So I started reading "Sugar Blues". This book has been around for a long time, first published in 1976 by author William Dufty. The week I started reading it Adam brought home a bag of cookies, gummy worms and my personal favorite...licorice (2lb. bag variety!!!!) aaaahhhhhhhhh!
Reading the history of sugar side by side with the history of humanities general degenerative health was enlightening. While reading, two desires rised within me. One, it's all got to go, NOW! The other was, um, licorice sounds good right now. Actually as I was reading some of the common signs and side effects of sugar addiction, my cravings for sugar grew insaciousable with each word. Watching these feelings and thoughts pass, it is apparent to me that my will (spirit) and my mind or (ego) are at constant odds with each other. Honestly, every day my mind conjures some sort of justification for a coke, knowing full well what it does to me.
Okay, so does this sound interesting, the battle of the ego verses will power. Well from here on out I am going to be documenting roughly a daily, weekly journal of what measures I am taking to save myself and my family from the sugar blues. I think the initial goal will be to live sugar free for 2 months straight. At the end of 2 months a review and family reward of some sort.
Week 1: All refined sugar was thrown out. Including brown sugar, which is nothing more than refined white sugar with a 10-13% molasses mixture to create the brown sugars color and texture. We went to Sprouts and purchased raw honey, and agave nectar that is extracted from the heart of the blue agave plant. I aslo bought a small tin of stevia disolvable sweetener that I can take with me anywhere to avoid the white crystals of doom at school or eating out. My biggest challenge is my drive thru soda. Yes, I even have one in front of me now. So tonight we are having a family meeting to lay out the new rules.
a.) no sugar cereals, snacks, treats or drinks in the house.
b.) make good choices when at school or friends houses. make sure to let others know that it's against family rules and ask for an apple or water to drink. If there are no good alternatives, learn to just say no thank you.
c.) everyone is responsible for reading labels, does it say "all natural" or does it say "organic/sugar free/no sugar added", KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!
d.) everyone needs help, so when one of us has a craving or is tempted lets talk about it and find a good alternative.
e.) grandpas, grandmas, aunties and uncles are all expected to encourage, support and respect rules set for the health and well being of our children and family. please be courteous and do not eat the forbidden fruit in front of the kids.
These are all things that will be discussed as a family. Feel free to share any other ideas of accomplishing this goal, we can use all the ideas we can get.
1 comment:
I went salt-free for about two weeks when I was pregnant with Jonah. It was A LOT harder than I expected, after that I decided that breakfast and lunch would be bare minimum salt and dinner would be whatever. It made me a lot more conscious of what I intake and I got my swollen ankles back to normal. I probably need to start lowering my sodium next month when I hit 6 months along in this pregnancy.
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