First things first! Hi! Oh my goodness, look I'm blogging again!? Again? You ask. Yep people, back in the day{one less move and before I was even forty}, I used to blog my little heart out about my family, and my house projects, and I don't know, I guess the real struggles of a stay at home mom {princess of quite a lot. Go there but no need to read my ramblings!} Man these days are different. One more move, kiddos a few years older, my own self moving past 40 and a new beloved passion and hobby. So here I am, writing again, which I have desperately missed but been uninspired to do until now!! Y'all I feel like I need to have a post of epic proportions, but you know what, time is a wasting and I have people I want to inspire. Let's just get to the point. A healthy point. Lets talk about sugar, or for that matter, lets stop talking about sugar once and for all.
We all know it's bad. Sugar. It should be the new "S" word. It's naughty. We watch the amounts we give our kids, we carefully help them make healthy choices, but do you take the same amount of care when considering sugar in your own diet? I've seen it for years people. The mom who only feeds her child organic this and that, all the while stuffing cupcakes in her mouth because...well... she emotionally spent, tired, over whelmed, addicted to the high{sugar actually stimulates the same brain receptors as heroin and morphine and also interferes with the hormones that let us know when we are full}. Is that too harsh? I don't know, It's a bit of a tough love subject because sugar is wrecking women up. Listen, birthday cake is good and butter cream frosting is the bomb, but unless you have 365 kids, you shouldn't be eating it everyday! Period. Not cake, not cookies, not sugar. So, how do you get rid of it? It's a baby step process, cold turkey may have some ill effects on you{think drug addict}, so you take the process slow and make it stick and then vow to never turn back. Here are a few steps to help:
1. Deal with your emotions. Oh, emotional eating makes me sad. It's a real thingthough and if you are aware of how you feel when you are reaching for sugar you are more likely to conquer the craving. Stress can cause your brain to tell your adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol causing blood sugars and blood pressure to increase, and that's when sugar cravings move in. Be present with your stress, be aware of your sugar triggers. Try to do something instead of eating. Get the heck out of the kitchen and take a walk. Play with the dog, go flat iron your hair for goodness sakes, I know right? but it works, I used to do it all the time. Just try to find another way to deal.
2. Plan your sweet cheats. No one enjoys feeling deprived. While sugar is bad for you, it is also a wonderful way to make fun summer memories, or celebrate a special occasion. It can be enjoyed and put a smile on your face when you know exactly what you want and when you're going to have it. Being more intentional about how and when your going to eat it makes it that much...sweeter. Say your little one turns six at the end of the week. You know you want to enjoy birthday cake, try waiting until then to have a sweet treat. You'll appreciate it, you'll feel good about your will power instead of pushing away from the table declaring you shouldn't have had it, feeling guilty, bad about yourself. There's just no need for that dialogue to continue in your head.
3. Add more protein to your diet. Protein throughout the day, starting with breakfast{please tell me you eat breakfast!}, can provide the stable energy your body needs as well as regulate your mood. As your body adjusts to this stability, your sugar craving become less. Shoot for at least 25 grams of protein a meal. Make your snacks protein packed as well. Almonds and almond butter are my personal, all time, cant live without them, favorites!
4. Read the label. Sugar is every where you don't expect it to be. It's sometimes the first or second ingredient in condiments, they are all over the place in things like yogurt and granola, and even watching the amount of fruit you eat is important. Apples, bananas, and grapes are three fruits that people eat without guilt but turn into several cubes worth of sugar in your body. Stick with berries, and spend some extra time in the grocery store reading the ingredients to your pantry staples. All these little changes make for BIG results on the inside and outside of your body!