Struggling with Motivation? You’re Not Alone

Do you ever find yourself battling motivation and feeling low on willpower? As a health care practitioner, I put a lot into my health—eating great food, taking high-quality supplements, exercising, getting enough sleep, and practicing meditation. But recently, I’ve experienced what it feels like to NOT feel great.

Learning from My Own Mistakes

For the past couple of weeks, I’ve struggled with motivation. I know I’m supposed to be perfect, but I’d rather share my experience so we can all learn from it. Here’s what happened.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

  1. Skipped Supplements:
    I was off my supplements for four days due to a lab test. I quickly felt lethargic and unmotivated without them.
  2. Inflammatory Food:
    I ate from a restaurant I don’t usually order from, and gained four pounds of inflammation in a few hours! I slept over 11 hours and still felt exhausted.
  3. New Fitness Drink:
    The store didn’t have my usual fitness drink, so I tried one with sucralose. Big mistake!

How Sucralose Impacts Your Motivation

Skipping workouts, feeling mentally slow, and not caring about much—this led me to research how sucralose impacts neurotransmitters. Here’s what I found:

Sucralose Affects Your Sweet Taste Receptors

Sucralose activates sweet taste receptors on your tongue, sending signals to your brain to perceive sweetness. But that’s not all—these receptors are also found in your gastrointestinal tract and other organs, which could affect your hormones and neurotransmitters.

Dopamine and Motivation

Dopamine is the neurotransmitter associated with reward and motivation. Sucralose can alter dopamine release, which can lead to reduced motivation and slower thinking.

Serotonin: The Fun Neurotransmitter

Serotonin is involved in mood regulation. Sucralose may lower serotonin activity, which could explain my lack of energy and joy. Intentionally making myself laugh helped boost my serotonin levels!

GABA and Brain Organization

GABA is responsible for regulating brain activity and helping you stay organized. Sucralose might impact GABAergic transmission, making it harder to stay tidy and organized.

Skip the Sucralose

There you have it—yet another reason to avoid artificial sweeteners like sucralose. If you’re feeling unmotivated, low-energy, or even mentally slow, it might be time to reconsider your sweetener choice. Try switching to stevia, and your inner child will thank you!