A Trip to the Hostess Outlet Gone Bad

I was 17 and my friend had a car. In an easy 20 minute drive, we could be at a forbidden place that elicited excitement and yearning. The Hostess Outlet Store.  This was an off-limits store in my family. My mother thought Ho-Hos were evil and Twinkies led to disease. (She also grew sprouts under the sink.) A pink coconut covered Snowball never graced our pantry shelves. So of course, forbidden fruit was sweeter, and now I had a way to get it. 

Giggling, we filled our basket with as many boxes as our babysitting money would buy. We gorged ourselves on nearly expired, chemical- filled pastries (that is a dishonor to the word, I know). After eating an assortment of Twinkies, Cupcakes and Ho Hos, I felt so sick. My friends even tried throwing up…not a pretty picture. I never ate Hostess products again. Really, I never could do it.

This brings up an interesting point about sugar. If we make sugar forbidden, does it make it more desirable? My sister once had a neighbor child who found out where her candy stash was stored, ate sizable quantities every time she was over and hid the wrappers behind my sister’s sofa. Of course my nieces and nephew were blamed. Eventually the real culprit was found and the girl’s mother was shocked because, “She knows I don’t let her eat candy except for special occasions.” And my own glory days, riding around searching for sugar-filled treats, certainly confirms that forbidden foods do create a lure. Even now, if I tell myself, “no chocolate today”, and I feel a magnetic force pulling me to the chocolate.

So how do we live with the constant attraction to sugar? 

First step: Understand It. Do you know what sugar does in your body? None of it is good. It decreases immune function, inhibits absorption of nutrients, can cause obesity, lower levels of good cholesterols, can lead to metabolic syndrome and diabetes etc, etc, etc…feeling bad yet about that third cookie you ate last night? Start talking about sugar with your family. It isn’t just a food that makes you gain weight; it is a food that robs you of your health. 

Second Step: Set Realistic Limits. Sugar is not an all-day food, but we know we’re going to eat it. In our house sugar is a twice a day food. My children generally adhere to this, but as teens I know they’re making their own decisions too. (The closest Hostess Outlet is about a half hour away!) But it has been instilled that sugary items are not snack foods. Sugary foods are treats and we call them that. For younger children you can use Dr. Sears’ analogy and call them Red Light Foods, as opposed to Green Light Foods like broccoli.

Third Step: Eat Quality Sugar. Anyone can look at the Hostess Cupcake and know it isn’t quality food. It may satisfy that sugar craving, but it is loaded with chemicals and preservatives. If you’re going to eat sugar, don’t also eat it with a dose of artificial stuff. Make cookies, eat good quality chocolate or ice cream (Graeters ice cream from Cincinnati is now available in Pittsburgh Giant Eagle stores!) or visit a local bakery that uses real ingredients. 

Make peace with the sugar that is calling your name. It’s going to keep calling. You have to set some boundaries. Or like any unhealthy relationship, you’re going to end up feeling bad. 

Kathy will be blogging about sugar all month at www.wellnessroadtrip.com.  And join the Wellness Roadtrip on Facebook for more tips, inspiration and guides to feeling good!