My Name is Michelle, and I’m a Sugarholic!
There, I said it. Cute, cheeky, but oh-so-true. I’ve tried to quit sugar more times than I can count. Sixty-day resets, fasting experiments, swearing it off for good and yet sugar always comes back around, batting its sweet little lashes and owning me all over again.Diabetes runs deep on my dad’s side, all the way back to the 1960s. I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant, and now, lucky me, I’m officially pre-diabetic. My numbers aren’t where they should be, no matter how many times I try to hit the reset button.
Just last week, I even did a 36-hour fast. I dropped 3 pounds overnight and got one of my best blood sugar readings ever. And yet, the cravings still whisper. The pull is always there. Sugar owns me in ways broccoli never will.
And here’s the kicker: I’m not alone. Diabetes has exploded in the past five decades. In the early 1960s, only about 1.8% of Americans had diabetes. Today? Over 11% of the U.S. population, nearly 38 million people, are living with it, plus another 97 million with prediabetes. Globally, the numbers have doubled since 1980, climbing from 200 million to over 800 million adults.
This isn’t just “a sweet tooth.” It’s an epidemic. And it’s one I feel in my own body every day.
Why Sugar is Addictive Like a Drug
Sugar doesn’t just “taste good", it hijacks the brain’s reward system in the exact same way illegal drugs do. When you eat something sweet, your brain releases dopamine, the same feel-good chemical that spikes when someone uses cocaine or nicotine. On top of that, sugar triggers opioid receptors in the brain, just like heroin does.
The pattern is eerily familiar:
- The High → You get the rush, the satisfaction, the “ahhh” moment.
- Tolerance → Over time, you need more sugar to feel that same buzz.
- Withdrawal → When you cut it out? Headaches, irritability, mood swings, anxiety — just like detox, only dressed in sprinkles.
That’s not willpower failing. That’s biochemistry. The only difference? Cocaine and heroin are illegal. Sugar is sold in family-sized packs and handed out at kids’ birthday parties.
The Body Toll: Sugar’s Silent Wreckage
Illegal drugs get attention because they can kill fast. Sugar is sneaky. It kills slowly.
Here’s the body damage sugar racks up while we tell ourselves it’s just a “treat”:
- Insulin resistance & type 2 diabetes → Sugar floods the bloodstream, your body drowns in insulin, and eventually the system breaks down.
- Chronic inflammation → A root cause of almost every modern disease, from heart problems to depression.
- Brain fog & memory decline → High sugar intake is linked to cognitive decline and even brain shrinkage.
- Fatty liver disease → Not from alcohol, but from soda and sweets.
- Weakened immunity → Sugar depresses immune cells for hours after you eat it.
All of this without the social stigma or warning labels. Just a cute cupcake on Instagram.
The Bigger Picture
So is sugar exactly the same as heroin or cocaine? No. The dopamine spike isn’t as violent. The withdrawal isn’t as deadly.
But the long-term health impact? At scale, sugar kills far more people. Heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and dementia together dwarf the death toll of illegal drugs.
And because it’s legal, celebrated, and cheap it might just be the most dangerous addiction of all.
Call to Action
If this stings a little, good. It’s supposed to. Because the solution isn’t guilt or never eating cake again. It’s awareness. It’s cutting back where you can. It’s retraining your brain to crave what actually nourishes you.
Think of it this way: sugar isn’t just dessert. It’s a drug. And every time you choose differently you’re breaking free.
Want to learn more? Here are a few powerful reads you can check out:
“Your health matters more than any craving, any quick fix, or any excuse. It’s time to embody your health -- to live it in your choices, in your rituals, and in the way you care for yourself every single day.”Did you enjoy what you read here? If you did, share it with a friend.
If you would like more about the Embodied Living Course, click below
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For centuries, women have been told their place was in the home. But let’s be real the energy of the home wasn’t soft, flowing, feminine energy. It was masculine overdrive: structure, schedules, protection, and constant doing.
And honestly? That’s been the story of our society, too.
We’ve lived through the Victorian Age (1837–1901), where women were silenced, sexuality was repressed, and morality and restraint were everything.
We moved into the Industrial Age (1760s–1940s), nearly 180 years of factories, machines, mass production. Hustle. Grind. Worth = how much you produce.
Then came the Information Age (1970s to now). Computers, the internet, 24/7 connection. Work smarter instead of harder, sure but still always on, always producing, still another form of burnout.
And now? We are moving into what I call the Age of Consciousness.
This is the shift we are feeling in our bones: away from relentless doing and into deeper being. Away from distrust and competition, into balance and embodiment.
Masculine Energy: Wounded vs. Healthy
Masculine energy isn’t the enemy. We need it. It’s structure, direction, presence, protection.
But when it’s wounded, it looks like:
- Domination and control
- Overwork, hustle, burnout
- Suppressing emotions
- Aggression, disconnection, hyper-competitiveness
When it’s healthy, it’s:
- Stability and clarity
- Leadership rooted in service
- Action that’s purposeful and aligned
- A safe container for the feminine to flow
Feminine Energy: Wounded vs. Healthy
The feminine, too, has her shadow side. Wounded feminine shows up as:
- Gossip, jealousy, manipulation
- Comparison and competition
- Drama and chaos
- Self-abandonment and over-giving
But in her healthy form, the feminine is pure medicine:
- Intuition and inner knowing
- Creativity, play, and expression
- Sensuality and unapologetic pleasure
- Compassion, nurturing, and deep presence
- Collaboration, lifting others while rising together
My Three Stories
In Episode 10 of Embodied Living, I share three stories that illustrate these energies:
✨ Rest Is Bad → How I learned that slowing down meant failure, and how masculine overdrive shaped my life.
✨ Girl Scouts at 11 → The bullying that planted seeds of distrust in women and showed me the toxic side of feminine energy.
✨ The Women’s Retreat → Where I finally experienced the healthy feminine in action: compassion, collaboration, and sisterhood.
Each of these stories is a reminder that wounded energy is not who we truly are. It’s conditioning. It’s survival mode. And we don’t live in that world anymore.
The Collective Shift: The Age of Consciousness
We are entering a new age, one where the masculine and feminine no longer compete, but dance together.
The masculine provides structure and safety. The feminine brings creativity and flow. Together, they create wholeness.
This is what embodied sexuality is about. It’s not just intimacy in the bedroom, it’s about the way we live, love, create, and show up in the world. We are letting go of the need to constantly produce, prove, and overdo. We are remembering the power of being as much as doing.
We are stepping into the Age of Consciousness. And that’s how we rise.
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Reflection Prompt
Where do you still distrust your feminine?
Where do you still distrust your masculine?
What would it look like to invite the healthy versions of both back into your life?
Where do you still distrust your masculine?
What would it look like to invite the healthy versions of both back into your life?
Want to go deeper? Listen to Episode 10 of the Embodied Living podcast: From Hustle to Embodiment: Why Feminine Energy Matters Now.
Did you enjoy what you read here? If you did, share it with a friend.
If you would like more about the Embodied Living Course, click below
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