We all have our food weaknesses. Those cravings that cause our stomachs to shout out to us. Feed me! They often creep up on us late at night. Or just anytime, really. That voice that directs us straight to the pantry, the refrigerator. Sometimes it even directs us to order some sugary takeout. Other times we actually get into our cars and drive somewhere to satisfy our sugar cravings.
- Sweets
- Desserts
- Sugary beverages
- Soda
- Bread
- Pasta
- White rice
- White potatoes
We are aware all the above foods turn into sugar in our bodies. And alcohol is also partially digested into sugar.
We certainly need some carbs in our diets. They give us energy to carry out our daily activities. However, we are a carb-loving society...a carb-loving world. We are addicted to carbs. We consume
way too much carbohydrates—all the foods listed above, and more.
There is an epidemic of obesity in all age groups. Even our little children can no longer be described as "little."
Our physical health is directly related to our spiritual health and wellness. Too much sugar creates havoc in our physiologic states. It leads to
- obesity,
- diabetes,
- high blood pressure,
- metabolic syndrome,
- premature aging, and
- ultimately other complications that result from these conditions.
This then starts to affect us psychologically—our self-esteem takes a deep-down dive, and our spiritual essences start to falter. Then that dreaded, unending vicious cycle begins, and there seems to be no way out. Physical ill health = Spiritual ill health = physical ill health = spiritual ill health… One leads to the next and keeps going on and on. The cycle becomes dizzying, and we can't seem to find balance anymore.
I consume too much sugar and…I gain a lot of weight; I get ill; my body, joints, breathing, etc., can't function well; I can't perform my day-to-day activities; I get sad; I feel dejected; I feel down; my self-esteem and confidence take a hit. The more I feel sad, the more I consume more sugar, because it makes me feel good temporarily, but then, that feel-good state only lasts an hour, and then I feel more sad, and the cycle repeats itself.
How do we control this sugar craving? How do we reset and reshape our minds so we know when to stop consuming too much sugar? Can we find a simple solution? A simple motivator to help us limit our sugar intake?
Let's try answering this simple question: Which is more important, my body or my soul?
My answer is, my soul. (I am interested in hearing your answers and perspective on this question, so please be sure to comment below). I believe your soul is in direct communication with your
spirit—which is your deepest core. It is our spirits that connect us with our heavenly Father. Our souls give our spirits negative or positive feedback, and then the positive states of our
spirits helps us connect with God directly. Our souls consist of all those varied emotions: anger, sadness, denial, joy, peace, regret, lack of forgiveness, past failures, contentment, goodness,
and so on.
What am I getting at here? If we agree our primary intention is to nourish our souls when we are consuming carbs, we will be more mindful of how much we consume.
This has helped me personally curtail my cravings for sugar. I consume just enough sugar to nourish my soul. I am mindful when I'm eating. I know my soul only needs a small amount, and it is good to go. I now know fully well that if I consume too much carbs, my intention is now to fill my body with sugar, which I do not need. My soul no longer benefits from this. I've gone over the threshold, and my soul will hurt in many ways from the overconsumption of the carbs.
“Sugar for the soul versus sugar for the body—my soul is way more important than my body. My soul is closest to my spirit. My spirit is super important. My body is just the vessel that carries
these two around. It is important to me that my soul is filled with positive emotions so I can have a good life-spirit connection. I only need a small amount of carbs to nourish my soul. Once I
exceed that amount, I've gone over the threshold, and now the sugars will stay in my body and cause physical discomfort or illness, which will immediately also cause spiritual illness in me. This
may affect my connection with God, and that is not something I want to compromise on.”
If you write this in your journal, reflect on it, repeat it in your mind several times, it will stick. It works. Trust yourself to make it work. Nourish your soul instead of pouring sugar into
your body.
A little sugar nourishes our souls.
Too much sugar sickens our bodies.
In the meantime, I will get back to my sliver slice of red velvet cake and my cup of hot lemon green tea with no sugar. I will savor each bite and allow it to nourish my soul.
Till we meet again in a few days to learn something else from each other…