Sugar Addiction

I can hardly believe I let a whole month go by without writing.  Well, maybe I can.  I've been on two out of state trips plus a few not quite as far away.  I'm home to stay for the next several weeks though, so I'm ready to write again!  Thanks for patiently sticking with me!

I've been contemplating sugar addiction today -- I always do when I feel it creeping up in my life.  Some people say they were born with a "sweet tooth" -- others just say they love sugar.  What I say is once some sugar goes in my mouth, I want to eat more, more, MORE!  It's definitely an addiction and I feel like a loser with not a lick of self-control. 

When I talk about sugar addiction, quite often a friend will tell me that fruit has a lot of sugar too (like I should be avoiding it as well).   But I'm not talking about whole foods that contain natural sugar.  Whole foods aren't addicting for me.  They make me feel alive!  My body signals work just swimmingly and let me know when I've had enough.  That's not the case when I'm eating sugar recipes whether my own or the store's.  As soon as I get a few bites of  sugar-laden goods in my body, I'm a mess.  I don't even enjoy what I'm eating because I'm too busy thinking about putting another cookie in my mouth or filling up the ice cream bowl with a few more scoops.  I walk through the house afterward unable to be productive because I just want to live in the kitchen near the goods! That's quite the opposite of living in the moment.  It's like sugar masks itself as a pleasure giver, but is actually robbing me of the pleasure of enjoying each moment and having control in my life.

I wrote a post awhile back about shopping for less refined sugars.  It's useful information if you want to add some unrefined sugar to recipes and don't think you can just jump completely away from the way you've been eating.  Be sure, however, to note at the very end when I advise keeping even these sugars to a minimum.  I rarely bake anymore, but I did last weekend and now I'm revisiting my inner conversation about sugar addictions.  Even with unrefined baked goods, my body's triggers aren't quite in tact.  I still want to eat more than I need and I stop wanting the whole foods that my body desperately needs.

The best way for me to avoid sugar is to not make or buy the beasty treats in the first place.  I love plenty of whole foods that there truly isn't enough time in the day, money in my bank, or room in my stomach for all of them every day anyway.  Why not just turn to those foods instead of going back to old habits? Old habits and addictions can keep us from reaching our goals which is just plain silly.  Take control and no longer be a victim of what you once started.  I get closer and closer to realizing that dream all the time.  One of these days, I won't even be able to remember the last time I ate sugar.  And I'll have a HUGE smile on my face.  Guaranteed!