Day 4 - As It Turns Out, I'm Addicted to Sugar

Who knew I was actually physically addicted to sugar? I mean, every article and study I ever read about sugar indicated that unless you are eating a strict no added sugar no flour diet, you are likely addicted to sugar, but I didn't believe it. I didn't believe it until the withdrawal symptoms kicked in.

I expected sugar cravings when I removed sugar from my diet. But I did not expect headaches or muscle aches. When your body withdraws from sugar it can actually feel like you are coming down with the flu.

So what does that say about sugar and your body's natural systems? Yikes.

I am starting day 4 of this challenge and I already had to modify things a bit to make life tolerable. I am weaning myself off of sugar instead of going cold turkey and that is working well for me. In the world of addiction people call this harm reduction. I might still be consuming a tiny bit of sugar (half of a tablespoon of creamer in my coffee, to be exact - that's it), but I am in a much healthier place than I was 5 days ago. High five to me!

What I honestly like best about this food challenge so far is that it has brought an awareness to not only the negative effects of sugar on my body, but it also has brought an awareness to how many things have added sugar in them! I read every label now before I eat (if it has added sugar or flour in the first 3 ingredients I don't eat it), and I have been astonished, to say the least. For example, I have a container of Campbell's "ready to heat" tomato soup in my desk at work. I read its label and sugar is the second ingredient! Not something I would have expected to have added sugar (or to have it in the first 3 ingredients). It's becoming clear to me that the reason my body is physically addicted to sugar is not because I like chocolate and ice cream or creamer in my coffee (although those play a role), but more because sugar is hidden in basically everything I eat, even the stuff I always assumed was "healthy" or "healthier". Again, I kept reading these facts in articles and such before I started this challenge, but I didn't really believe it until I experienced it firsthand.

Yesterday was a hard day for me. I was hungry and irritable. But then I realized I was probably missing some key nutrients (protein and healthy fats are essential) so I made sure I had a delicious well-rounded dinner.

If I make it one week on this challenge I will be proud. I know next week will be extremely hard between Christmas, family parties, and the fact I will be on vacation. I will continue with "harm reduction" and making the healthiest choices I can. I am already down 3 pounds so that is motivation for me to continue if nothing else. Not that weight loss is the "be all end all" but it is nice to be rewarded with shedding a few pounds after working hard to eat well.

The biggest takeaways I hope to gain in this food challenge experience are that I need to be more mindful about processed foods and added sugars and I need to learn to treat food as fuel and not as a source of comfort. Reframing my thinking about food is key to being healthier overall. It's time to apply some of what I learned about alcohol to junk/processed food. But that being said, balance is key - food isn't like alcohol, it can't be an all or nothing approach, I need to find a healthy balance to be happy and healthy. My plan is to work on that in the coming year. Onwards and upwards, my friends.