I turned 44 yesterday and passed one of the first milestones on this no sugar experiment. My birthday dinner if often centered around where I want to eat dessert. Sometimes because I am trying to keep those pesky glutens and dairy out of my diet (because they make my stomach unhappy) and sometimes because I just want to have it! Yesterday, because dessert was taken out of the equation I picked a restaurant based on the main meal itself and was able to enjoy that experience with my boys without a thought as to whether I'd be too full/stomach-hurty/fat/unhappy to eat dessert. And I am so pleased.
#Thisis44 is a common hashtag on my Facebook feed as many of my online friends are re-connections from high school. We are all turning 44 and trying to figure out what that means, what it looks like and how to move forward toward 50. eek.
So this morning I woke up sans hangover of any kind, really hungry, and ready to start my workday I was pleased that this experiment seems to be working. This may be 44, but I keep getting better - at least that's what my husband says.
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
What is sugar?
So I heard someone say, "...during that year you didn't eat sugar" during a podcast yesterday and I smiled to myself. I haven't eaten sugar for two months and I thought, "What if I did it for ten more months?" How extreme is that you wonder? Not so much when you consider I did it for health reasons. I have been trying for years to figure out what is going on with my body. At 40 my mind-body connection decided to go to pieces and I've been trying to unfuck it since. I've done a pretty good job going at it from all angles: diet, exercise, allergies tests, ENT, asthma medications, breathing, meditation, acupuncture. The result is pretty good health, but a constantly runny nose.
Why no sugar? One of the last remaining mental blocks I have around food is that constant wondering when I next get to eat it. And it makes me wonder, why would I let something else be in control of me? I have never liked it and have removed everything else that controls me, so why would I keep this one just for the sake of other peoples comfort and the occasional piece of cake. This time I wouldn't be quitting sugar for extrinsic reasons, it finally is because I want to feel better on the inside. I want to feel in control of my body (I really hate that runny nose). When my ND said no sugar for a month to see if that would fix my runny nose due to candida in my system you know I was willing to try it.
I'm not sure if you know, but I stopped drinking over four years ago. And it started with a few months, then 6 months, then a year and then... why drink? I feel better not drinking so why start again now. I noticed early how related drinking was to sugar and had a friend who drank a lot who told me they didn't have a sweet tooth... until they stopped drinking and noticed their sugar cravings. I've never claimed to be one of those silly savory people. I've developed a savory tooth over the years due to my diligence in my diet, but that sweet tooth still persists.
So when I heard no sugar for a year it echoed that feeling. I feel better with no sugar - and it isn't low inflammation, more energy stuff. I still have a runny nose and have been sick more in the past year then in my whole life, but I feel better not thinking about when I'm next going to eat sugar. There was a release at some point about two weeks into the start in March- oh, no sugar, great, let's move on. And what a breathe, a great deep one, that was. And is. So I'll continue to not eat sugar... Why make it formal? Because things are coming up - holidays that generally involve sugar, Mother's Day, my birthday, a post competition celebration and three birthdays in June. And I realized I was dreading them because I didn't want to start planning and thinking and hoping that I once again would get stuck in that rut of waiting for my next sugaring.
Before I move I need to know. What is sugar? And it seems to come down to honey. Added sugars are no. For sure. But honey as a flavoring seems to be bugging me. I talked to the hubbend and we wondered if zero meant zero or if there was a gradation of intent. Or was the total percentage within an item that constitutes "sugar". I've waffled and wondered now for a day about three items: ketchup, honey mustard dressing and PamNTam's (my local farmer) pork sausage. And I've decided, yes, they are sugar. Mostly because I don't want to give them up.
I am sitting here wondering what is next. My official start date was March 6. It's on?!?!
Why no sugar? One of the last remaining mental blocks I have around food is that constant wondering when I next get to eat it. And it makes me wonder, why would I let something else be in control of me? I have never liked it and have removed everything else that controls me, so why would I keep this one just for the sake of other peoples comfort and the occasional piece of cake. This time I wouldn't be quitting sugar for extrinsic reasons, it finally is because I want to feel better on the inside. I want to feel in control of my body (I really hate that runny nose). When my ND said no sugar for a month to see if that would fix my runny nose due to candida in my system you know I was willing to try it.
I'm not sure if you know, but I stopped drinking over four years ago. And it started with a few months, then 6 months, then a year and then... why drink? I feel better not drinking so why start again now. I noticed early how related drinking was to sugar and had a friend who drank a lot who told me they didn't have a sweet tooth... until they stopped drinking and noticed their sugar cravings. I've never claimed to be one of those silly savory people. I've developed a savory tooth over the years due to my diligence in my diet, but that sweet tooth still persists.
So when I heard no sugar for a year it echoed that feeling. I feel better with no sugar - and it isn't low inflammation, more energy stuff. I still have a runny nose and have been sick more in the past year then in my whole life, but I feel better not thinking about when I'm next going to eat sugar. There was a release at some point about two weeks into the start in March- oh, no sugar, great, let's move on. And what a breathe, a great deep one, that was. And is. So I'll continue to not eat sugar... Why make it formal? Because things are coming up - holidays that generally involve sugar, Mother's Day, my birthday, a post competition celebration and three birthdays in June. And I realized I was dreading them because I didn't want to start planning and thinking and hoping that I once again would get stuck in that rut of waiting for my next sugaring.
Before I move I need to know. What is sugar? And it seems to come down to honey. Added sugars are no. For sure. But honey as a flavoring seems to be bugging me. I talked to the hubbend and we wondered if zero meant zero or if there was a gradation of intent. Or was the total percentage within an item that constitutes "sugar". I've waffled and wondered now for a day about three items: ketchup, honey mustard dressing and PamNTam's (my local farmer) pork sausage. And I've decided, yes, they are sugar. Mostly because I don't want to give them up.
I am sitting here wondering what is next. My official start date was March 6. It's on?!?!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)