DR. WALLACE: I recently noticed that after almost every meal I am craving sugar for some reason. I have always had a sweet tooth and loved a lot of treats while growing up, but over time as a young adult I've really cut back. That's why it's odd that I've realized these cravings have intensified! It's not that I've been going overboard recently, but the odd small treat has not quenched my cravings.

I know it's not bad to have a treat once in a while but I'm not to the point of being ready to eat a lot of sugary snacks. I don't buy them at all, but lately when friends offer me a few of theirs, I've been partaking more than I have in years!

I want to change this bad habit so I can eat healthier and feel better, but it seems very difficult to harness my old habits these days. What steps can I take to start making better habits with my eating? — I Have a Boomerang Sweet Tooth, via email

I HAVE A BOOMERANG SWEET TOOTH: First of all, eat more filling foods during your regular meals so that you won't feel the need to snack as much in between meals. Eat lots of filling fruits and vegetables that build volume in your stomach and provide you excellent nutrients as well.

Resolve to eat treats containing sugar only in moderation and only on certain occasions, like a small dessert at a restaurant or a moderate piece of pie at a family meal like Thanksgiving.

Ironically, most people find that the more sugar and sugary snacks they eat, the more they seem to crave them. This builds up an unfortunate circle for those that wish to keep their sugar consumption in check.

Exercise, hydrate with clean, pure water and eat healthy and filling meals and you'll soon be well on your way to achieving your goal. And for those times you do need an occasional snack, have something healthy ready in advance so that you can consume it rather than simply eating anything presented to you because you're hungry.

I'M NOT COMFORTABLE SEEING THEM TOGETHER!

DR. WALLACE: I recently found out that my close friend has a crush on my older brother, and it turns out that he likes her too. They've gone out on a couple of dates together, and my brother told me that he intends on officially asking her to be his steady girlfriend soon.

I'm not exactly sure why, but I'm really uneasy for some reason that my friend and my brother are apparently going to be in a relationship. The other day, my friend came over, and it felt so odd knowing that she was coming over to see my brother and not me. They watched a movie together in the living room, and one time when I walked past, I caught them making out with each other! I nearly fainted and it also made me feel super uncomfortable.

I'm not upset that they like each other, and I am happy that they're both happy since I care about each of them, but I miss being able to simply view my friend as my friend and not as my brother's girlfriend.

It makes me quite queasy to think about them being really close with each other, and it's gotten to the point that I don't know how to act normal around them anymore. In the past, my friend used to tell me all about her dates and relationships, but I do not want to hear even one word about her relationship details with my brother. Am I being unreasonable here? How can I get a new perspective on their relationship? — Totally Uneasy With This, via email

TOTALLY UNEASY WITH THIS: I can understand how you feel, and I'd go so far as to say that what you are feeling is more normal than you realize. I've received many letters over the years addressing this topic and they've often contained roughly the same sentiment you are expressing here.

As this is a good, close friend of yours and you don't want to lose her, I suggest you explain that you feel uncomfortable, but that you do wish for her and your brother to be happy.

Ask her for her understanding and tell her that it will take some time, but you feel that you'll gradually get a bit more used to it over time. I would ask her to forgo offering you the usual details she's shared about her love interests in the past. Seek instead to use your friendship time with her on the top two or three other things you girls have in common.

Continue along this path and do your best to stay out of their business for everyone's sake. Then, over time, this relationship will rise or fall to its own level of significance. It could be that over a moderate period of time they part and go their own ways, and if so, all three of you will benefit by keeping the details to a minimum.

And if they do become a serious, long-term couple, you'll benefit from the passage of time and gradually become more comfortable with their reality. Good friends are hard to find and important to keep. And maintaining a good and respectful relationship with your brother is very important too.

Take your time, keep your distance and communicate with each of them that you're rooting for them to be happy but that you won't be asking either of them for details along the way.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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