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.

Shopaholic Or Not, Wasteful Spending Cuts Into Savings

Dear Tazi:

I have a problem.  When I get bored, I shop.  I am not a shopaholic - I don't feel the need to shop or get any kind of high off of it or feel let-down after I am finished shopping; I just have nothing better to do with my time so I go online and browse for things - gifts for upcoming birthdays, new clothes, bed and bath goodies, and stuff on clearance sale that looks like something I may eventually use.

I am not in debt over my head from my shopping habits, but I would like to pump up my savings account a bit, which I could do if I did not shop so much.  I was reading about one young entrepreneurial woman in Marie Claire magazine who started her business on a whim while unemployed.  She was able to do this because she took $20,000 from her savings for start-up costs.  What twentysomething has $20K in their savings account?  I suppose I could have half that much if I didn't spend so much.

My boyfriend doesn't have a problem with my spending; he tells me that if it makes me happy why stop?  The problem is, I am not sure that it makes me happy; not when I see the alternative things I can be doing with my money, like saving it to start my own business someday, although I am not certain what I would sell. My boyfriend tells me I am over thinking this, but I am not so sure.  What do you think, Tazi?  And do you have any tips to help me curb my spending habits?

Signed,
Bored Far Too Often

Dear Bored Far Too Often:

Can you control your spending when you shop?  It sounds to me as if you are a controlled shopaholic - someone who can control their shopping and spending so long as they are not tempted, but go crazy once the opportunity to shop presents itself.  How long can you continue shopping for needless things before your habit puts you into debt over your head?  Just because you can handle your debt now does not mean that you will always be able to make the payments on your credit cards.  One bout with a serious illness or stretch of unemployment can put you under financially, so a solid savings account is a good thing to have!

Since a solid savings account appears to be your goal, I can offer you some tips on how to get there; and since you humans love the organization of a list, I will present them to you in list form.  Consider it a post-Halloween treat!

1.  Know the difference between wasteful spending and investment spending.  Purchasing a pair of high-end, quality career shoes on end-of-season clearance is an investment; purchasing a pair of high-end, quality party shoes on clearance is not.  Before purchasing something, ask yourself: How often will I use this?  If I put it into storage for the season, will I remember that I have it?

2.  Invest in a book by financial guru Suze Orman - and read it!  The information she has to share is invaluable!  If you are not comfortable buying a book, see if your local library has it and give it a test drive.  I strongly recommend The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke (Riverhead Trade, 2007).

3. Put your credit cards into a lock-box or safe.  This will help you to resist the urge to use them by making them more difficult to access.  Carry one credit card - for emergencies - in your wallet.  Better yet, join AAA; your membership card can double as a pre-paid American Express card.

4. Unless you are absolutely certain that you will be giving someone a gift several months down the road, do not purchase something that will be "perfect" for them.  Furthermore, ask yourself: might an even better gift come along between now and then?

5. When you get the urge to spend wastefully, look at the price and put that same amount towards your credit card debt.  By doing this you are saving money and paying off your past purchases.  A bargain is not a bargain if you are paying monthly interest on it.

6. Create a budget based upon your pay cycle and stick to it.  If you are paid weekly, your budget should reflect that; bi-weekly, your budget should take you through two weeks.  By doing this you should not be caught short and should not have to dip into your savings to pay your regular bills.

7. Create an Excel spreadsheet and record every penny you spend for one full month.  Categorize each item - food, entertainment, credit cards, rent, etc. - and see how much you are spending in each area.  This will allow you  to profile your spending and cut back on things you do not need.  For example, do you really need a Starbucks coffee every morning?  At $2.50/cup adds up to $17.50 for one week!  You could buy and brew your coffee at home for a fraction of that price!

8. Pay yourself first.  My Mommie's Grandpa always used to tell her that she would never have a savings account if she did not pay herself first.  She wishes she took his advice to put 10% of every paycheck into savings and forget about it!  She does that now, and I suggest that you start!

9.  Buy store-brand food; it costs less and is usually manufactured by the brand name company.  Put the money you save into your savings account.

10. Sign up for and use store loyalty cards, cut (and use) coupons.  There are many online sites that offer coupons for free, so you don't even have to buy a newspaper to get them!

These small steps can add up to big savings, which you can put towards your dream of starting your own business, owning your own home, or taking a dream vacation.  Please write back in six months and let me know how you are doing!

Snuggles,
Tazi

P.S.  Shame on your boyfriend for not being more supportive!  Could it be that his habits reflect yours, and any change would create the need for him to examine his own financial habits?


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

Husband Goes To The Dogs When Stressed

Dear Tazi:

My husband has a nasty habit from childhood that he has never broken. It is not like he can't break the habit; he just doesn't want to break it. "Ron" likes to eat...dog biscuits. When he was a child, Ron had a dog that he loved very much. He would put the biscuit in his mouth and the dog would wrestle him for it. Ron tells me that often times the biscuit would break in two, and he and the dog would share the treat. Ron was only 10 years old when his dog died, and the habit of chewing on a dog biscuit comforted him.

By the time Ron got to high school, gnawing on a dog biscuit had become his way of dealing with stress. It was a habit that got him through the stress of an Engineering program in college, and since he graduated with honors I suppose there was something to it.  In the two years since we have been married, I had never actually seen Ron eat a dog biscuit - until last week.

