A Short Interlude:

It's true! Your favorite blogger is unable to view her own blog! I can post things, but I can't load the page. Your Favorite blogger (The "YFB", pronounced: why-eff-bee) is also taking mid-terms this week and is very busy. So, between now and whenever the Great Firewall decides I'm not a threat, the blog is going to change focus a bit. It will be a short interlude between blogging about how weird China is, and blogging about other stuff.

I only have two addictions: coffee and sugar. In the States, I drink at least a pot of coffee a day. When I finish the pot, I often take to drinking Diet Coke and tea to satisify the constant caffeine craving. I want it because I need it. I want it because I like it. I want it because I'm bored. I want it because I'm thirsty. I want it when it's cold out. I want it when it's warm. I take coffee instead of tylenol. I take coffee instead of food.

This addiction came to a head when I realized I had stopped drinking water. I never drank it. Not even once. I knew that by coming to China, I would have to give up this addiction or at least severly curb it. I wasn't giving up without a fight though, I brought a can of instant coffee in my carry on, and received a coffee maker on my birthday.

The coffee maker is half the size of the one I have at home, and I drink half the pot. I've cut down signifigantly on my caffeine intake, now I'm feeling the need to cut back on my sugar addiction.

According to some so-called "scientist", sugar withdrawal is sometimes marked by symptoms similar to those of drug withdrawal. I'm not sure how much validity there is to this argument (they don't either), but I intend to find out. Starting tomorrow, I will be kicking the sugar habit. I ate three bags of M&M's today, two pieces of banana bread and a piece of cake. I'm craving the stuff like I've never craved it before, and I think it's time to stop. For the pleasure of all those out in blogland, I will be documenting my detox.

In order to start this thing off right, I looked up a twelve-step program. Here they are: (I'm a big fan of number 12.)

1. Stick to foods that are closest to their original form. Instead of eating corn from a can, eat corn on the cob. Banish white bread and embrace wheat bread. Forget fruit juices; go for the actual fruit. The closer a food is to it's original form, then less processed sugar it will contain.

2. Eat protein with breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but do you know why? Breakfast is the meal that will make or break you for the rest of the day. Your first meal must create blood sugar stability that will carry you to the next meal without sugar cravings.

3. Eat protein with every meal. As soon as your blood sugar is thrown out of whack, you will be off the wagon again. Eating protein with each meal prepares your body for the increase of seratonin production and keeps your blood sugar stable throughout the day.

4. Read Labels! It's incredible how many things we put into our mouths without the slightest idea what is in them. The longer the list of ingredients, the more likely sugar is going to be included on that list.

5. Don't starve yourself in order to reward your restraint with a donut or a Twix. Not only is this bad for your body, but you won't lose weight. Your body will just go into starvation mode, storing all your calories as fat. So that slice of chocolate cake you eat after a seven hour fast is going straight to fat.

6. Keep a journal of what you eat. You will be surprised, and probably shocked, by the amount of sugar-filled snacks and extras involved in your diet. Write down everything, down to those five M&Ms or that tablespoon of teriyaki sauce.

7. Brown is beautiful: brown rice, wheat bread, brown cereals, etc... Brown foods give your body the positive effects of carbohydrates without unbalancing your blood sugar and creating cravings.

8. Be active and keep busy. Most of us snack the most when we are bored and inactive. Go for a walk. Go shopping. Organize your entire house. Anything to keep your hands busy and away from the cookie jar.

9. Eat a potato before bed. Before your head explodes from the thought of eating a starchy, carbohydrate-filled potato right before bed, consider this: when taken with the right vitamins, that spud will increase your production of seratonin, balancing your blood sugar levels. Besides, it's better than eating ice cream before bed.

10. Try a detox program. Detoxing isn't just for yoga yogis and Enya junkies anymore. There are dozens of detox programs designed for health enthusiasts of all levels. Some last two days, some last two months. But they all have one thing in common: after the initial overwhelming sugar cravings, your body adjusts and you won't even want the sugar anymore.

11. Drink water constantly. The more water you drink, the more your body will be fooled into thinking it is not hungry. Plus, you can rest assured that there is not a grain of sugar in water.

12. Don't get down on yourself if you slip and eat a desert every once in a while. It's okay to reward yourself, just don't start the addiction all over again. There are always healthier options for deserts. Eat berries with some low-calorie whipped topping. Snack on a couple of graham crackers. Maybe you would be healthier if you cut out sugar altogether forever, but people who do things in moderation get the best of both worlds. Enjoy your life, but don't overdo it.

There's a couple of these steps that I am going to skip. I am NOT keeping a journal. I am NOT eating a potato before bed. I won't read lables, and I'm NOT going through a real detox program. That cancels out four of the steps, making my job a third of the way easier. I'd tell you all how much I weigh, but the only scale in the house is in kilograms.

I'll let you know how tomorrow goes. Once again, I apologize for the irregular blogging of these past few weeks. Things will be getting back to normal soon.