Test Your Sugar & Flour Addiction

Is Mithai or Naan Calling Your Name?

Sugar: “White poison” or brain fuel?
Science argues—but both sides are right. Dose + biology decide.

Like alcohol:
• A little may be tolerated by some
• Too much damages everyone
• For many Pakistanis, even “moderate” sugar triggers addiction

If gulab jamun, paratha, or chai-with-2-spoons controls you…
👉 It’s not willpower. It’s biochemistry.

Why Sugar Hits Some People Harder Than Others

Your genes are unique—like fingerprints.
Lifestyle can modify expression (up to 70%), but sensitivity rules the game.

If You’re Sugar-Sensitive:

Carbs → blood sugar spike → insulin surge → crash → dopamine hit → cravings loop

It’s like putting jet fuel in a tractor.
The system wasn’t built for it.

If You’re Tolerant:

One ladoo? Enjoyed. Forgotten. No chaos.

Same food.
Different brain chemistry.

Sugar Is Everywhere (Even Where You Least Expect It)

Hidden under 100+ names, sugar sneaks into:
• “Healthy” rotis
• Packaged yoghurt
• Biscuits
• Chai
• Lassi
• Ready-made masalas

Rule of thumb:
If it has a label, read it.
If it has ingredients you can’t pronounce—skip it.

Choose single-ingredient foods:
🥚 Eggs
🥬 Palak
🌶 Bhindi
🥩 Meat & fish

Take the Quiz: Sugar & Flour Addiction

Rate sweets broadly:
Mithai (gulab jamun, barfi, jalebi), naan/roti/paratha, biryani, pulao, halwa, samosas, sheer khurma, sweet lassi, chai with sugar, biscuits, potatoes, rice—with or without ghee/oil.

Answer Yes / No for the past year:

U — Unplanned use
Ate more than intended (finished the mithai dabba, extra naan “by accident”)?

N — Neglected duties
Skipped work, namaz, family time because of overeating?

C — Cut down attempts
Tried (or felt the need) to cut back—but couldn’t?

O — Others objected
Ammi, abbu, spouse, or friends commented on your eating?

P — Preoccupied
Constant thoughts of food, chai breaks, or “what’s next”?

E — Emotional eating
Used sweets to numb stress, traffic rage, boredom, or loneliness?

Scoring

• 2 or more YES → Addiction/problem likely
• 1 YES → Early warning

(Adapted from validated screening tools like CAGE & SUDDS-IV)

Your Next Move

If you scored 2+:
You’re not broken. You’re biochemically sensitive.

Start here:
• Low-carb desi style
• Chicken tikka, saag (no roti), omelettes
• Keto mithai (almond-flour barfi, coconut laddoos)
• Track wins, not perfection

If you’re tolerant:
Enjoy iftar snacks mindfully, not mindlessly.

Bottom Line

Sugar addiction isn’t a moral failure.
It’s a metabolic mismatch.

Test yourself.
Reclaim control.
Your brain—and waistline—will thank you.

👉 What was your score?

References

1. Brown, R.L., Leonard, T., Saunders, L.A. & Papasouliotis, O. (1997)
2. A two-item screening test for alcohol and other drug problems. Journal of Family Practice, 44(2), 151-160
3. Hoffmann, N.G. & Harrisson, P.A. (1995). SUDDS-IV
4. Substance Use Disorders Diagnostic Schedule. Hoffmann, N.G. (1995)
5. TAAD: Triage Assessment for Addictive Disorders. St. Paul, MN: New Standards Inc