Diabetic Needs To Overcome Candy Addiction

Dear Tazi:

I have a problem that I have never seen addressed in any advice column before, so I thought I would write to you because you answer a lot of questions that people are normally too embarrassed to ask. Is it because it is easier to talk to an animal than a person? I think so!

My problem is that I am addicted to Skittles candies. I can eat an entire one pound bag of Skittles in one sitting I love them so much. I am not overweight from eating so much sugar, but I was recently diagnosed with diabetes; a genetic condition that runs in my family. A part of me always knew this day would come, which is probably why I worked to get my fill of Skittles while I could. I know that I have to give up this guilty pleasure now that I have diabetes, but I can’t!

Tasting the rainbow can be dangerous for diabetics
My doctor has lectured me on the dangers of high blood sugar, and told me that I need to give up the Skittles. I realize that nerve damage, blindness, and heart failure are all side effects of uncontrolled diabetes; but I am only 25 years old and those things seem so far away, while Skittles are so near! I have been reading about how your Mommie has put you on a diet and am wondering how you have managed to resist the kitty snax you crave so much! When I tried to put my cat on a diet he just chewed a hole through the bag and went to town on the stuff – which is what I feel like doing sometimes when I don’t get my Skittles. Can you offer me any advice on how to work around this addiction?

Signed,
Needing Won’t Power

Dear Needing Won’t Power:

Chew through the bag! What an ingenious idea! PAWS UP to you for suggesting it! (“”) (“”)

I love me some Meow Mix! Nom, nom, nom!
To answer your question as to how I deal with my diet, I whine. A lot. It doesn’t work, though, Mommie does not give in to my requests for kitty snax, so instead I do the next best thing – I got outside to my backyard and stalk chipmunks. Have you ever stalked a chipmunk? They are great fun to chase and the high that I get from exercise takes my mind off of the kitty snax I am not getting.

Since you are a human and do not depend on someone else to provide you with food, you must learn how to resist food. Treat your “addiction” to Skittles for what it is – an addiction. Remove all Skittles from your house, and do not bring any new bags home. The next time you crave their fruity sweetness, try eating a piece of fruit in the same flavor or, if the sugar content in fruit is still too high for your system, try a sugar free fruit drink in the same flavor you are craving. By substituting what you crave with something similar but not harmful to your body you will be able to wean yourself off of Skittles.

I realize that you are in the prime of your youth and you do not think the evils I diabetes can strike you, but many a diabetic in their prime has awoken one morning to discover that they can no longer see – diabetes induced blindness can strike that quickly, and without warning. Is your love of Skittles worth your eyesight? High blood sugar can cause serious damage to your internal organs as well as your nervous system; furthermore, diabetes can disable your body’s ability to heal from surgery or other serious wounds, and can compromise your immune system leading to more frequent and prolonged illnesses. Diabetes is an illness that must be taken seriously; even if you feel asymptomatic you could be doing permanent, irreversible damage to your body.

Snuggles,
Tazi

P.S. If you experience a moment of weakness and purchase a bag of Skittles, feel free to send them to me. I love batting them across the kitchen floor and chasing after them! You could try this, too – it’s good exercise, which is also good for diabetes control! If all else fails, participate in this interactive video exercise:




Ask Tazi! is ghostwritten by a human with a Bachelors of Arts in Communications. Tazi-Kat is not really a talking feline.