Many of us are addicted to sugar and don’t even know it.

Being addicted to sugar is not just bad for you, it could be deadly.  Over consumption of sugar has been directly linked to obesity and heart disease as well as other health issues.

Conquering a sugar addition could be the life change you need, to be able to lose weight, eat healthily and have more energy.

Sugar is not part of the food pyramid.  It is not a part of a healthy diet.  We need fruits and vegetables, protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  We don’t need sugar.   

Processed foods are jam-packed with hidden sugar.  Even many home-cooked dishes are unnecessarily sweetened.

I was reading a corn recipe this past weekend.  After the fresh corn was removed from the cobb, several tablespoons of sugar were added to the dish.

Many of us are guilty of over-sweetening.  We often add sugar to beans, carrots, cornbread, and even sweet potatoes.  Have you ever ordered a sweet potato in a steakhouse?  They typically come buried in brown sugar.

I have sat down to potluck dinners and felt like everything on my plate was sweet.

BEWARE OF FAKE SWEETENERS

Even when people are diligent to remove sugar from their diet – it is common to continue drinking sweet drinks that use artificial ingredients to provide that sweet-fix.

By continuing to feed our taste for sweets we are prolonging our addiction.

THE HIDDEN PROBLEM

The more I learn about life-long health, the more I am convinced that sugar is the leading factor sabotaging healthy lives.

So many folks eat their vegetables, drink their smoothies, scramble fresh eggs and grill pastured meat.  We are putting healthy foods in our bodies.  These excellent diets can be easily destroyed by Cliff bars (17-22 grams of sugar), sweetened yogurt (26 grams of sugar), Naked Fruit Smoothies (53 grams of sugar), Larabars (17 grams of sugar) and sweet drinks (up to 39 grams of sugar depending on the drink).

WE ARE ADDICTED

Face it folks, as a nation, we are addicted.

If we can’t have the real thing, we want imitation sweets just to make our taste buds happy.

WHY WE NEED TO STOP CONSUMING SWEETS

SYMPTOMS OF SUGAR ADDICTION:

1. Yo-Yo Dieting
2. Extra weight
3. Daily Energy Crashes
4. Cravings between meals
5. Cravings for sweet foods
6. Cravings for sweet drinks

BENEFITS OF A SUGAR-FREE LIFE

WEIGHTLOSS

When we cut sugar from our diets, we will eat more nutritious foods.  Fresh fruit, berries, and carrots will replace sweet treats.

You’ll eat fewer carbs and calories encouraging weight stability.

You’ll probably get a flatter stomach.  Sugar is filled with empty calories that add bulk to our waistlines.  When sugar is removed from our diets, it is most quickly noticed in the belly.

FEWER SICK DAYS

Sugar suppresses the immune system for up to 4 hours and prevents it from working properly.  Do you have children who seem to fight colds and illnesses often?  Sugar could be to blame.

Many children eat a steady diet of sugar.  They have sugary cereal for breakfast.  Then yogurt, fruit snacks or granola bars with lunch and sweets after dinner.

They literally go from one sugar-high to the next.  Imagine if their immune system is trying to fight against a virus.  The continual supply of sugar is depressing their little immune systems, making it difficult, if not impossible, to fight.

MORE NATURAL ENERGY

If you have been depending on sugar, you may not know what it feels like to have natural energy.  You can have lasting, vibrant energy from real foods without the crash at the end.

ENJOY OTHER FLAVORS

It is amazing how delicious spicey, savory and creamy become when you stop feeding your sweet tooth.  There are so many other delicious culinary treats for our tastebuds.

NO MORE SUGAR CRAVINGS

It was not until weeks after I gave up sugar that my tastebuds adjusted.

Sugar is highly addictive.  The more you consume it, the more of it you’ll want to consume.  It is a vicious cycle that leads to, unfortunately, more and more sugar.

The cycle begins and ends with sugar.  Once you are on it, it is challenging to get off.

STOP IT ALREADY

The good news is that sugar addiction can be broken.  In some cases, this can happen in less than 2 weeks.  It took longer for me, but I was a closet-Nutella-addict.  I ate the stuff by the spoonful… multiple times a day.

I am not proud.

Even if you are eating spoonfuls of creamed sugar throughout the day, you can break free.

STEP ONE-

Remove all sugar and process food from your home.  If it is not there you can not eat it.

STEP TWO-

Be sure to eat a balanced diet (especially early in the day).  I personally do not eat breakfast at a normal breakfast time.  I begin my day with coffee around 8 am (I am on a bullet-proof coffee kick right now) and eat my first meal around 11:00.  Be sure your first meal contains carbs, protein, and fat.  My 11 am meal usually consists of eggs, fruit (like tomatoes or avocado), veggies (like onions, peppers or spinach) and maybe meat.

Many times we have cravings simply because our bodies are not getting the nutrients it needs.

Eat foods that provide energy and lasting fulfillment.  Include power foods like eggs, avocado and protein (pastured meats) with each meal.  These can keep you satisfied for hours.

STEP THREE- 

Drink the right things.  Drink plenty of water.  Drink fresh juices.  Drink green or herbal tea (unsweetened).  Enjoy drinking hot tea in the afternoons and evenings.

STEP FOUR-

Prepare for success.  I drag coolers of food with me almost every time I leave my house.  I tend to eat what I grow here on the homestead, so I don’t like being backed into a (hungry) corner and forced to choose from bad options.

STEP FIVE-

Beware of evenings.  Most people have the strongest cravings for sweets in the evenings.  Expect and be prepared to win the battle.  Some things you can do to combat the sugar crave after dinner in the evenings:

• Brush your teeth.
• Drink hot tea (decaf).
• Drink lots of water.
• Exercise.  Go for a walk.

BUT IT’S MY BIRTHDAY-

Although I do not eat sugar on a regular basis, I am all for that special occasion treat.  I believe that God gave us honey, maple syrup, sugar cane, and many sweet fruits, all to be enjoyed.

I think the secret to appreciating sweets is to make it a treat.  I think a good rule is that when you splurge, make it yourself and use real ingredients.

If it is your birthday, have some pie, or cake, or ice cream, or a cookie.  I will probably have this Bourbon Bananas Foster on mine (to die for).

All things in moderation, friends.  It is not the birthday cake that is the problem.  It is the daily sugar intake that is killing us.

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Stay Healthy!

XO,

Candi