Break-Up with Sugar Series:

Let's wrap this thing up, shall we?  This break-up has taken long enough!

Remember that 'significant other' from yesteryear?  The one who mistreated you and misunderstood your desires? Who ignored your needs and took advantage of your gifts?  The one who seduced you with momentary glimpses of the possibility of acceptance, love, interest and investment?  Who felt so good and so frustratingly horrid to love?  The forbidden lover from the other side of the tracks who had very few good intentions and countless negative side-effects?  That, dear reader, is sugar.

When sugar is consumed, the brain lights up.  Dopamine is released on the brain and 'love' is felt.  Joy.  Elation.  Relaxation.  At times, euphoria is experienced.  Sugar is a substance the brain becomes addicted to and dependent on in order to feel good or at ease.  There is a stress cycle connected to many or most addictive behaviors that is best derailed by abruptly changing course, taking action, and embracing change.  Dr. Mercola provides dozens of articles on sugar and its side-effects, but if information really derailed addictive behaviors, we wouldn't be having this conversation.  

So tactics have to be deployed.  When I broke ties with the forbidden lover from the other side of the tracks, I burned all the of the old photographs, discard the letters, deleted his phone number, rearranged the furniture, bought new sheets and underthings, and spent more time with friends.  Crowding sugar out of the diet takes just as many tactics, drastic or otherwise.  

What are this tactics?  We have already discussed a few:

• Be aware of how much sugar you are eating; set yourself up for 24 grams of added sugar or less (I advise my clients and kids to aim for 12 or less).
• Replace processed foods with their real counterparts: fruit snacks with fruit; mac'n cheese with cheese and good quality pasta; fruit juice with fruit infused water; soda with sparkling water; table sugar with raw honey.
• Choose naturally sweet foods to satisfy cravings; fruit, sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, hummus, bell peppers and dark chocolate are good places to start.
• Rearrange the pantry.  Read labels, throw out expired goods, donate unwanted items, and move the healthiest options front and center.  
• Change behaviors to battle cravings.  Nothing changes if nothing changes.

Breaking up with sugar is an individual choice and can be a cold turkey effort or a gradual, surgical process.  While you decide what action steps you can take to crowd sugar out, grab a plate of sweet, delicious, naturally occurring food.  Drink water.  Seek vitamins.  Wash your hands of adhering to someone else's diet and aim for what works for you.  Just make sure you aren't working for sugar.

Anna~

If you would like more information on how to find your perfect diet, schedule a consultation with me today.  www.nutritionalcadence.com