If you're a sugar-aholic like me, then you probably have a sense of where this is going.

 

The other morning, I went out to my garden to pick tomatoes, wearing sandals, and within about thirty seconds some little Texas ants were biting my left foot. In retrospect, I guess I stepped on an ant hill, but at the time all I knew was that these buggers were ruining my morning.

 

I said a few strong words, then went into the house and started wetting the ant bites and applying baking soda (baking soda  reduces the swelling of bug bites if applied early).

 

Still, these Texas ants are no joke and several itchy bites developed on my foot. I know this is more information than you may  feel you need, but it leads to my point.

 

Last night, I began scratching my foot when I was half-asleep. I usually know better than to scratch a bite, but I wasn't fully conscious when I did it. Since scratching the bites made them itch more, I just kept scratching.

 

When I became more awake, I realized that the more I scratched, the more the bites would itch. I'd be up all night unless I stopped. So I stopped scratching. It took a full half hour for the bites to stop itching enough that I could fall back asleep.

 

Now that you've gotten a visceral image, here's the question again: "How is eating sugar like scratching a bug bite?"

 

It occurred to me that when people eat sugary, starchy or otherwise addictive foods, we're feeding our cravings in a way that's similar to scratching a bug bite.

 

At first, we may just have a slight craving for a food. We eat a small amount of it to satisfy the craving. But after we eat some, we want more...and then more!

 

When we eat foods that contain processed sugar, like candy, cake or ice cream, the next day, we're much more likely to crave more sugar. 

 

You will basically keep craving processed sugar as long as you eat it. It's like an itch that keeps itching as long as you scratch it.

 

For many of us, the only way to dampen cravings for an addictive food, such as one containing sugar, is  to stop eating it for a while. Sugar cravings are significantly reduced after eliminating processed sugar for two days (fresh fruits are okay).

 

The moral of the story is, if you want to reduce your craving for foods that you know aren't great for you and that cause you to gain weight, then put the breaks on eating them.

 

You may still crave addictive foods a bit at first, but after a few days of not "scratching your itch" (i.e., of abstaining from these foods), your cravings will greatly decrease and your eating will become much healthier and more under your control.