I have a story to share today about being a sugar addict! Truth is always better than fiction when getting a point across in my opinion. It's because one can relate to the human struggles, and hopefully learn from the mistakes made. My story starts with CELEBRATION! Kelly (my 27 year old daughter), just finished nursing school. Yep! She finally decided to follow in mom's footsteps. After several years working on an accounting degree, she decided she would rather be a nurse than an accountant. So my daughter, (who at 7 years also almost passed out at the shopping mall during a health fair when she saw someone have their finger pricked for a blood sugar test, and many other similar adventures during her life) was accepted into nursing school, and graduated a few weeks ago. I couldn't be more proud. Since I still work as a nurse every weekend, the celebration was going to be tricky. We decided upon a party at the local Texas Steakhouse because they had a large banquet room. Sunday afternoon at 3:00 PM was just perfect.
I didn't have to prepare at my house, and I could still enjoy the function and be at work at 6:45 that evening. Well, I needed to order the cake. Not just any cake. I decided only the best for my daughter. I went to Anne's Donut Shop. Not Walmart, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, or Sam's Club. Only Anne's Donut's cake was suited for such a fine celebration. I entered Anne's Donut Shop, with only the highest resolve. In, Out. Nothing to it. I ordered her cake, with special nurse decorations to mark the theme of this wonderful celebration. Looking around I spotted the thing. The pumpkin spice roll slices. Oh boy. I hadn't eaten anything like that in a long time. Just a taste. One slice would be OK. Then, there was the double doozie chocolate chip cookie with the thick white cream in-between the cookies. Then, my very favorite. The long john with the chocolate on top, and the white cream in the middle. OK. So I justifed this. Just go ahead and purchase them, and nibble on them for a few days. Make them last. So I succumbed to the temptation.
On the drive home, I decided to open the bag, and take just a bite from the pumpkin roll slice. Once bite led to another, and another, and another. Whoops! All of a sudden I realized, the entire slice was gone. I was overdue for lunch, so going to Anne's Donuts while hungry was my first mistake. Another thing. Instead of stopping by Anne's, I should have just called. So, I fix a quick lunch at the house. And opened the bag. Just a bite of the double doozie cookie. And another bite, and another bite…until it was gone. Then the long john… until it was gone. What happened next I pray will never happen again. For those of you who may not know, I teach low glycemic healthy living classes. I am a health and wellness nurse. I promote eating healthy and balanced. Good carbs, healthy carbs, balanced with healthy proteins and healthy fats. I take pharmaceutical grade supplements. I make healthy shakes and smoothies. I have lost 35 pounds in the past year. I feel better now than I did in my 20's. My goal is to be a health and wellness nuse fulltime. AND I JUST ATE 3 OF THE WORST FOODS A PERSON COULD POSSIBLE EAT! The guilt overwhelmed me at first.
Then something very unexpected happened. (unexpected, because I am not a diabetic) My vision became blurry. I developed a very bad headache. I felt flushed. My husband came home from work, and he was ready to head to church for mid-week Bible Study. I told him I had developed a headache and wouldn't be going to church that night. I didn't tell him why. Shame prevented me from telling him what had just taken place. (I had hidden all evidence) As he pulled out of the driveway, a little fear struck me, as I didn't know if he and my son would come home later that night and find me in a sugar-high coma. My vision remained blurry for 6 hours. The headache lasted about as long. The next day, I felt bad. Tired, sluggish, and toxic. I didn't go into a sugar high coma. The event was so eye opening for me. My body wasn't used to all those bad carbs. What was frightening, however, was my body didn't quickly snap back from the sugar load. Normally, when you eat too many bad carbs, your body rushes with a load of insulin and even though the blood sugar spikes, it returns quickly to normal before plunging to a low sugar, and you start the cycle again.(the low glycemic lifestyle prevents the highs and low cycle) I didn't have a blood glucose machine at my home, but the symptoms were so severe, I knew my blood sugar rose quicky, but stayed there a long time. I was so thankful my body eventually felt normal again.
Moral of the story. Don't binge. Learn from me. Don't repeat what I did. Plan ahead. Like I have said before. If bad carbs have been a problem for you in your life, take it seriously. Like an alcoholic, the urge can be overwhelming once you start. Call the bakery and order that cake. Let someone else pick up the cake. Eat a healthy meal/snack before you go out. Do not keep tempting foods in your house. If you feel the urge to have a cookie, or dessert, plan it carefully. Have a healthy meal, and share the dessert with a friend or your spouse. Most important, love yourself. It isn't an all or nothing event. The next day, I was back on track. I didn't beat myself up. I didn't try and "hide" what I had done. This story was shared with my family, friends, and low glycemic class members. I share it with you, not because I am proud of what I did. I am sharing my human-ness. I am sharing my victories and struggles, so you will relate. So if it happens to you, you will pick yourself up, and hold your head high, and continue with a renewed resolve. If you have already experienced something similar, you can forgive yourself and move on. Life is too short to beat yourself up. We are all on this journey called life.
Hi… My name is Joyce. I was a sugar addict…
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