quitting sugar
I’ve tried to write this post several times, but I can’t get it right. So I’m just going to cut it right back and go for it.
I am taking steps to remove sugar from my diet.
I’ve done some reading and I’m getting a clearer understanding of the chemistry behind what happens when we eat sugar. Some people claim that the fructose part of what we call “sugar” is incredibly bad for us to the extent that they believe sugar is poisoning us. Others think that view is completely over the top and that there is no need to cut out sugar at all.
From what I’ve read, a lot of what the sugar-is-poison crowd says makes sense. But that doesn’t make it right, so I’m keeping an open mind about it all.
What I know for sure is that sugar is in a lot of processed foods, and one of my 100 things to do this year is to further reduce my consumption of those products, so a reduction in sugar will naturally follow.
But I’m also interested to know if total sugar withdrawal will make any difference to my health, my weight and generally how I feel. Some people say it has significantly improved their health, whereas others have said it’s had little effect.
So with that in mind, I’m setting myself a goal to cut out sugar (the sugar in question being fructose) as completely as is reasonably possible. I’m not sure how far I’ll get. I’m just trying it to see what happens. I’m sort of following an 8 week program that was recommended to me called I Quit Sugar. It recommends the try-it-and-see approach to start with.
This week I’m tackling a really obvious source of sugar: the afternoon lolly and/or cake break. Regardless of your views on sugar, I don’t think anyone would seriously argue that regular snacking on lollies (or peppermint slices) is good for me. And in my quest to cut back on processed foods, it’s something I would have got round to doing anyway. I’m just going to start now. No time like the present.
I intend to do a blog post once a week on how it’s all going and will probably spend a lot of time on Twitter complaining about how badly I want chocolate bullets. So if you want up to the minute news, follow me @realsleepydwarf.
And I can report that Day 1 was a total success.
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Thanks Suger 🙂 Yeah I found the times I stuck to a whole foods diet (and little to no alcohol …) I felt really good. yet even though I felt great, it was easy to slip back into my old habits. It's good to know people have succeeded & that there is hope for me!
Good luck to you lovely. You and I have spoken about it on a few occasions now. I think whole foods will always make you feel healthier and more vital, simple as that. Sugar is one of those things that the body just can't process that much of. Keep an open mind, be kind to yourself and I think you'll find a balance that works for you. Here if you need me! 🙂
Thanks River 🙂 Yes, that's pretty much the way I'm going to approach this. Cakes and lollies are out as of this week! At least that's the plan. Keeping them out of the house is the key, I think.
Day one is always a total success. It's day three and four that get hard. Get past those and you've got a fair chance. I'd say that fruit isn't bad for you even though it does contain sugar, instead I would be cutting out things like the cake and lollies to start with. Once you've got used to that, then perhaps cut out some fruit if you feel you really should and substitute a vegetable snack such as celery and carrot sticks. I almost never eat cakes and lollies, my problems are chocolate and ice cream, but I'm working on that by not keeping chocolate in the house. Good luck with it.
Thanks Shirl! Yes there's certainly a lot of debate around it & a lot of interesting info. I'm interested to see if I really am addicted to it, and if I can break that addiction, and what effect that will have on whether I then still want sugary stuff. And whether what they say about you end up eating less of everything if you eat very little sugar is correct.
Good for you Barb. Jury here is out on the whole sugar thing as I grew up in a cane farming community. I tend to agree that in processed foods we eat way to much… but I also believe firmly in everything in moderation (of course I don't think for a minute you can moderate total junk food) but everday foods we all need to have. We just need to eat more of the healthy and less of the unhealthy! Keen to see how you go. Hope the cravings aren't too bad… make sure you have some mid afternoon alternatives such as nuts, sultanas or a mix, yoghurt etc xo S