, today is 2021.
Yours is the latest comment on this particular article, Vicky – The article comments are shown from the newest to oldest.
This is very inspiring. I am going to start this 30 day challenge tomorrow. As I also start a 30 day prayer for my future husband, who is not a Christian. We will be married September 9th… My only concern is his salvation. And being fearful of being unequally yoked. (Which we are at this time.) Please pray for God to move in this man’s life.
Thank you so much for your support and commitment to all of us.
Karan
Hi Karan – I am glad that you found the article helpful. Regarding your upcoming marriage to an unsaved man – PLEASE click here to read my article “Encouraging Message to Christian Single Women” immediately.
I love you as a sister in Christ. You want to be sure that you settle for nothing less than God’s best for marriage, according to Ephesians 5:22-33:
* Your husband knows Christ so He is able to love you as God wants him to love you – as Christ loves the church (sacrificially). A man cannot do that if he does not accept Jesus as His Lord.
* You are marrying a man that you trust and respect as He submits to the Lord
I am praying for you that you exercise wisdom in this matter. The last thing you want is to go into a marriage fearful that you are making a mistake. You want confidence that you are 100% in God’s will and then you can be confident that you have God’s blessing (Your Heavenly Father).
This is me. I do the same thing…it didn’t dawn on me until today, after reading the article that sugar clogs your mind. Lately, I have been so forgetful – I am too young to be like this. But this is due to too much sugar. I just realized that if I allow satan to keep me under bondage to sugar, then next it will be debt, over spending, etc. No, this has to stop with me today!
Amen, Jay! You can begin healing your brain with the foods the Lord created us to enjoy. You may want to check this article out: Healing Binge Eating Disorders with Food
Wow! Kimberly – thank you for sharing this timely information and admonition! God has used you and these words mightily in my life this very day! Thanking you and praising Him for speaking SO clearly to my heart and giving me the needed shove to again free me from sugar addiction. I’ve done it before. . .I CAN do it again! Phil. 4:13
Another reminder that once we let a little “slip” happen, it is TOO easy to slide all the way downhill into full blown addiction (and that goes for any thing which might be addictive – not only sugar). We need to be fully aware of our own unique chemistry and allow God to provide us with the power necessary to stay strong and truly free!
<3
Amen, Jennifer!
A couple weeks ago I read something if you think you can’t live without it it may be an unhealthy emotional connection. It may have been one of your articles, but I thought about never being able to eat ice cream again and I started to cry. If we have ice cream in the house I will eat it till it is gone not necessarily in a day but a couple days. I don’t think I can never have ice cream again but it is not something that can be in our home. My husband for awhile didn’t understand until he really noticed my problem he is on board now, my oldest daughter calls me out about food choices too lol it is nice having the support. Food is the most easily, legally accessible drug.
I saw the same or similar pictures when I took courses in Substance Abuse Counseling. It shows us what has already been confirmed. Sugar is a drug and it reacts that way in our bodies. As always, thanks for sharing!
Amen Sister! This is so true. I also learned a few weeks ago that cancer feeds on sugar. Another reason to stop eating it.
I’ve read that too, Ruthilyn. I praise God He put healing properties in fruits and vegetables for our benefit. We just need to take them in 🙂
Thank you for taking all of us on your journey to freedom. You have no idea how much you’ve helped me. When you shared last week that you allowed yourself KFC, that was a light bulb moment for me. I’ve always had the all or nothing mentality.. thanks for all you do, Kim! ❤️
Glad to help for God’s glory, Marlene!