“Daddy you stink” has been the most common phrase heard in our house the last few days. Another frequently used term is “daddy tooted again!” Sadly enough they have good reason for their gripes as I have been living foul; suicide bombing or crop dusting all over the house. What was wrong with me? Why has my system been so toxic and what have I done differently the last few days? Hmmm… Oh yeah, daddy the hypocrite has been devouring Halloween candy that the “Sugar Fairy” bought from the kids but never actually removed from the house.
As I have grown older I have gotten more conscious about nutrition, making good choices and have consumed way less sugar than when I was a kid. On a side note, I guarantee that I have eaten more vanilla ice cream in my life than any other human alive. My mom used to greet me with a huge bowl every day after school which probably aided to a pretty strong sugar addiction. By some stroke of good fortune and an active lifestyle I have avoided obesity and diabetes.
Why is it now after all my conscious thoughts about sugar and the negative affects it has on my body am I devouring Halloween candy as if it is going to spoil? Funny part is these little packaged beauties have probably been on the shelf or in someone’s cupboard for years. Gross! I tell you why, because sugar is a drug like any other drug which we have a chemical reaction to when we are on it. Literally, after all my conscious thoughts I can still down three Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups so quickly that I don’t even remember eating them. So gross!
The ironic part is when you don’t eat a lot of sugar, it drastically impacts or shocks your system harder; hence my foul constitution the last few days. Plus, I have been waking up lately with a sort of a sugar hangover. It’s like being a “light weight” when drinking. If you are a seasoned drinker you can boast how a 12-pack barely affects you. But when you’re a light weight like me, two beers later and I become “deep guy” as my friends like to say. When eating nutritiously on a constant basis our systems are so sensitive to all junk and not just sugar. I guarantee if someone who hasn’t touched fast food in a few years suddenly gets the urge to devour a Big Mac, large fries and large coke that they will crummy afterward!
It’s also so easy to see the negative impact sugar has on my kids because treats are limited to special occasions in our household. I can see them go from a 1 to a 10 level of crazy hopped up energy in a matter of seconds. And that energy is far from positive where aggressive behavior toward their siblings or defying mom and dad is commonplace. Their focus is so limited because they are bouncing off the walls. And then comes the sugar crash or withdrawals. It literally is a drug, just a legal and socially accepted one.
To be totally honest, the majority of the times I get impatient or frustrated with the kids is when I myself am hopped up on sugar. It is the same principal where I cringe at all the dumb things I have done or said when I was younger because I had too many drinks. No difference, as we are chemically altered by the substance. Some may say, “What is he talking about? My behavior doesn’t change that noticeably when eating sweets.” That’s probably because the person saying this eats a lot of sugar and its always pumping thorough their veins. It’s just like being a heavy weight drinker and nobody can tell you just downed a forty of Old E.
So what’s the solution? I have often thought of taking on some heroic effort where I don’t eat sugar for an entire year. But what about birthdays and cake? Or Valentine’s Day and See’s Candy? The thought of not indulging in those sucks! What I have come up for me is balance and intent. If I go into a situation such as Halloween or when a fresh box of See’s is about to get cracked, I am going to set my intent that I am going to enjoy one piece that evening. I am going to pick out the very best one (and probably the biggest one) and savor it. I am going to set my intent that even after the sugar hits my brain that I am going to stop there and be proud of myself. The alternative is devouring half the box, getting impatient with the kids and then crop dusting all over the house the next day. That all just sounds disgusting and really gross!
About Charles Perry
Charles is a bit of a renaissance man, a citizen of the planet, a building inspector by trade, devoted father & husband and one of the funniest people he knows. He is deeply passionate about peace, social justice and respect and equality for all living creatures. Charles thought up the World Minded ideology several years ago and has made it his goal to inspire people around the world to care for themselves, others and the planet we share by exposing what’s right in the world. He resides in the Eastern Sierras and loves life in the mountains, but longs for the beach because of some ridiculous “grass is always greener” notion.
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