A Slippery Slope

I've done this way too many times.

I started off my week with a commitment to really clean up my meals and avoid sugar and grains. I'm more than a little ashamed to admit that I didn't make it through the week. Sugar has its way of creeping in. 

I've battled (and am still battling) an addiction to sugar. I really struggle with it, and it has taken a lot of prayer, focus and commitment to come to a place where I feel comfortable around sugar. I can pass up sugar with a lot less focus and effort than before.

This doesn't mean that sugar doesn't create problems for me. I hope that you can find this as a comfort; you are not alone if you struggle with food. We turn to food for so many different reasons - we're happy, sad, angry, lonely, stressed, hurt or any number of other emotions. Modern food has addictive properties - there are people in the food industry whose sole purpose is to find out what makes food products palatable and addictive - and so not only do we have emotional ties to food, but there are neurological ties to food as well. Sugar has been demonstrated to trigger the same dopamine receptors in your brain as heavily addictive drugs like cocaine. In a lot of ways, it feels like we are set up for failure. But please don't be discouraged.

The first step in avoiding the slippery slope and downward spiral of less-than-clean eating is to recognize what triggers you to make that poor choice. This can take a lot of work - often our triggers are hidden within emotions, habits, and our lifestyle. Next, recognize if and how you can avoid or reduce your triggers. Can you walk away? Does prayer give you strength? Does meditation or a quick walk take your mind off your trigger? Experiment with different strategies and find what works for you. And last, discover what drives you to overcome your addiction or food struggles. Why does it matter to you? How is it affecting your life? Defining what inspires you to overcome your struggle will be the one thing you can always turn to when you feel like you are failing.

But most importantly, remember you are not a failure. You are not alone, and there are many others struggling in ways very similar to you. I am one of them. Find your inspiration and stick to it. And rely on your support system to keep you in good spirits.

God bless my friends, and stick it out. You can do this!