You're Doing it Wrong

http://cdn.eatlocalgrown.com/5-quit-sugar.html?c=nsm

The other day one of my Facebook folks posted this link, then mentioned that they ‘don’t agree’ with #4. A few other people jumped on the bandwagon and agreed that #4 is not possible.

I am going to jump on my soapbox here, and tell you this: if you are still craving things like cake, candy, cookies, and so forth, then you didn’t really quit sugar.  You quit Treats.

I have been FULLY sugar free for 3 weeks now. The only form of ‘sugar’ I have is in fresh fruit, and I only eat one serving a day, usually a banana or apple. And I don’t have cravings anymore. I did at first, really strong, agonizing ones, but I don’t have them anymore.

In my opinion, if you don’t want sugar cravings you have to completely give up sugar, all sugar, in any form. In my observation people “give up” sugar, when all they are really doing is giving up the C’s: cookies, cake, Coke, and candy. Ahem. There is sugar in more than those things. While giving those up will benefit your healthy, you cannot claim to have given up sugar. You have given up treats.

There is a huge difference.

Let me open your eyes a bit to some items that have sugar in them, that if you keep eating them, you are going to continue to have cravings for those treats you gave up. And yes, I looked at labels on food items that are currently in my fridge (but I am not eating, because I have legitimately given up sugar) or on my regular shopping list. These items actually have sugar added to them.

-          Pre-packaged lunch meat

-          Ketchup

-          Mayonnaise

-          Hot sauce

-          Vinegar

-          Spice mixes (out of the over 25 spices we have, only about 5 have no sugar in them. Only one mix has no sugar in it. This means no curry mix or Jamaican jerk rub or lemon pepper)

-          Salsa (some brands are sugar free)

-          Hot dogs

-          Bacon

-          Sausage

-          Bread (both white and whole wheat)

-          Salad Dressings

-          Yogurt

-          Milk

-          Etc.

There’s also those natural sugars that will still cause those cravings to manifest. In order to stop the cravings you will also have to give up things like:

-Molasses

-Honey

-Maple Syrup

-Sorghum

-etc.

Finally, you will have to give up artificial sweeteners. Why? You ask. Technically they aren’t sugar, so they aren’t harmful.

Umm…. You’re brain can’t tell the difference between fake sugar and real sugar and natural sugars. If you are using artificial sweeteners like stevia, sweet n low, and all those, your brain is still processing them as sugar which in turn lights up the addiction part of your brain which will perpetuate your cravings. You won't get away from the cravings. EVER. 

If you have “given up” sugar, but are still having cravings, I’m sorry, but you did it wrong.

So, PLEASE don’t whine about giving up sugar but still having cravings. Or how hard it is to give up sugar, when all you really did was give up treat sugar. Because some of us have really, truly given up ALL sugar. We have had migraines, rashes, nausea, and even in some cases tremors, sweating, anxiety and depression, and insomnia. All of these are symptoms of drug withdrawal, so I think it says a lot about sugar if you have these same symptoms when you FULLY and COMPLETELY give it up.

Give up sugar for real, and then come back and talk.