Sweet Rewards: Cracking the Code of the Cupcake Culture

Sweet Rewards: Cracking the Code of the Cupcake Culture

From an early age we are taught that sugar is related to good behavior and good times. Cake is held hostage until we finish our greens. Special occasions on the calendar dictate if we may indulge in candy. And suddenly the good behavior and the good times become so frequent that eating healthy is a punishment to be reserved only for a chaste time of cleansing and detox.

Our American culture is hooked on sugar. Not wanting to be alone in our addiction, we pass it on to our children, we share it with our co-workers, and we make sure our spouse is right there next to us with every slice of pie and every drink of soda. We make excuses and exceptions for our behaviors, and everyone nods in agreement.

We claim that we ate that way as kids, and it didn't hurt us--forgetting the United States suffers from an epidemic of Type 2 Diabetes.

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• 25.8 million people in the United States (8.3% of the population) have diabetes. Of these, 7.0 million have undiagnosed diabetes.
  
• In 2010, about 1.9 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older.
  
• If current trends continue, 1 of 3 U.S. adults will have diabetes by 2050.
  CDC
  

Legislation has been passed, mandating that children eat better at school; and yet the federally subsidized breakfast and lunch program is still packed with empty carbs and high fructose corn syrup.

We are a society at risk.

Sugaraholics Take-A-Step Program
Admit there's a problem. On a piece of paper brainstorm with your family or co-workers about all the different opportunities you have each day or each week to partake in sugar.

This list should get you started!

• birthday parties
• bad moods
• good moods
• extra work load; need energy
• habit
  

Stage an intervention:
Start with yourself (that is the only person you can really change). What changes are you willing to make? Start small.

It's almost impossible to cut out habits or foods. Focus instead on replacing bad with good:

• switch from Soda to Unsweetened Tea or Bottled water when I go out to eat

• bring organic fruit and yogurt to a birthday party instead of ice cream
• hand out pencils and stickers to kids instead of candy at Halloween, Parades or in your Business
• try a protein-packed alternative dessert in the Discover Optimal Wellness recipe book rather than ice cream and cookies
  

Start replacing feelings, too.
Notice the excitement that you have for a frappucino. Could you also have that excitement for a smoothie?

Get help!
We are trained at Discover Optimal Wellness to work through the addiction with you! If the thought of eating vegetables makes you truly grumpy you will benefit greatly from our program. Your body quite possibly cannot process vegetables yet. We need to take careful steps to restore your organs so that you can enjoy these vitamin-packed treats. And your mind may need some work, too! Too many memories of being forced to eat terrible green beans? Ugh! We can help!