sugar.

It can really mess up the mind! I was thinking more clearly, then had some graham crackers. Fairly high sugar content in those things. I had avoided cookies this afternoon, because I didn’t want a sugar reaction, and thought the graham crackers would be ok. Nope.

Now, my mind is more scattered, and I feel simultaneously (wow, I finally spelled that word right on the first try!) more tired and wired at the same time.

I’ve been reading some of my comments, and am having trouble responding.. might need to wait ’til later.

This observation of the effects of sugar .. I’ve been noticing this for awhile. I really do get worse if I have a cookie or something like that during the day. Sugar makes my mental health worse.

I listened to some self help tapes made by a Hawaiian doctor. He said it’s best to eat carbs before bed. He says, “yeah, at night, go ahead and eat a cookie, but not during the day, when you should be eating protein.”

I should follow this guy’s advice. He says protein has the effect of waking us up, and is good to eat during the day, especially at night.

I’ve gone against the advice, and eaten meat at night before bed.. and did stay awake longer.

Maybe I am only reacting to the protein because I’ve heard the doctor’s tapes? (Sorry, it’s been years since I heard this program, so I don’t remember the doctor’s name or the title of is audiobook). Hmm… possible. But with sugar, I can certainly tell the effect is not psycho-somatic.

A restricted diet might not be a bad thing.. but it sure takes work. I haven’t settled in to this house yet, and I need to study cookbooks and learn more cooking skills.

I already plan on going vegetarian – I want to be nice to animals and do something that is better for the environment – so I will have to get my protein from eggs, and the rest of it from vegetable sources.

I have a dairy allergy, so have to be careful with my consumption of milk or cheese.. I can eat a little without much trouble.

And sugar.. never had much of a sweet tooth until I moved here to Idaho. Every Sunday, the relatives I live with go to a really cool grocery store downtown, and come home with sweet types of bread (Irish soda bread, zucchini bread) and cookies, and I’ve started to really like this stuff. Bummer. But, I will be better of not eating it.

I remember a famous spiritual teacher named Wayne Dyer, at the beginning of one of his talks broadcasting on PBS, said, “My ADD has cleared up, I gave up sugar.”

Maybe this guy is on to something.