“An addiction to energy drinks”. In the news again last week. Easily drinking four energy drinks a day. Unfortunately, I can very well imagine what it’s like as an (ex-)Bullit junkie.
Bullit Junkie
Bullit, that devilish drink in a seductively slim jacket. Such an ideal size to reach the perfect drinking temperature after just 10 minutes in the freezer. That delightful sound of opening the can and the scents carried by carbon dioxide that caress your nose. And then that first sip, man that first sip! Quickly followed by the second and third, of course. That immediate rush of energy that makes you spontaneously do push-ups.
Delicious… Terrible…
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not directly worried about consuming too much caffeine, or sugars for that matter. Not even after reading the article in Metro from May 16th titled ‘I need dentures after energy drink addiction'[1]. According to the guidelines, my addiction shouldn’t pose a direct danger. Moreover, I’ve written extensively and quite positively about caffeine as a sports supplement. It just bothers me that it’s an addiction. I just like it and “need” to have it.
That’s not to say I don’t have that addiction under control now. To kick the habit, I used cola like a heroin addict uses methadone. Now I am (for the umpteenth time) kicking the cola habit.
So far, my body has never protested against my addictions, not visibly at least. I just can’t stand it when I can’t control certain behavior, but the behavior controls me. “You lack discipline!”, I then hear Cartman say. You don’t need to be overweight to understand a food addiction. Sometimes you can compensate for that bad behavior quite well with lots of training and a lot of luck in terms of metabolism.
Bullit, Sweet Harlequins, Nutella, and M&Ms (yellow ones, of course). My poisons of choice. Hardly the basis for a healthy diet. I also know better supplements.
Oral Fixation
“As long as that mouth keeps busy,” my wife sometimes says when I first gobble down licorice, then eat four sandwiches with Nutella, and then go looking for some M&M leftovers. I have also considered the possibility of an oral fixation for a long time, but it turns out to be different.
It’s not so much that my mouth needs to stay busy; I need to stay busy. Only a small part of the evening snack cravings actually stemmed from a real need for all that sweetness. Often, it’s just seeking something to do during inactive moments like sitting on the couch in the evening watching TV. Just like smoking, by the way. Since I started working entirely as an entrepreneur, fortunately, that has become much less. An evening just lying on the couch watching TV hardly ever happens anymore. First, because I am sitting, but more importantly because I only put away my laptop when I go to sleep.
Turns out, boredom eating was also a factor. Luckily, I haven’t felt bored in years.
“I need Brinta now!”
It’s different for Bullit. I don’t drink Bullit out of boredom but simply when I’m thirsty.
Now, I deliberately don’t say that I’ve kicked the Bullit habit, just that I have it under control. You know what they say: “Once addicted, always addicted”. That’s why I avoid the candy and soda aisle like an alcoholic avoids the open bar at a boring staff party. If I have to go through it in the local Jumbo, it feels like running the gauntlet. First past the Harlequins and M&Ms on the left and then further on the right the ultimate challenge; the Bullit. I’ve managed to escape a few times by almost running to the cola a few shelves further.
Nutella is my most persistent addiction with a career spanning 30 years, but now relegated to ‘social smoking’. You know, those people who only smoke at parties without fear of becoming addicted again. I dare say I’ve almost kicked the Nutella habit, simply because I’ve been able to replace it with my only positive addiction; Brinta. Served with chilled milk in my case.
Brinta is thus my beacon of hope as an addict. I need it for breakfast or I’m off kilter. Proof that good behaviors can be turned into ‘constructive addictions’. Of course, I’d have a big problem if I suddenly developed lactose intolerance. Brinta with water is really disgusting.
Now I just need to get off the methadone/cola. Attempts to replace the cola with ‘less unhealthy’ fizzy drinks have been quite successful so far. Carbonation turns out to be my morphine.
What’s Your Poison?
In my case, it’s mainly sugars, with possibly the combination with caffeine creating an almost irresistible temptation.
I’ve always admired people who have a sort of intrinsic iron discipline. Whether it’s about work, health, or even housekeeping. I don’t have that myself. Don’t get me wrong; I do have discipline, but only for the things I’m strongly motivated for. Things that appeal to me with interesting rewards in prospect. I don’t train because I know I should. I train because I want to look muscular. Luckily, I have a decent aptitude so results were quickly visible. Otherwise, I would probably still be playing basketball with pleasure as the immediate reward.
No discipline for the sake of discipline then. I find solace in the fact that there are few who do have such intrinsic discipline. Most people have some form of poison. A type of food or activity that has an unexplainable, unjustifiable yet insatiable need.
What’s your poison and how do you deal with it? I’d love to hear it!
References
- metronieuws.nl/in-het-nieuws/het-gesprek/2017/05/kunstgebit-nodig-na-verslaving-energiedrank
