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The Sassy Sandpiper: Green Relief for Sugar Hangovers

Wilson | Sassy Sandpiper | Columnist

Those sweet treats are soooo good when you’re eating them. But, later…

By M.R. Wilson, TB Reporter

We’ve all done it and we’ll do it again. It starts in childhood, maybe as a sweet treat for being good little tykes and doing our homework or cleaning our rooms. Birthdays mean cake and ice cream; holiday temptations sabotage our best intentions. Everyday stresses create the need for “comfort food” where sugar lurks in many guises.

We are a nation of sugar addicts and it’s harder to beat than cocaine.

Halloween. I wolfed down caramels, candy corn, miniature M&M’s, Reese’s peanut butter cups, and a twisty licorice-like concoction made with Dr. Pepper.

Halloween | Candy | Trick or Treat

We all know about the sugar crash nipping at the heels of the sugar high, but what about that awful feeling the morning after? Brain fog, bloating, nausea, fatigue, head and body aches, skin flare-ups, mood swings. These symptoms, Dear Reader, constitute a sugar hangover. I’m not making this up. There’s plenty of documentation on the Internet. Here is one of the best sources: bodyecology.

I felt lousy. I wanted to punish myself but am no good at fasting. A vague memory of chlorophyll soothing a stomach upset occurred to me, so I ate handfuls of raw spinach and kale right from the bag and drank a big glass of water. I nibbled cilantro from the garden. In a few minutes my stomach eased up. Coconut oil had helped in the past, so I took a heaping teaspoonful.

I found validation of my “cure” during a Google search. I learned that ginger is helpful, as are enzymes (in my Vitamin B supplements); exercise is key to sweat out toxins. I don’t like sweating, but even gentle movement is beneficial, and drinking lots of water helps purge one’s system. Frequent potty breaks are therapeutic!

My cousin has undertaken a strict, medically supervised regimen to cure her diabetes. She’s made astonishing progress with dietary changes and supplements. A few days ago, life threw her a major disappointment. She abandoned her program for a comforting trip to the grocery store:

“I had been craving bread and cheese. Enjoyed a ham sandwich. Then was like a grounded tank—ugh!  I was depressed so went to the store to soothe my sadness. Bad mistake.  I also got some chicken wings that I ate the next day. Same result: stomach hurt and I was grounded. Energy kaput. I hadn’t had soda pop in three months, and fell to that temptation too. I am back strictly on water, salads, veggies, fruits. Hope to not do that to myself again. I couldn’t believe the difference in how I felt and getting a stomachache made me realize that.”

I applaud her endeavor.

We shouldn’t beat ourselves up when we feel like diving into a bag of chocolate chip cookies. We’ve been sabotaged for decades. Let’s forgive ourselves (and Mary Poppins), eat smart and feel better.

Time for a trip to Sue’s Farmer’s Market in Kenneth City, my grocery store and pharmacy.

Sue's Farmers Market | Vegetables | Sassy Sandpiper

Photo of Sue’s Market courtesy of M.R. Wilson.

Sassy Sandpiper | M.R. Wilson | Sugar | Sugar Addiction | Diet | Sugar | Health | Diabetes | TB Reporter

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