I have heard that going off of sugar affects your brain in the same way as going off cocaine. I feel a little bit better and a little bit worse having this knowledge. The fact that cocaine users and myself share some common thread of addiction is well, a bit shocking. But the fact that my attempting to give up sugar (err well not exactly give up, but diminish its use greatly) could in any way resemble someone giving up a hard drug gives me a sense of, we’re in this together.
I feel the same kinship with alcoholics. I get it man. Going cold turkey on anything is an absolute drag. The only thing I’m slightly jealous of when it comes to alcoholics is the fact that when they commit and are successful to giving up alcohol, they generally avoid alcohol like the plague from then on out. I can’t give up food. That would be anorexia and I don’t have that kind of follow-through.
I tried being anorexic once as a child and went the better part of a day without eating, had a half a PB&J at lunch because I was going mad, then managed to make it ’til about 7 p.m. when I broke down in tears to my mom that I had been starving myself.
I was rewarded with Arby’s. My brief stint with anorexia was demolished by my want of a Roast Beef and Cheddar.
I just freaking love food. Even more so I love sugar. Oh, I want sugar all day long. I don’t exaggerate. I want it when I wake up in the form of chocolate chip scones or doughnuts. I want it in the afternoon in the form of cookies or chocolate. And I especially want it after dinner, because, dessert, duh, that’s what’s supposed to happen.
So naturally I have been fighting the sugar demons left and right since really devoting myself to a healthier lifestyle. I mean it is an all-day battle. That’s why yesterday when my freezer was overflowing with frozen bananas I was saving for smoothies or banana bread I decided to thaw some for the latter. I, of course, was going to try the healthy route and make it good for me, or as good for me as bread can be. I ended up taking out too many bananas so I decided to make muffins and bread.
I made a sugar-free banana bread with wheat flour, (and maybe some extra dark chocolate pieces sprinkled in, just for a little sweetness) and banana wheat muffins with carrots and Craisins®. Both turned out splendidly, though the sugar-free bread definitely needed the chocolate as a balance. Now of course this morning when I woke up wanting pastry’s and decadence, I didn’t feel too terribly bad straying from my Greek yogurt to have a banana muffin. At least for today. Muffins and bread, sadly, aren’t a sound choice everyday.
And it’s back to my war with the sugar demons. But at least people trying to ween off of cocaine can empathize with my plight. Sugar has to be 1,000 times more delicious than cocaine.
-Cassandra