Picked up a random poetry book From the crowded shelf. Quick easy hour read: Delight and wonder. Then, Found…
Sugar Overload
With Halloween comes the inevitable sugar cravings. We gave out handfuls of candy to eager Trick or Treaters while our daughters were out collecting their own large bag of candy. We give some to get some… but then the candy is sitting in the house calling my name.
For someone with depression and anxiety, it is easy to get sucked into overindulging on snacking. Candy serves as an easy supplement to dealing with feelings. One piece of candy may turn into twenty before you notice that you have devoured most of the bowl. Then you feel sick literally and mentally. Candy does not help anyone overcome mental ailments. It only serves as crutch instead of having any sort of positive long term effects.
Verywellmind.com author, Nancy Schimelpfening, explains:
“Cravings can be your body’s way of letting you know it’s not getting something it needs, such as a specific vitamin. Having certain cravings, such as for chocolate or other sweets, is often linked to how you feel emotionally.”
After a long day of work, or an evening spent driving kids around to different functions, your exhausted mind needs a release. This happens with or without depression and anxiety.
With these mental problems, the exhaustion is further seeded by feelings you have been suppressing all day. I worked through lunch because my boss needed help with something. I had to listen to children complaining in the car. I heard on the news about a child who died. Whatever you see, do, hear, think all day can be compounded by emotional baggage you may be carrying around like a concrete weight tethered to your spine. Past traumas, ongoing emotional stress, and constant worry for the future are all tied to how you feel during the daily grind. This is why overindulging in candy happens without intentionally meaning to sabotage your daily nutrition.
Schimelpfening suggests, “You don’t have to completely deprive yourself of the treats you enjoy. The key is understanding why you are craving them and making sure that your overall diet is balanced and nutritious.”
So I can eat a few pieces of candy without feeling guilty, but the whole bowl is not a good idea.
Instead, take me for a walk or give me thirty minutes to go run on the treadmill. Exercise is one way to overcome cravings.
Here’s a helpful chart I need to print and keep near me all the time:
Let me hear from you! What works for you?
Remember to check out my book, Married to an Atheist A Love Story from Idaho, on Amazon.
Reference:
Schimelpfening, Nancy. “Why You Self-Medicate with Sugar During Depression.” Very Well Mind, 4 Sept 2019. https://www.verywellmind.com/why-do-i-crave-carbs-1065212.