Day 4 was by far the worst for me - but I made it, and I feel like if I can make it this far - ANYONE can do this.
Here's some food for thought to keep you going:
"Just as our homes are made from lumber without looking like trees, our bodies are made from the nutrients we extract from foods without resembling those foods. The nutritional content of what we eat determines the composition of our cell membranes, bone marrow, blood, and hormones. Consider that the average adult loses roughly 300 billion cells to old age every day and must replace them. Our bodies are literally manufactured out of the food we consume."
I'm dying to know how everyone is doing on this no sugar challenge. (Seriously, I've only heard from a couple of you...how's it going?) I've had a few reports of headaches, dizziness, and cravings. I feel like I haven't done too bad but this evening at the store was close to torture. Ice cream and chocolate were calling but I resisted. I knew I needed to do this for many reason but one of them had me a little worried: heart palpitations. Somewhere I read it could be related to blood sugar levels. I'm happy to report they haven't been as bad today. Maybe it's too soon to tell but I'm hopeful that either it's not anxiety related, or, if it is, less sugar must help me control my anxiety.
Off Limits: All fruit juice, dried fruit, refined, artificial and *natural sweeteners (including maple syrup, honey, molasses, stevia, agave (oh, but agave isn't actually "natural" anyway). *Natural sweeteners can be incorporated in moderation after the 3 weeks. What does moderation look like? Probably not daily. Maybe weekly, but it might depend on the individual.
We have decided to include complex carbs such as potatoes and fresh fruit (or frozen but check the label for added sugar).
Sugar, by the way, is in SO, SO many packaged foods! So read labels! It's hiding where you would least expect it. Here's a list of sugars that you might find on labels.
It's a little overwhelming sometimes but I get through it by thinking about foods that are healthy and scouring the Internet for recipes to try.
Tomorrow I'll get into the symptoms of sugar intolerance and withdrawal symptoms.
Have you ever wondered how long you could make it without sugar? I've gone without sugar (including sugar alternatives) before but I think only a couple of different times for about a month each. Then inevitably a holiday, birthday or vacation comes up and I give in "just a little" and it seems to open a floodgate of cravings and bad habits leading to feeling horrible but the vicious cycle continues!
Back in January I went grain free with my husband Warren and was careful about anything processed and lost 10 pounds but then, you guessed it- first Valentine's Day, then vacation, then birthday....And I got to the point that I couldn't get back on track and I felt like it was the sugar. Grains are surprisingly not too difficult once I realized how I felt without vs. with them.
(Warren has developed a wheat intolerance so we've made a few dietary changes and have notice an improvement in overall health. It took me probably over 6 months to come to terms with it, though: "Healthy Whole Wheat? How can that be bad?" I have since learned a great deal about food intolerances and discovered a few of my own - and, yes - they are healthy foods, too.)
ANYHOW....Today I began a 21 Day No Sugar Challenge with a few of my family members. Come along for the ride or just read along each day to see what it's like.
Here is a 14 minute video that sums up much of what I've tried to learn about sugar:
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