I Quit Sugar
30 Days sugar free and never felt better!!!
30 days ago I quit sugar!
While waiting in Melbourne Airport my girlfriend picked up Sarah Wilson’s “I Quit Sugar” book. She asked me to look at it and initially I brushed her off. She persisted and I still gave her the “Yeah, yeah sure. Sounds good.”
She went ahead an bought the book and a few days later I finally picked it up and flipped through it.
“Do you feel lethargic in the afternoon? Do you feel bloated after eating? Do you have cravings after dinner? Do you have cloudy, dull headaches?”
YES, YES, YES & YES!
I am skeptical of all the fad diets out there telling you a thousand different ways to lose weight. As a #PhysEd teacher I have always long been an advocate of the balanced input/output way of looking at health & wellness. What you put into your body, you burn off with exercise.
For me going sugar free was never designed to be a weight loss solution. It was designed to try and find a way to feel healthier and have more energy. Our bodies are not designed to handle more than the equivalent of 2 apples worth of sugar per day. It is fructose that makes you feel bloated, lethargic and have cravings. So when I say I am quitting sugar I really mean I am quitting fructose. If you want to know why read this - http://ideas.time.com/2012/12/27/what-you-need-to-know-about-sugar/
So, 30 days ago we started with our challenge to go sugar free for 8 weeks. It has been tough at times but I feel more energetic, I am finding it easier to sleep, I wake up recharged. I feel lighter in my body, not so bloated or cloudy. Basically, I feel better than I have in a long time.
To be honest I havent had to make too many compromises in my diet. I can still have bacon and eggs for breakfast, I still have a beer and burger at the pub, I still eat popcorn while watching a movie. I have however added things like quinoa, almond flour and activated nuts to my diet.
Here is an average day for me:
Breakfast: Poached eggs on toast with a coffee
Morning snack: Activated mixed nuts & french green beans
Lunch: Leftovers from last night (Slowcooked beef & pumpkin stew)
Afternoon snack: Cheddar cheese & rye crackers
Dinner: Eggplant halloumi vegetarian burger with sweet potato fries
All easy to prepare & very tasty! I expected to have sugar cravings but so far in 30 days in I have had very few. I’m not missing sugar. I see people eating chocolate, drinking Coca Cola, I am offered sweets & cupcakes on a regular basis and I find it easy to say no. I don’t need desert or snacks after dinner. I don’t miss it all.
The hardest part of all of this has been in finding snacks, shopping for groceries and eating out. It’s not so easy to just grab somthing on the run. Grocery shopping takes twice as long as I check every label for sugar content and get constantly disappointed by the number of foods that have added sugar for no reason. Eating out is hard as you never know what has been added. I’ve gone with the advice that pub food is fine and try to steer clear of things drenched in sauces.
After 30 days my habits have changed. On the recommendation of @JoeyFeith I have been using Lift to track my habits and this has helped me to stay committed to achieving my goal of being sugar free.
From someone who never thought they could do it I urge you to give it a try. Start small, try a week and see how you feel. Up it to a month and see if you still feel good.
In my school I have recruited 2 other staff members who want to give it a try, and I have discovered a student who is also sugar free to control her ADHD. As a #PhysEd teacher it has helped me to feel like I am being a more of a health & wellness role model.
I Quit Sugar and I feel great!
