Tantrum

We got some big cupcakes from Costco.  The ones that are each the size of four cupcakes.  I cut them in half, which resulted in the frosting being on the side.  This was apparently not good enough for Liam, who threw a tantrum.  When I tried to show him how I scooped a little frosting with my fork before eating from the cakey side, it made things much worse and we went from fussing/crying to screaming/flailing.  

This is so confusing to me.  I didn't even realize that it was possible to be unhappy while eating a yummy cupcake.

You Can't Escape IT!

Sugar is EVERYWHERE.

CNN's Laura Schmidt, who is a colleague of previously mentioned author Robert Lustig, wrote an editorial suggesting we regulate sugar like we do alcohol.  What?

At the end of the article in the comments section, of course, there are the detractors.  Which I assume include most sane Americans, whether they commented or not.  But here're a couple who put on their angry eyes:

PatMacDaddy • a year ago

Can we start taxing commentators that make idiotic proposals to remove more of our personal freedom!

PatMacDaddy • a year ago

Oh, my lrd!  Can't we possibly be responsible for ourselves and our own children!  We don't need one more law or tax to control our behavior!

The role of government is to protect us from each other, not ourselves.

Yes.  Eating whatever we want is a matter of our personal freedom.  But what if there is no freedom of choice because there is no sugar-free stuff to choose from?

How many of you can relate to this:

I can't be the only one.  When there's sugar as one of the choices, it doesn't feel like a choice.


Ms. Schmidt says something that I completely agree with:

Unfettered corporate marketing actually limits our choices about the products we consume. If what's mostly available is junk food and soda, then we actually have to go out of our way to find an apple or a drinking fountain. What we want is to actually increase people's choices by making a wider range of healthy foods easier and cheaper to get.


I support cigarette regulations.  I support a lot of the alcohol regulations.  I don't want cocaine to be a legal choice for my children. I'm beginning to believe that sugar has become just as much a public health hazard in the long-term.

So, if you think using government regulations is a slippery slope, what would you propose we do to help those that really do want to be healthy but find it too hard in today's world?


Also, my kitchen is still a mess.

Sugar Ruins Lives!

I had a comment on my last post that included the phrase "Sugar ruins lives!" and I attached onto that sentiment like a leech.  Ew.  I need to come up with a better analogy. Anyway I completely agree!

In my recent studies I have seen sugar compared to alcohol.  The author of a book that has recently gotten TONS of media attention (I've heard interviews with the author on two different radio programs, mention of it on TV, multiple references in my radio searches and one magazine review.) Compares it to any other addictive substance:

Robert Lustig: Here’s the problem. There’s an area of your brain called the reward center, everybody’s heard of it because you know drug addiction.

Interviewer: Cocaine addiction.

Robert Lustig: Cocaine, morphine, heroine, nicotine. They all work in the same place. And the neurotransmitter that signal pleasures called dopamine. You’ve probably heard of it.

Interviewer: Of course.

Robert Lustig: Dopamine. When you get a dopamine rush you get pleasure and sugar does it the same way as all of those drugs of abuse. The problem is when you get that pleasure; you down regulate the little proteins that catch the dopamine called dopamine receptors. And the more you down regulate ‘em the more dopamine you need to get the same effect. And that’s called tolerance. And then when you take the stuff away, then there’s no dopamine to interact with these few proteins left and that’s called withdrawal; tolerance and withdrawal, that’s called addiction. So we know how that works for all of these other drugs of abuse, it turns out sugar does the same thing.

Interviewer: Same thing. It’s the same as cocaine.

Robert Lustig: The difference is that for cocaine you gotta go find it whereas for sugar we have what we call system saturation.

Interviewern: Right.

Robert Lustig: It’s everywhere, you can’t escape it.

 

 

Me: You can't escape it!  Sugar is Everywhere!  I plan on reading this book.  I have it on hold at the library but because of all the publicity it's a long wait.  I may break down and buy it. And my kitchen is still a mess.

