[JasonFar]

Sugar really is an addiction. It's an enjoyable addiction, mind you, but it still is...

I haven't taken in any sugar for a few months now, and it was really hard at first. Joe, I think fighting Candida might help. Try some coconut oil and (especially), garlic. The latter, I believe, is really what helped me get through my final week of being off of it... I don't even get cravings anymore; if I do, they're small, but clearly representations of my poor emotional/meantal state at the moment.

I'll tell you what though (and I thank good ol' Ninja for his advocation of veggies by and large), eating healthy, if you're at a certain stage of health already (I.E. not DP'd/Panicked/All That Ugly Jazz), really does help a lot of things. I've been experimenting with food a lot in the past few months. Currently, I'm taking in about 5-8 servings of veggies a day (that's a lot. :x), as well as a few bean and cheese burritios on whole wheat tortillas. Oh yeah, some Tim's Cascade Jalapeno chips too (they're the BEST), and maybe a bowl of clam chowder or some other kind of soup. I just don't know, I really find that my well being is very much increased when I eat the veggies; when I cut out carbs, I found my energy levels were uber low, and I was always craving something more... I think low-carb diets can work, and for a while I was interested/excited about doing it, but after hearing so much about how one's body needs complex carbohydrates, I decided to try out other things.

Blah. Lot of nothingness there. Just thought I'd post a bit on my diet related findings. Bottom line, sugar is bad. That said, I still envy the customers I see at work who casually pack huge bags of peanut M&M's in their carts.

 

[JasonFar]

Lol Byrde, re: M&M's.

The trick, I've found, is to actually disable the craving, because let's face it, the feeling of craving sugar itself is a crappy one.

In my state three weeks ago, if I wouldn't have been able to awake, consciously walk into my kitchen, eye the the cucumber, brocolli, and callflower in the fridge and not utter a loud sigh of misery. Even if there weren't cookies around, or a box of Frosted Flakes, I would have, in my imagination, been craving for them. Today, I wake up, and have ZERO, ZILCH, NADA cravings for sugar -- it's fantastic. I mean, it might not seem fantastic, as those things do in fact taste great momentarily, and who doesn't like throwing a bunch of M&M's in their mouth? But if you get to the point where you don't even have that urge, it's like it never existed... Ultimately, your body knows best, and you see that little "high" you get while you pounce the colorful round bastards for what it is -- an addiction that will not bring your more health or peace of mind or anything! (and I swear the multiple colors really adds to the M&M's appeal, along with the texture and gloss of the big bags they sell. Think about it, would M&M's be as alluring if they were all plain brown? I really don't think so. Damn things are near hypnotic... )

Anyway, Byrde, if you are seriously facing these "cravings" enough to the point that they're discomforting and potentially overwhelming, try taking a battle with Candida. IF you already eat a healthy diet and don't consume too much sugar, getting rid of the cravings should be a breeze, a week or two battle I'd think. I'd try taking a few tablespoons Coconut Oil a day, or a clove or two of garlic; taking both will most CERTAINLY do the trick, though the latter does smell like poo.

Oh, and btw, I'm sorta new to this raving about veggies. For those on the old board, they may recall a few of my posts being anti-diet, anti-veggie, particularly with Ninja (Bryde's husband). My actually beginning with them came only about, I think, a week and a half ago, maybe just a week, where I decided (and I don't know what made me do this -- I think just my body fighting against intaking more meat) to cook one fish and one large serving of steamed veggies instead of two fish. I swear I didn't even go in expecting anything, I just did it because I didn't want more lard in my tummy. Within half an hour I felt noticably better, less weighed down, more energetic. I was really, really surprised. So, since then, I've bought and eaten many more veggies, and they consume 50% of my diet already (mostly cold/raw -- have to eat them at work), and can definitely testiment for their postive impact on my health.

The trick, ultimately, isn't to put the veggies in your mouth -- if you're in a state of health, they don't taste bad (except raw broccoli, which I still have to force down) -- but to put the cookies, candy bars, etc down. And, unlike dearest Marty stated above, it's not all "a matter of mind"; there are forces in your body that are severely contributing to those urges, and you can kill them.