Ron and I are trying to conceive and I have been having difficulty getting pregnant, which has put both of us under a lot of stress, and much to my distress I came home from work and found a box of dog biscuits on the kitchen table and my husband chewing on one while watching the evening news. Quite honestly, I was completely turned off by the sight of this; the thought of kissing my husband after he had been eating a dog biscuit made me physically ill (raising my hopes that I was pregnant, but I am not). I refused to kiss Ron until he had brushed his teeth and gargled, and even then I felt weird about it.

I have asked Ron to stop eating dog biscuits, but he sees no problem with it. Nutritionally, there is nothing wrong with them...but they are for dogs, not humans! Am I being unreasonable, as my husband suggests? Or does Ron need to grow up?

Signed,
Scooby Snacks

Dear Scooby Snacks:

Everyone deals with stress differently and although your husband's method is unusual, I don't believe it is unhealthy.  Dog biscuits were originally created by a baker for human consumption (as a nutritious treat) but they tasted so awful the baker fed them to his dog, who gobbled them up and looked for more. Dog biscuits are made up of crude protein, carbohydrates (usually from corn or rice), fats and essential oils, and fiber - all things that humans need in their diets, too! Dog biscuits are made to be easily digestible and have the side effect (now marketed as purpose) of cleaning teeth and leaving doggie's breath smelling fresh!

Since Ron's habit of eating dog biscuits is cyclical - meaning he only indulges during periods of stress and stops during periods of inner peace - I think this habit is a great way to read his mood, as well as to relieve his stress. Rather than pick on Ron about a harmless habit, why not try to communicate with him about the reasons he is eating them - the stresses that you are both going through right now. Talking through your problems may not completely relieve Ron's stress (and his desire for dog biscuits), but I am pretty certain that harping on him about his unique habit will only add to the stress he is under - and increase his dog biscuit consumption.

Ron obviously has a deep, emotional attachment to his Scooby snacks, so I do not see him kicking the habit any time soon. You may have to learn to live with his habit, and be happy that he has not turned to anything stronger - like alcohol or drugs - to assuage his agitation. As long as he brushes and gargles before kissing you, he is doing his part to accommodate you; try to meet him halfway.

Snuggles,
Tazi

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

Addiction To Girl Scout Cookies Not An Uncommon Problem

Dear Tazi:

I read the letter from the diabetic who is addicted to Skittles, and I can relate, but I think my problem is much worse. I am addicted to Girl Scout Cookies. I usually eat several boxes of them in one day, just because they tasted so good.

Every year, I tell myself I will not buy any Girl Scout Cookies, and every year I buy more cookies than the last. I know what I usually buy several boxes of cookies from several different girls, this way nobody can see how many boxes of cookies I am actually buying. Last year, I bought 52 boxes, with the plan of freezing them so they would last through the entire year (one per week), since the cookies are not available year-round, but the plan did not work as I intended. Instead of saving the cookies, I ate all of them over a two day period and ended up hospitalized with dangerously high blood sugar (over 600 mg/dL). I am pre-diabetic, so I really need to work to make sure an incident like this does not happen again.

I am writing to you right now because I just placed an order for Girl Scout Cookies with my niece. I am embarrassed to say how many boxes I ordered; let’s just say she is well on her way to a camp scholarship, thanks to me. I would hate to cancel the order on her – especially if I end up breaking down and ordering them through eBay – but I need to overcome this cookie addiction! I do not feel this way about other types of cookies, just Girl Scout Cookies. Any ideas on how to help someone like me?

Signed,

Tag-A-Long Lover

Dear Tag-a-Long Lover:

An addiction to Girl Scout Cookies is not an uncommon problem, but the extremes you are experiencing are, and deeply concern me. Since this year’s cookies are already ordered, I suggest you ask your niece to deliver your share to the local food bank, as a donation, so those who cannot afford to indulge in the godly goodness of Girl Scout Cookies can appreciate these sweet treats!

Next year, rather than order cookies from your niece, try to find a way to make a donation to her local Girl Scout Troop or to put the money directly towards her camp costs. If she is required to sell a certain number of boxes to be allowed to go to camp, feel free to go crazy with the ordering, but donate the cookies – if not to a food bank than to a local church or synagogue (GS Cookies are kosher!), which can use them in their food pantry or as refreshments after a meeting or for a coffee social.

Who doesn't love these?

You mention two things that concern me: your pre-diabetes and your dangerously high blood sugar (which could have induced a heart attack or stroke!) and the fact that you do not feel this way about other cookies (not even Milano cookies?). Being pre-diabetic is an issue you must take seriously! It does not man that you cannot have a cookie or two every now and then, but it does mean that you cannot indulge in a box or two at one time. 52 boxes in two days? seriously? Did you eat anything but cookies during that time? Were you dehydrated, as well?

Obviously, there is something about Girl Scout Cookies that sets off an emotional trigger in you, since you do not react this way about other cookies. Is it because they are not available year-round? Do they hold some special memory from childhood? I strongly suggest that you seek counseling to help with this emotional addiction. Knowing why you crave Girl Scout Cookies in such proportions is the first step to overcoming your addiction to them. Please write back once you have made progress towards this goal, and let my readers know how you are doing!

Snuggles,

Tazi


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