How about a little self control?

My therapist suggested I start managing my sugar intake. After all, we all know that too much sugar is not good for us. It is the epitome of empty calories, and it lead to weight gain and possibly even diabetes (please never take anything said here for medical advice; it’s one man’s opinion only!). Certainly, limiting my sugar portions cannot hurt, and maybe can even lead to some serious benefits.

For me, one of the key reasons to look at sugar management as a strategy is the effects it has on dopamine. From what I’ve read, it leads to surges in dopamine, and in the long-term can lead to higher tolerances and cravings, similar to the effects of alcohol. So, if I go through my life with no discipline on how I consume sugar, how can I possibly expect to go through my life with discipline on consumption of other substances?

By no means does this imply that simply managing your sugar intake can systematically lead to better management of alcohol, but in my case, it seems a good exercise to establish a little self control. Self control seems like a good thing to have in many facets of life: Food, alcohol, money, exercise, screen time, etc. “Everything in moderation” has been said more than once. So why not test myself a little bit? Why not take back control of my life? Why not set some daily goals, and reward myself for achieving them? Maybe I’ll find that I like being in control, I like how I look and feel, and that I can establish a system for better living overall. And maybe if that system works, I can extend it to other areas of my life. We’ll see. But for now, I’m starting with the sugar.