Sugar, the sweetness of Life

As we begin the holiday season, we also begin the festivities of sugar with its various array of desserts and sweets. Sweetness relates to our digestion, our nutrition. How do you nourish yourself? We are all drawn to sugar. Mostly because it is addictive, and releases dopamine- the feel good chemical into our system. It is yummy and it taps into our emotional place of comfort. Think of the smell of baked bread, cookies or pies, somehow it always feels welcome and cozy. Who does not want to feel warm and sweet? Right. Especially, in these colder months.

Sweetness is related to the earth element and to feminine (mother) energy of nurture and care. Feelings that so many of us crave, we love being supported and loved with sweetness. If that feeling of being love which is as vital as air is not felt, we filled it. We fill it with sugar and its various forms – desserts, carbs (pasta, bread, etc) and alcohol.  Love directly feeds into how we nourish ourselves and connect to others. When we feel deprived of love, that is when food imbalances and sugar cravings can start to take root. It looks different for everyone, some overindulge in food and others abstain. In their extremities, they become eating disorders.

I know first hand the effects of a sugar addiction, I stopped cold turkey 12 ago after years of eating candy as food. As a child, I always craved connection and love from my family and did not get it. I sought to find it for myself in other ways, and sugar was it. As a child moving into adolescence desperate for something sweet in my life, I literately ate bags of candy for lunch instead of food.  I had terrible acne, digestive disorders, allergies, and headaches. Sugar was creating havoc in my life. Then I learned about holistic nutrition and read the book Sugar Blues. It changed my life, my diet and I learned to create sweet relationships with others and with myself. No more sugar cravings.

Sweet foods are a beautiful thing, and highly enjoyable. It is about making healthier sweet food decisions. Here are some ideas for the holidays: Desserts like pies made from scratch would be ideal. Then you can decrease the sugar amount, or use an alternative sweetener like coconut palm sugar, maple or Yukon syrup. If you have natural food stores in your area, you can purchase desserts that are prepared with alternative sweeteners that are more nutritious than white sugar.

And if do not have control over your meal, there is always smaller portions and mindfulness. I am pretty strict with my diet, no processed foods, sugar, dairy or gluten. Since I eat well, I give myself the liberty to enjoy my holiday food festivities with no guilt or worry. You can do something similar: it is the beginning of the month, you could commit to not eat any processed sugar and/or carbs until Thanksgiving or the next holiday gathering. If that is too much, don’t eat one thing, a food that you feel isn’t the best for you (ie. ice cream). Then enjoy your meal with all of its glory. If you can commit to limiting your sugar intake during this holiday season you are saving yourself from possible weight gain and a decrease in your immunity.