Reverse the curse on sugar

I may get in trouble with doctors, nutritionists and other assorted health professionals with this column, but recently I came across a store and a franchise that looks at the dangers of eating too much sugar and candy and responds with a solid and definitive “right back at you!” mentality.

I have always been a fan of a little reverse psychology (regular psychology never really resonated with me) so I was intrigued.

IT’SUGAR opened at 717 N. Michigan Ave. in April of this year, and it’s best described as big, bold, colorful and all about the joys of candy, sweets and treats.

Their take, or lack thereof, on healthy eating and the dangers of too much sugar is a little playful and done with a clear sense of humor and a little “why not enjoy life?” theme.

The signs inside and outside the location pretty much tell the tale: “Less rules, more sugar,” “Dessert before dinner,” “Candy doesn’t judge,” “Candy, part of a colorful diet,” “One chocolate bar… is half the calories of two!,” “Join the sugar high club,” “Treat yo’self,” and my personal favorite — “It’s sugar, absolutely no nutritional value added.”

As you can see, they don’t shy away from the evils of sugar, actually quite the opposite.   The company’s marketing strategy not only encourages the sugar splurge but helps you revel, guilt free, in the delight of buying your favorite sweets.

Trust your friendly reporter here, if you are a candy man or a candy fan, this is your place. It has literally every kind of candy imaginable (to attempt to describe all here would be a lesson in futility.)

Even if you are not a fan of the chosen sweet, you might just check it out for its incredibly colorful presentation. The place is bursting with bright colors and might be the only store in Chicago where you need to wear sunglasses inside the store. Bad moods are turned good simply by going through the doors.

My favorite item?  As I wandered over to the kids’ section, I noticed a special cereal box for sale that included nothing but colorful candy marshmallows, the kind you see in Lucky Charms cereal. 

The motto on the box? “No more picking the cereal out of your Lucky Charms marshmallows.”

I love it! That reverse psychology again. Yes, we all have to watch our health and try to be nutritionally conscious, but part of good health is the stress relief of having our treats and enjoying them too, right? Sorry doctors.

Jon Cohn is a New Eastside resident. Email ideas for Jon to [email protected].