Baby Steps

Yesterday Will was sick.  Today we both are.  We had to stay home from church in exchange for a boring, uncomfortable day trying to balance rest and taking care of kids. 
I have done a lot of reading because I couldn't fall asleep.  I have a subscription to Whole Living magazine.  I was going to let it expire because it's not quite my style, but this month's issue had some things that inspired me.

First, the idea that Yoga can curb cravings.  The mag reports:

 “When you don’t get enough daylight, you produce less serotonin,” says Barbara Olendzki, a registered dietitian at the University of Massachusetts–Worcester. And low levels of the hormone can increase our cravings for carbs. But yoga can help. Food cravings are often anxiety-related, and the calming practice may curb our impulse to polish off the office M&Ms.

Now, for me, cravings are completely anxiety related, but the relationship is not causal.  I get anxiety because I know I'm craving something that isn't good for my body.  But I like yoga, so I'm going to try leaving the kitchen and striking a pose when I really really really want to bake sugar cookies. The reason I stopped doing yoga at home previously is that my two year old thinks I'm pretending to be a jungle gym when I'm in down dog or other similar poses.

Second, and article titled "Back in Action" suggested going three weeks without 6 "Liver-bullying foods":

Processed Anything

Added Sugars

Dairy

Gluten

Alcohol

Coffee

 

See why I was going to let my subscription expire?  This is obviously not geared to us mortals.  But I decided that it wouldn't be bad for me to pick one thing and try life without it.  Since my main problem is that I have no self-control when it comes to sugar, and I already abstain from alcohol and coffee, that leaves me with dairy, gluten and processed foods.  I don't know yet.  What would you do? (Incidentally, the magazine is closing down, anyway.)

 

 

Lastly, there's a book recommended called Missing Out: In Praise of the Unlived Life by Adam Phillips.  But I think reading the review was thought-provoking enough that I don't need to read the book.

 

 

"We are haunted by thoughts of what might have been, whether romantically or in our career choices.  "In our unlived lives." he writes, "we area always more satisfied, far less frustrated versions of ourselves." the author argues against indulging in such wistful thinking.  He urges readers not to dwell on supposed missed opportunities, which might have ultimately disappointed us anyway."

 

I am certainly guilty of daydreaming of another life.  But after reading this I wondered: If I had another life, would I be daydreaming of being a mother, with adorable kids and a fabulous husband?  Because that is what I have.

 

Now I need to come up with a plan to battle the waking dreams.  And my kitchen is still a mess.

Fix It

This is a self-help post.  It's probably not that interesting, but I need to write it down in a public place so I have the illusion of accountability.

I need a change.  Here are my symptoms:

 

Constant Severe Fatigue

Cyclical Depression/Despair

 Constant Loss of Motivation/lethargy

Constant Laziness/Sedentary lifestyle

Periodic Severe Grouchiness (Possibly PMS related)

Constant Sugar Cravings

Anxiety, usually when I try to not eat sugar

Periodic Migraines

Constant Messy Kitchen

 

Things I've tried:

 



Hormone Therapy

Prenatal Supplements

Iron Supplements

Cleaning the Kitchen on a mostly regular basis

 

 

 

Things I would like to try:

 

Learn more about Sugar addiction

Find more recipes with higher amounts of fruits and veggies that my family will eat

Therapist

Vitamin D Supplements

Dance class (I hate regular exercise classes)

Cook/Food prep Once a week

Teach my kids and hubby to rinse their dishes

Find out more about what I can do

 

 

At this point I'm pretty convinced that my major problem is sugar, and that if I can just kick the habit my life will greatly improve.  But it's stupidly hard.  Addictions are not easy to overcome.  Also, the more research I've done, the more I'm convinced that our entire food supply is pretty much poisoned.  But I'm not willing to lay the money down for organic everything, or stop buying cereal, so I've got to find a way to realistically make changes. 

 

Any advice or experiences?  Please be kind in comments, it's not easy to admit these things in public.