Working Off the Cookies, Cakes, & Candy of the Holidays
Holiday time is when I am most tempted by sugar. I find myself eating cookies or chocolate Christmas trees to give myself a boost from the holiday induced fatigue. Also, cookies taste really good! Weaning yourself off sugar can be hard. Yet, if you have a serious sugar addiction it’s important to bring attention to the problem. Sugar can be a factor in diabetes, obesity, and neurological decline. It also is terrible for your skin as breaks down collagen and can cause early ageing. Here are some tips to help you start New Year off right. Side note, never start a radical diet change if you are in the midst of a big life change such as starting a new job or going through an emotional crisis.
Do not keep sugar, sugar substitutes or white foods in the house.
Throw away all sugar. Do not substitute with sugar free treats or sweeteners, as they stimulate your palate towards sugar. Stevia will keep your mind and taste buds locked on sugar. Lose yogurt with sugar, white pasta and white bread and crackers. This also feeds the sugar monster as it quickly converts into sugar in your bloodstream.
Eat fruit: any fresh fruit is wonderful.
Organic is best, especially if eating the skin. Berries, pears and kiwis are all low sugar. For non-berry fruit, choose no more than 3 pieces of fruit a day while in this transition. If the fruit has skin, like an apple make sure and eat it as it contains good fiber.
Side note: It is important not to have juice while you cut out sugar. This means no fruit juice or vegetable juice. When you juice, you lose fiber, which helps slow down the sugar consumption.
Stress
Get to the bottom of your craving: is it stress, and are you low in serotonin or dopamine? Or maybe you are lacking something in your nutrition. If you are a woman that craves chocolate, you may need more magnesium. Chocolate has magnesium so we gravitate towards chocolate to fill that need. If you suffer from yeast infections or you’re a beer-guzzling guy you might have too much yeast in your system. Yeast feeds off sugar and can increase sugar cravings greatly.
Balance
Social and work life: when I worked at an elementary school there seemed to be a birthday cake every week in the classroom. I made a rule by myself the first day of work. Never eat cake. For me one taste of cake can lead to a sugar-eating binge. Office parties and other events can make it hard to say no. Grab a glass of seltzer and know it gets easier.
Avoid Sugar
Give up your sugar related activities: I know this may be a hard one if you have children in the house. Have a friend or babysitter host the cookie baking party or take the kids out for ice cream. You are not available. Distract yourself away from the sugar: in the first week of giving up sugar nothing is going to be a good substitute. The fruit can help the sugar withdrawal from feeling so extreme and give your thyroid a gentle boost. But let’s face it, fruit is not Ben & Jerry’s. Call a friend on the phone as you walk by your favorite bakery. Find a fixer-upper project around the house. Dive into a good book or podcast.
Culture
Cultural Contact: it’s important to surround yourself with other like-minded people. It’s really hard to get out of sugar if your roommate is bringing home chocolate every night. Just by going to a Pilates mat class and seeing other people working out can keep you going. So can being around books and online groups such as blogs, magazines and you-tube videos that support a non-sugar lifestyle.
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