No Sugar, No Problem! (Kind of)
April 25, 2012 § Leave a Comment
I want to return to a previous post you may have read. About 2 weeks ago I posted an entry titled “Sickeningly Sweet” which explored the toxicity of sugar. That same day I quit sugar cold turkey which was a dramatic move for me since I like to eat M & M’s for breakfast. I knew prior to that post that I had no control of my sugar consumption, it was addictive and I happily consumed.
Now, 2 weeks into this no sugar thing I feel good. I am proud of the efforts I have made. My body doesn’t look different and most days it doesn’t feel different either but I have noted the following changes:
1. I am much more aware of the amount of sugar I am offered each day. One day I was offered sugary treats 9 different times!
2. Sugary treats don’t look or sound as delicious. If someone had told me this I wouldn’t have believed them!
3. I don’t feel like passing out at the end of a meal, probably because I don’t experience the sugar high and sugar crash that comes with dessert.
4. I feel great about making the conscious decision to do something healthy for myself.
But it’s not all easy. I removed sugar in the following forms:
- desserts and candy
- sugary drinks like soda and juice
- sweet breakfasts like pancakes, cold cereal, and doughnuts
- processed food with hidden sugars like snack chips, condiments, and yogurt
- sweetened coffee and tea (this has been the hardest!)
Admittedly, I don’t like black coffee and my latte would taste a lot better with a shot of vanilla. It’s taken a concentrated effort and some creativity to find new kinds of savory breakfasts. And on hot days an ice cream cone still sounds amazing! I know that I can never remove sugar completely, if I did I would never be able to eat at a restaurant or go over to someones house for dinner but the foods I listed above are largely in my control and a good place to start.
I don’t know if I will give up sugar forever, but I recognized I had no control over it and learned that it is a toxin which scared me. So for the foreseeable future, me and sugar have called it quits and I am happy about that!
