Cravings

                  I know I said I would write about cholesterol this time, but since I’m new at this, I can change my mind. I’ve just been reading a lot about diets that don’t last lately, and I thought a little rant about cravings might be nice.

         When I went gluten free, people always commented that they could never go without their bread. I thought that at first also, but the cravings only lasted about a week. Bread is addictive and thanks to our government, the majority of Americans are addicted because breads are “part of a healthy diet.” As a diabetic, breads and cereals can kill me. Cereal and toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and breaded meat for supper are what got me sick in the first place. Another thing, I was always hungry when I ate bread. Always!!! I even asked two doctors about it and they changed the subject without commenting. How could I lose weight if I was always hungry?

         Despite the claims of some diet books, I didn’t drop pounds like rotten apples from a tree. All that happened was a break from always being hungry. Maybe I could have lost weight if my life at the time wasn’t so stressful, but it was and I didn’t. I’ll talk about stress later, I’m too worked up right now.

         Sugar cravings are another thing. Candy, doughnuts, cake, popsicles, and ice cream are pleasant weapons of death and if everyone saw them the same way I do, they’d be used in a game of Clue by Professor Plum in the Billiard Room. The problem is, they’re slow killers and they taste so dang good! They’re also such a part of our culture it’s hard to get away from them. My kids used to play Candyland. I currently play Candy Crush on my iPad. Every summer we watch a parade where they’re still allowed to throw candy to the crowd, and I think everyone’s familiar with Halloween and Easter.

         Avoiding sugar isn’t easy, but it must be done if you want to live healthily. If you really want to avoid that midlife bulge, controlling your cravings is a must. Just try it for a week or two. Eat everything the same, but no bread and no obvious candy or desserts. Don’t be the weird guy who lets everyone know what he’s doing so they can discourage you at every turn. Be cool, and give it a try. It could change your life.