Sugar. Who needs it. I do!

I have developed sugaritis. Sugaritis is an obsessive desire for sugar (though I don't think sugaritis is a real word). It's not just cakes, pies, chocolates or chocolate covered candies that I desire, though any of them will do in a pinch. :-) What I want is pure unadulterated sugar though preferably flavored, puffed, powdered, and/or spun. Give me marshmallows, cotton candy, candy corn, jelly beans, Dots, gummy bears and/or Twizzlers, and I'm a happy girl!

Though having sugaritis isn't good, sugar itself isn't necessarily bad. The body needs it to function. Carbohydrates are one of three necessary macronutrients that provide calories for our body. The other two are protein and fat. Carbs, or sugar, provide most of the energy needed for our body to function in life and are considered simple or complex based upon their chemical structure. Both types contain four calories per gram and are digested in the bloodstream as glucose, or monosaccharide sugar. It is then used to fuel our body for our daily activity and exercise. 

Complex carbohydrates are packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals, and take longer to digest.  Examples of these are vegetables, whole grain breads, brown rice, and wheat pasta. Simple sugars are broken down and digested very quickly and usually contain very few essential vitamins and minerals. A few of these are table sugar, fruit juice, milk, yogurt, brown sugar, ice cream and the cakes and candy that I love. 

The simple sugars I eat digest quickly and rush into the bloodstream, giving me a quick burst of energy. I love that! Unfortunately though, my body then reacts to that spike and calls on the pancreas to produce extra insulin to remove this excess sugar. I then feel tired because of low blood sugar and crave more of these simple sugars. This is the sugar-craving cycle that I call sugaritis.

It was three days ago when I first recognized I had sugaritis. They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, so I'm on my way! Since that admission to myself, I contemplated the next step needed to end my sugar addiction. Though in the last couple of days I gave much thought to how I could reach this goal on my own, it was only after eating almost a half-bag of marshmallows, 16 oz. of candied fruit slices, and 2 pieces of chocolate cake that I knew I needed God's help to win this battle with sugaritis.

Lord, help me curb my desire for sugar and to eat better overall. I also ask that you help me be OK with myself when I struggle in these goals and don't do as well as I'd like. Though I may have temporary failures, I know in you, I am never a failure. Thank you for your faithfulness. Amen.

What a blessing to have the Lord to turn to for all of our issues. Makes me want to celebrate by eating a sleeve of Smartie candies, though I'll limit it to just one, or maybe two. :-)

Take care,
Peggy