Break-Up With Sugar Series:

It's not the Sugar we Battle - It's the Cravings!

Sugar.  The plain simple truth is this: the human body needs and runs on sugar.  We have already decided, along with the good advice of the AHA, that women should consume 25 grams, men 37, or less on a daily basis. One soda, a fruit juice box, one thick and creamy yogurt, one fudge pop tart or a single serving of Mott's applesauce rings the bell.  Because that much sugar resides in such small packages, and because the human body runs on sugar, it takes a conscious effort to break out of the sugar cube fortress.

Sugar cravings come from many places.  Mental anguish.  Physical exhaustion.  Emotional stress.  Sleep deprivation.  Joy.  Routine.  Convenience.  Ancient History.  There are no known sweet foods on the planet that are poisonous, which means we, as a species, evolved with a common thread; the proverbial sweet tooth.  Craving something sweet is inherent, but craving Mountain Dew for breakfast and seeking an afternoon sugar buzz is something else.

You and I both know how to reduce our sugar intake; simple math on that one.  The trouble comes in when we have to battle our sugar cravings.  I rely on the saying, 'nothing changes if nothing changes'. If you buy the same treats and place them in the same cabinets; if you purchase the same sugary drinks and fill the same shelves in the fridge; if you pattern your day with the same old sugar dependent rhythm, your sugar cravings will not change.  Cravings can only be undone when something changes or something new is introduced.  Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes.

Today you can change one thing.  You can replace one soda with an herbal tea or lemon water.  You can go for a brisk walk to invigorate your body to replace the afternoon candy bar.  You can replace one treat for a banana.  Instead of saying 'can't have,' replace those words with 'why do I want?'  Have a conversation with yourself to decide what is worth your 25 grams in sugar and what is not!

The best way to remove added sugar from your diet is to eat foods without labels.  Real foods not only offer the blood sugar our bodies so readily require (especially us busy moms and military wives), but they provide nourishment as well.  You can't find nourishment in a sugar cube.

You know what to do.

Anna~