Tasty Tuesday - Sugar Free (And not diabetic)

Two weeks ago I made a huge change to my nutrition life - I eliminated all sugar from my diet.  This included artifical and real sugar.  Why?  Because it was pretty much warranted.  No, I do no have diabetes.  My pancreas is still functioning just fine (and that is majorly wonderful!)  The reason I dropped from my life will be better explained in a few paragraphs but just know it is not a earth shattering reason that led to this change.


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Saying I'm sugar free sounds so harsh and snooty.  Really guys it isn't either because I do allow myself some base steals like - that pineapple cake that I overshared that has Splenda in the mix and a dash of aspartame in the topping!

I can tell you that dropping sugar will never be the easiest decision and actual change to participate in.  However, if you have will power that is really strong you can totally do this.

Last week was easy peasy for me (week two).  Really it can be for you too if you truly want to do this.  I've decided to take on the role of cheerleader and helper for all of you that are interested in deleting sugar from your daily food consumption.

I recommend you check out my high-light reel from last week's Tasty Tuesday post.

Today I want to share some information I find and found very key in supporting my decision to change my life all together by eliminating sugar from my diet.


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The first few days of a sugar detox are quite difficult.  Most of us are addicted to sugar and we have no clue.  Sugar is the filler, whether its white or brown sugar or a substitute, that keeps us coming back to the trough to stuff our faces.  Nearly everything we eat has some sort of sugar added to it to get us hooked.  Food companies are like drug dealers - they know how to get you on their product.  Always remember that.

In March I realized my sugar intake was stupid high.  I was the girl who was working out to eat.  Are you guilty of that?  If you think about it working out so you can eat bad food is really idiotic.  Why are you busting tail in the gym if you want to burden yourself with sugar, bad fat, ugly carbs, and empty calories?

Here's a secret: I have nutrition training because it was my major in college (which I switched from late in the game) and I know the detriments to sugar on our systems.

Aging -
Sugar is the fuel for wrinkles, bad skin, thinning hair, cavities, etc.

Healing -
Sugar slows our healing processes and makes us more susceptible to illness and disease.

Energy-
Sugar depletes our energy levels - you may get a ten minute sugar high but the crash from sugar is horrendous.

Disease-
Sugar is a major culprit for not only diabetes (for the love of God most regions refer to diabetes as sugar ha!) but also obesity, heart issues, chronic yeast infections, and more.  There's also research that shows cancer and sugar are buddies - yuck!

I would like to be totally honest with you and tell you the reason for me removing sugar from my diet is strictly vanity.


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Yes, I admit it.

I don't want hideous skin.

I don't want to age with a bloated body.  Fat and sugar are BFF's and I can do without sugar being stored in fat reserves.

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I want to age like Jennifer Anniston dammit!  Sugar will not lead me down that road!

When I say I live sugar free now I'm kind of lying.

I do take in natural sugars from select fruit I eat.  Also, I do allow myself to splurge and make some desserts with substitutes.

Remember the key to life is everything in moderation?  Well I do allow myself a glass of wine here and there and when I'm on a holiday I will splurge a bit and enjoy sugar and carbs that normally I steer clear of.  These that I indulge in are generally a sweet treat or alcohol.  I have no desire for starch any longer.  Just last weekend when I was on my bestie beach weekend I had beer (Mich Ultra and some rum but I knew the sugar and carbs in those had to be balanced out.  I'll talk more about that in a later post.  You know...so you closet drinkers can adapt to making this change.  Yes, I see you.)

When you go sugar free you have to read the labels of everything.  I plan on devoting an entire post on this.  Nerd alert:  I love reading food labels.  Seriously, I will pick up random crap at the grocery store just to read the food label for fun.

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A little sneak peak at food label reading - don't mind the calories or fat go straight to the carbs and sugar numbers.

Anything with more than 10 grams of sugar I stay away from.  I also look for foods with less than 15 grams of carbs per serving.  Skip down to the ingredients list and if you see more than five ingredients start getting worried.  If there are more than three ingredients you cannot pronounce - do not buy it.

But what about sugar subs?

Once upon a time sugar substitutes were considered fabulous (we call it the 70's and 80's when all bad things were amazingly awesome.  Like smoking in the grocery store!)  Then research proved that they are actually quite disgusting to your health.

This includes Splenda.  I worked with diabetics during the great Splenda rush and people were treating it like a form of gold.  Personally, I never liked it because of the horrendous after taste.  (However, in the sugar free cake mix it is undetectable!)

Sugar subs are linked to cancer - this hurts my feelings because Sweet n Low was my home slice for close to ever.

Here is some food for thought -

Sugar substitutes that are made in labs (just like medication that has a 45 minute listing of side effects from uncontrollable bowels, to adult onset acne, to decreased liver function, to death) and over time those subs have been tested on mice.  There has been a direct link between cancer cell formation and mice who were given the substitute.  Now I do get that they give the tiny mice an insane amount of the substitute but still - the chance is there.

And think about this - do you really want to eat something created in a lab?  We weren't made to do that, folks.  Our bodies should not be completely fine with eating anything created by people in goggles and white coats.  Unless we are Frankenstein then it is totally normal.

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Are you using that thinking cap yet?  Scary stuff isn't it?

Now breathe because we have something called natural substitutes!

Truvia is a great natural sub that you can learn to like.  It is really the only one that I personally trust on the market.

If you do THM you can enjoy their sweetening blends that are much more delectable for our sweet tooth selves.  (Don't worry I'll talk more about this in another later post.  Thanks to Emily over at Simply A Rough Draft I'm on this bandwagon whooping and hollering.)

I'm going to zip this part up because I plan to write more in another post on sugar subs, sugar alcohols, sugar, and more sweet stuff at another time.

What should you do to start your sugar detox?

First things first - take a tour of your kitchen.  This may hurt a bit so be firm with yourself.  You have two choices to make when you go through your food items:

Carb keeping or carb dropping.

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Carbs and sugars are one in the same but we won't get into the big differences right now.  That is another post entirely.  (Are you catching on this is becoming a big fat teaser post?)

I decided to drop carbs with my sugar.  That translates to bye bye bagels, English muffins, and other bread products I had.  It also meant that potatoes were put on the bad boy list and sent to food prison.  Flour?  No I'll take flowers instead, email me and I'll tell you where to send them to!

Sweetened cereals - fed to the birds.

Snack crackers - put in a box for the kids and hubby.

Candy - toodles.

Since I live in a house with two smaller children and a husband (who needs to gain weight) I seperated out what could stay for them and had to be banished from me.  My area of the kitchen is on the counter and is a nice selection of vegetables.  My refridgerator is filled with eggs, fresh meat, some cheeses, and veggies that need to be chilled.

I do not eat junk food.

I do not drink anything sweetened.  My coffee is black, my tea is unsweet, and my water is infused with lemon.

I promise my life is really good and I'm always satiated and happy with what I eat!  It is hard but it can be done, I promise!

I snack on mixed nuts (heart healthy blend) and I am slightly addicted to them!

But here's the crazy part....

Three weeks in I'm not ever "hungry" anymore.  I'm healthy and satiated.  I'm down a handful of pounds (5 to be correct right now), and feeling amazing.

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I'm not quite Jennifer Anniston <wink> but I'm working on it!

For next week I am putting together a post on nutrition labels and sugar subs.  My goal is to make it semi hilarious.  I want you to love this life change and love taking care of yourself.

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