When a sugar craving sets in, how far are we willing to go to satisfy it?

Our chimp ancestors thrust their hands into beehives, suffering the stings to feed their sugar Jones. And when that got old, they evolved and learned to use sticks instead of fingers. They also found clever ways to reach tree canopies and high branches to get at the ripest, juiciest fruits.

Our forefathers — from the Crusaders to Columbus — invaded contentients and set up empires across the globe by planting sugarcane fields. Scientists learned to extract sugars from beets, corn and other vegetables. Among other benefits, that allowed the general public to get a sugar buzz without stirring up a hive of angry bees.

I came across this quick and interesting history on sugar in an article at LiveScience.com. It also noted that like our monkey ancestors who ignored bee stings, humans are also willing to ignore health risks at the command of our sweet tooth. In fact, the article noted that people consume 120 million tons of sugar a year — a number growing at the same rate as our waistlines.

I'm not big on diet fads (in fact, who can keep up with them?) but several years ago, I tried laying off sugar — and other white foods — until around 4 p.m.

I'm pretty sure I got the idea from Oprah, back when she told America about the benefits of swearing off white foods including sugar, white bread, potatoes, and such during the lo-carb craze. I decided it was easy enough to avoid sugary, overly processed foods for the early part of the day.

Besides, I had noticed over the years that if I ate syrup-drenched pancakes for breakfast, my mood and cravings got a bit haywire as the day wore on. I did allow myself fruit, and sometimes a little honey. But otherwise, I said goodbye to granola, English muffins, Frappaccinos and, except for a rare treat, pancakes with lots of maple syrup.

I've got to say that it works for me. I'm not sure what happens, exactly, but it seems to involve a glycemic index. But skipping sugar in the early part of the day is the one and only "diet" trick that has stuck. It prompts me to eat a better breakfast and I think it's actually kind of killed off — or at least defanged — my sweet tooth over the years.

Now, if only I could figure out a way to reign in my "cheese tooth."