How’s your relationship with the sweet stuff?
Is it just me?? I’m kinda embarrassed to say that when it comes to sugar — I have a problem. It’s a problem that I have to get under control. over and over again it seems. ššš
Recently, I heard JLo lay down a challenge to Hoda from the Today Show — a 10 day challenge – 10 days without sugar or carbs. WOW!! Maybe I am not alone with my struggle with sugar and carb snacking!! The deal is that quite a few times a year, I end up on the super struggle bus with with my sweet tooth and snacking habits – candy, ice cream and cheez-its to be specific. I am not proud to admit that when I’m struggling that I find myself making frequent stops at convenience stores for one reason or another – you know, for something I MUST HAVE – when really it’s all because I wanted to feed my sugar fix.
How can we be so strong — I mean, as women, wives, mothers – we want and try to DO IT ALL, right?? How can we know the right things to do and then still make choices that are bad for us??? Iām not putting down all sugar and snacks – for instance, I love FRUIT!!! I know I can manage these habits!!! Why, oh, why do things get WAY out of control sometimes – those times that I find myself eating one treat and then one more and then one more. Sound familiar??
This will mark my fourth year into clean eating, so I surely know enough about healthy snacks and making good choices!! I had a list of go-to snacks and in case there are more women like me, I decided to put jot those down and offer it to you for free! You can download the list – plus a 2 week tracker to record what you’re snacking on and where you can make some changes to get back on track and just say no to your sweet tooth with me! Grab it here!
OK, back to the 10 day challenge!!
Has this ever happened to you? Right at a time that you need something, you hear or see something that is right in line with your thoughts? That’s what happened here – the 10 day challenge came at the perfect time!! While I knew I wasnāt going to do the challenge quite like JLo and Hoda — no way I would give up fruit!! I knew I could take the challenge and make it my own AND I decided to also offer the challenge to my social media friends and fans. I am happy to say that quite a few messaged me and we supported each other for the 10 days! I wasn’t perfect when we got to days 8, 9 and 10, but I did lose an inch on my waist and about an inch on my hips too!
I had to do a real mindset check – and it’s just true that one of my biggest challenges is SNACKING – we get in these mental habits about ‘needing’ food at certain times of day or we have environmental triggers that lead to snacking. When we don’t fuel our bodies with a good choice snack, we fill that void with āotherā choices!! Pretzels from the pretzel bin, candy dishes, honestly, WHATEVER!!! I have a list of my go-to snacks on a free download if you want to grab it!!
When are your worst snacking times?
Mine are right when I get home after work and then again in the evening — after dinner.
For days 1-3 of the challenge, I decided to follow a detox plan I had done before – a high protein, plant based detox to really break my sugar cravings. I truly believe I have a mental addiction with sugar and I have to go cold turkey – one small treat and it’s all downhill from there. Who feels me here, ladies?!
Healthy snacking tips
- Pack your snacks!!
- Clear the pantry
- Eat before you go to a gathering
- Stock up on healthy snacks like the ones on my snack and track list!
- Commit to not eating after dinner!
Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe!
Here’s an easy baking recipe that you might like – swap out a few ingredients for a healthier chocolate chip cookie!
Do you know how sugar works in your body??
No matter what itās called, sugar is sugar, and having too much of it will have a negative effect on your body in many ways. Hereās a closer look at how sugar and your health.
Our Brain & Sugar
Eating sugar gives our brain a surge of a feel-good chemical called dopamine. That totally explains my cravings for a sweet snack after school – it’s the time I need a pick me up! My brain knows I should choose an apple or a carrot, but… those types of snacks – fruits and veggies – donāt cause our brain to release as much dopamine, and then our brain tells us we need more and more sugar to get that to that FEEL GOOD feeling, which is what we are actually craving. This causes those āgotta-have-itā feelings for your after-dinner ice cream that are so hard to tame.
Our Joints & Sugar
I have a problem with elbow pain! I was surprised to learn that joint pain is another reason to cut back on candy. It turns out that eating a lot of sweet treats has been shown to worsen joint pain because of the inflammation sugars cause in the body. Studies show that sugar consumption can even increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
Our Weight & Sugar
Pretty sure we already know this one — the more sugar we eat, the more we will weigh. Research shows that people who drink sugar-sweetened beverages tend to weigh more – one study even found that people who increased their sugar intake gained about 1.7 pounds in less than 2 months. One way to cut down is to eat whole fruit and not drink sweetened juices and beverages. Look at the labels on your food products and watch out when sugar is one of the first ingredients. I highly recommend you check out the movie That Sugar Film!