Substance Abuse Essay

Submitted By meekameek
Words: 504
Pages: 3

I decided to give up “sweets” for the week. This includes, cookies, cakes, candies, as well as sugary drinks such as soda, lemonade, and/or juice. Since I was a child I have over indulged in sugar. As an adult, it has gotten to the point that I crave and have to have at least one sweet a day. There have even been times where I have hidden my sugar intake from loved ones. This assignment is important to me because an over indulgence in sugar is bad for my health. In addition, I feel that it is mentally unhealthy to have such a great dependence on sugar. It is important to me to know that I can take control of my cravings and not let my sugar addiction control me.
Over the course of the week, it was extremely difficult to avoid eating sugary foods/drinks. The first day was fairly easy. However by the third day I constantly thought about sweets throughout the day. I also found myself experiencing mood swings throughout the week. In contrast, I felt better physically. Usually when I overindulge in sugar, I have an energy boost, but shortly afterwards, I feel extremely tired. Throughout my week without sugar, I felt like I had a significant amount of energy to complete my daily tasks as well as exercise.
This assignment was especially difficult, because it seems that an opportunity to consume sugar appears frequently throughout my daily life. Whether I was passing on a Snicker’s bar in the checkout line or declining a doughnut at work, it was a constant struggle to keep myself focused on completing the assignment. I visited Chicago with my family for the labor day weekend, and at one point, I felt as if I was missing out because everyone partook in Garrett’s caramel popcorn, and raved about it’s delicious taste.
I’ve always known that my attachment to delicious sweet treats was unhealthy, but this assignment further