Kicking the Sugar Habit: Happy Halloween!

Oh Halloween. An unofficial start to the Holiday Season and the unofficial Season of Gluttony. It starts out with oodles of candy both before and after October 31st. Then comes Thanksgiving with pies up the wazoo. Then it's immediately into Christmas with cookie swaps and parties laden with sweets and other treats. Culminating into the main event of Christmas Day with more chocolates and candy canes. Don't forget Valentine's Day and Easter as sugar central holidays too.

I wish I had better willpower but I was raised on German chocolate. I am, sadly, rather weak in the face of delectable sweets. My own Season of Gluttony started extra early when my aunt came for a visit from Germany with boxes and boxes of superior German and European chocolates and Haribo gummi bears at the ready.

Studies have shown that sugar is as addictive as cocaine and it contributes to heart disease, obesity and even cancer. Yikes. There's been a lot of energy expended by various organizations to help people break their sugar addiction. The experts at endsugaraddiction.com have a lot of advice and kicking the sugar habit is comparable to fighting any other addiction. You have to "live side by side with your addiction" because sugary snacks and drinks are available everywhere and cost little. But sugar changes your brain chemistry by blocking your brain's natural pleasure producing chemicals and making you crave sugar to fill the void.

Well, no time like the present, All Hallow's Eve, to kick the sugar habit. Or maybe I'm nuts. My son is going to revolt. He has been on a sugar high ever since my aunt first arrived with chocolate three weeks ago, and it's only going to get worse. But the local children's store, Buttered Noodles, has a candy buyback program running through November 7th that ships candy to troops and their families overseas via Operation Gratitude. Trade in all (or some of) that candy for 20% off a toy or book. Maybe my sweets-loving son will actually go for it. Wish us luck! 

The USS Haribo has had its last voyage

Ciao Milka! Once you are gone, no more.