>Help!!
>For the last few years, I have been trying to get a handle on my food
>intake and general improvement of my health. I have tried juice fasts
>with SOME success, where my obsession with foods ( especially sugar-
>my #1 complaint ), chronic sinus infection, as well as mental
>fogginess, all seemed to improve temporarily. But as soon as the fast
>was broken, my obsession with sugar immediately returned.
This is a very common experience among people who fast/juice. The low
calorie intake keeps your insulin and blood sugar in check, and but as
soon you start to eat again you are back to square one. In my opinion
anybody with obsessive tendencies like yourself should shy away from
fasting like an orthodox christian from sin, not only because it rarely
gets to the root of the physiological imbalance but because the idea of
redemption through the purge of a fast + the failure of it to help only
feeds & perpetuates the poor self-image and lack of self-esteem that is
so often is driving the obsession in the first place. Which leads to
even more fasting.... Most people I have met who have fasted for these
kind of problems have ended up on the same seesaw as so many dieters,
loosing lean body mass and gaining body fat thereby lowering the body's
tolerance to sugars even more.
>I have successfullty been away from other addictive substances (
>drugs, cigarettes, etc ) for a number of years now, but can't seem to
>shake off sugar.
I hear you. Sugar is the mother of all addictions - just ask any
ex-smoker.
>And paradoxically, the more I concentrate on getting rid of it, the
>more tenaciously it's grip has held me. I then try the opposite
>approach, I try to not think of it and place my attention on other
>areas of my life, but that definitely doasn't work either.
>Bottom line- I would like to be free from the obsession of food
>without being obsessed about accomplishing this!!!
SSRI's (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors)like Prozac work well
with obsessive compulsive disorders, by giving you, albeit
artificially, the balance in the chemistry of your neurotransmitters
that the sugar only gives you a temporary fix of. For a while they may
be the crutch you need and even though they are drugs (many natural
health advocates will want my head for saying this, but I know of many
people, who have benefited from being on prozac for a while), have
side-effects and should be eased off easily, it is my belief that you
are doing more harm to yourself by being on the constant rollercoaster
your fluctuating blood sugar levels are subjecting you to - not to
speak of the havoc concentrated, especially white sugars wreck to your
system. Also, you might consider some kind of therapy or support from
a self-help group.(there is an obsessive compulsive disorder newsgroup
you might want to check out).- If you are lucky, you might find a
holistically oriented physician in your area, who specializes in these
kind of problems.
>I don't want to rob myself of joyful living by constantly trying to
>change who I am. Is it possible that some day I could eat one cookie
>for desert ( instead of one dozen ) or enjoy say a glass of wine at
>dinner without worrying about eventually having the alcohol eventually
>lead me back to drugs ( which is what people of AA say ). I would
>simply like to be free and to have a life of my choosing- to have the
>powert to create the things that I want in my life.
There are different shools of thought on these issues, but if you are
truly as addicted as you describe yourself, I do not think that you can
get around a period of total abstinence. As hard as it might sound, it
is possible to have a life without eating sugar. When you have kicked
the habit for a while, you can try to re-introduce it to your diet and
see how it goes. Addictions are never easy to deal with and the mental
part is often the worst. I am still struggling with eating too many
fruits and find the hardest part to be my romantized, natural hygiene
type conditioning that tells me that fruit is good for me, when in fact
I can only tolerate small amounts of it.
>Who do I listen to though? The latest push that I am getting now
>is from a friend who is doing the algae thing. Magic pill deal.
Try it! - the algae seems to have helped many prople with their
cravings for sugars. So has eating some fat & protein with each meal,
which is the idea behind diets like the zone. The raw food veteran,
Viktoras Kulvinskas, claims that 500 mg of the amino acid methionine 3
times a day will take care of most sugar cravings/blood sugar
imbalances. Getting enough exercise & sufficient trace minerals,
especially chromium & vanadium, is also something you might want to
look at.
>have been reading the posts here for quite some time now, but end up
>more confused. Raw, vegeterian, meat, dairy, etc.... Seems like the
>bottom line is listening to my own body- a scary thing to me since
>it's been telling me my whole life that things like sugar are good for
>me.
You are in a true dilemma. You can't trust yourself nor trust the
advice from anybody around you. If I were you I would try to find
somebody who had worked through these kind problems themselves and
listen to what they had to day. At least trust that your sensitivity
will screen out all advice that is not useful to you, and try to have
faith in that when the right advice comes along you will recognize it -
at least enough to give it a try.
Do not forget that all problems have a spiritual component. Addicts
especially, are often not following their passions in life. Pursue your
passion with the vengence of a prisoner longing for freedom and the
void inside that you are trying to fill out with sweets will one day be
filled with love. I am not quite there myself, but it sure keeps me
going.
>Sorry for the incohernt rambling but my frustration is getting the
>best of me.
No apology needed - you have been very clear and coherent.
>I guess the overall queston in my life is how do I turn my intentions
>into reality, whether it be to learn how to put good things into my
>body or how do I make my bussiness grow. I don't know who to turn to.
People with problems like yours often spend a lifetime learning just to
reach out and express themselves as well as you have done - believe me,
I know. :-) - With your honesty & openess you have already won half the
battle.
I hope that I have not come off too preachy - that I have been of help
to you and not added to your confusion. Keep us posted on how you are
doing and the best of luck to you!
>Carl Contino
Best, Peter
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