Week 44

Resist, resist, resist.

Tom's first Halloween, age 4 months.  I wish someone had told me to resist eating a piece or two of Halloween candy as we passed it out to the kids in our neighborhood that year...  But I thank God that He did show me and showed the boys when they were quite young, the consequences of our indulgences.  Luckily, our indulgences were few and far between so we could see the link between what we ate and how we felt (or why we got sick).  Now we do not even think about eating anything that contains sugar - it is no problem passing it up.  Be prepared, and resist the temptation of eating the Halloween candy that is everywhere around you.

Halloween, with all its associated candy is a terrible holiday.  Please don't give in to the temptation of having just one piece of Halloween candy as you hand it out, or as it is laying out in a bowl at your work, or wherever you encounter it.  Even at Whole Foods, they have chocolate squares sitting out to sample.   My favorite, but I don't eat them.  Sugar sweetened treats are everywhere.  I know that my eating just one would start my cravings, so I resist.  I urge you to do the same this week.

There are a couple of very good reasons to resist eating just one piece - I'll explain what I have experienced:

1.  Sugar is as addictive 'as cocaine' - I know how very addictive it is and I can't control its affects on me.  I hope you read this past post and understand that it is easier to resist before indulging in sweets than to break the cravings later.

2.  Since sugar is so addictive, if you start with some Halloween candy now, enjoying it over the next couple weeks while it is so abundant, then you will be primed for indulging in all of the holiday sweets beginning at Thanksgiving and going through the New Year.  Once you get your sweet tooth in overdrive, it is hard to stop.  By the end of the year, you will probably then be several pounds heavier, and I promise you that you will not feel good about yourself when the new year rolls around.  Resist now, don't get trapped on that path.

3.  Sweets and sugar reduce your immune system and set you up for a winter of illnesses.  This is a very sad truth that we experienced at least once after a Halloween with Jon.  The blessing that was received that spring after a difficult winter was that Jon (at age 4) saw the ugly power of man-made processed sweets on his health and to this day has no interest in eating any candy (or other sweets) that contain sugar, especially the cheap ones that also contain artificial colorings and flavorings.  Be aware of the link between your diet and health.  So often I have been told that I am so lucky that I have healthy boys who never need to go to the doctor because they are sick.  It is not luck; it is because of our diet.

A few weeks after Jon turned four, he collected candy on Halloween night and was allowed to eat as much as he wanted that night and then the next morning he knew he would trade in the remaining candy for a new toy.  At the time, I thought this was a brilliant plan.  I had no idea what a terrible idea this really was.  Jon stuffed himself with candy on Halloween night.  He then got a high fever 4 days later that lasted a week.  The poor little guy was so sick.  He continued to be sick on and off the entire winter, he never fully got over his illness until spring. 

Lots of sweets and winter weather result in colds and flus.  It is not worth it to my family to be miserable and after eating a diet of real food, food God has given us, the cheap processed foods don't even taste good - the smell alone is repulsive.  Plus there are so many wonderful sweet treats to enjoy that are sweetened with real foods/ingredients God has provided for our nourishment such as raw unfiltered honey, dates, fruits or maple syrup.

I don't know about you but I respond so much better to situations when not caught off guard.  So be prepared, stand firm, and resist those worldly temptations all around you.  If you have a sweet-tooth and you are fighting a sugar addiction, be sure to ask God for help as you resist.

"So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."  1 Corinthians 10 12 - 13