Do you find yourself frequently thinking about sweets? Do you feel
obligated to finish a whole bag of chips once you start? Do you eat more
than you want to? Do you ever feel bad about yourself after eating
something?
Confessions of an Ex-Sugar Fiend
Most of us are familiar with food cravings, which are just as real as
addictions to cigarettes, cocaine, and alcohol. Mine started in medical
residency. First it was sugar. Then caffeine. I was driven by stress,
fatigue, and the need for quick “food” and comfort in the face of long,
grueling work hours.
It started with the occasional Dunkin’
Munchkin that was ubiquitously available at morning meetings after
overnights awake caring for sick patients in the cardiac ICU. I became
fond of the chocolate ones.
I progressed to peanut M&Ms — surely a gateway drug for many of us — because the combination of fat, protein, and sugar
kept me awake and staved off hunger overnight. Energy bars fit in there
now and then. And those little 100-calorie cookie packages stashed
easily in my white coat pocket next to my stethoscope and patient notes.
Pretty soon anything with sugar and fat was fair game, and if
it had salt that was even better. Junk stashes were available at pretty
much every nurse’s station, staff meeting, and in resident conference
rooms. The really nice nurses brought in homemade brownies and cookies
and gave us first dibs before morning rounds. I drew the limit at soft
drinks and artificial colors and flavors. (Well, except for those
M&Ms.)
About halfway into my first year of residency, I
started drinking coffee. Just a half cup so I could make it through the
night until noon the next day, when my 30-hour shift ended. I’d didn't
even like the taste of coffee! But I am super caffeine sensitive so it’s
a great “drug” for me. To circumvent the taste, I added sugar and a
small amount of milk.
I gained eight pounds that year, all
around my waist, and got sick more times than I had cumulatively in the
decade prior. My periods became irregular with intense PMS prior to
them. I slept poorly even on my nights off, and in my early 40s got some
zits.
On my days off, I craved a muffin for breakfast instead
of my previously typical healthy fare of a whole-food, protein-rich
breakfast. I wanted sweets every day, and when I wasn't eating them, I
was thinking about them. And I started to really love lattes.
In spite of 30 years of living and teaching a healthy lifestyle,
becoming a doctor turned me into a sugar fiend! Ah, the ironies of the
health care system. Becoming a doctor was literally making me fat and
sick!
An Unexpected Detox
