Halloween Indulgence

There is a deep dark secret shadowing Halloween. No, not the evil some might associate with the holiday; I am talking about sugar addiction and its more popular than you think. The average American consumes 77lb of sugar per year. When that number is broken down that is triple the recommendation for adults and 9x the recommended amount for children.

I looked at some of the most popular Halloween candy the most astounding one that I found was Starburst. Those fun chewy little squares, have a gram of sugar (or sugar cube) per piece. I don’t know about you but I don’t go around popping sugar cubes in my mouth, but I would have never thought twice about a little Halloween indulgence. 

When you eat sugar  – or for some severe addicts, if you even think of eating sugar, dopamine is released in to your system. Studies have shown that sugar can be just as addicting as alcohol or any street drug, because it affects the same neurotransmitters. Is it just Holiday fun or something more? Here are the top 8 symptoms of sugar addiction. These symptoms usually occur with in 24 hours of not having sugar.  

  1. Cravings
  2. Lethargy
  3. Anxiety
  4. Headaches
  5. Insomnia
  6. Chills
  7. Nausea
  8. Gas and bloating

The dangers of sugar addictions are many here are the most common.

Obesity or being overweight
Type II Diabetes
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Tooth decay
Stress
Hot flashes
Gout
Infertility
Erectile dysfunction
Kidney disease
Poor skin quality
Fatty liver disease
Depressed immune system
Cancer
Stroke
Liver failure

In 2012 our son was diagnosed with a inoperable brain tumor. He was having most of these symptoms but I was convinced that all of his symptoms absolutely had to be coming from his tumor. Needless to say 6 years later his tumor hasn’t grown and it was never the cause of any of those symptoms. But during the summer of 2012 we went from a 100% processed food, junk food all the time diet to a real food diet. we believe in the 80/20 rule where we only eat healthy 80% of the time. Giving us room for dinner at our favorite restaurant or homemade pecan pie (one of my specialties). By the time Alex started first grade that fall most of his symptoms had completely vanished.

When I find a friend combating what may be sugar addiction this my advice. Don’t go cold turkey. Whether you are giving up candy, all sugary treats or processed food, you can not do it all at once. One, your body is use to these triggers and going without will cause withdrawal, including pain, headaches, mood swings and possibly body shakes. Two, if you give up all the things you love all at once you are more likely to give up. Set a small goal, with a timeline and plan on how you can make small changes in your daily habits. Only after you have mastered your goal, usually around 3 weeks, you should reevaluate and make a plan for the next step.

As for in our house, Halloween, kicks off the rest of our holiday season. How much or little we indulge in candy and sweets at Halloween sets the tone for the rest of the year. I have found over time, when we have donated the majority of our candy, that my new years resolution didn’t focus on the scale or getting back to where we were in September. We always keep one bowl of family candy  when we donate so we still get the whole Halloween experience but I don’t know about your family but some years my kids each come home with a trash bag full of loot. 3 trash bags full of candy is too much, for us any way here are some places we have donated our candy in the past. 

Solider’s Angels Treats for Troops 

Sechler Law Firm
183 Scharberry Lane
Mars, PA 16046
Phone: 724-841-1393
Email: [email protected]
Days We Accept Candy Donations: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri
Drop Off Times: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Drop Off Dates: 10/29/2018 – 11/30/2018
SechlerLawFirm.com

sugar addiction
1540648024-1
starburst

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown
451 44th Street

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15201 USA

Phone: (412) 246-1112

North Hills Community Outreach

1975 Ferguson Rd.
Allison Park, PA 15101
412-487-6316
[email protected]