Not to be prideful or anything...but I have to say I'm pretty impressed we've actually made it to day 15. There have been so many times in the last two weeks I could feel my body crying out for my friend sugar. Many times I've felt like everything would be better if I could just have some ice cream or even a strawberry or a little sugar in my coffee. So I keep thinking about the goal of this little experiment: breaking our sugar addiction and changing our taste buds.
I've been addicted to the sweet stuff so long I don't really know what life could be like without it. Sugar has sweetened my life for years. To be painfully honest, there's not many things that sweeten life for me in the same way sugar has. The more I search my heart, the more I am seeing that sugar has been my god. It has been my source of comfort, happiness, excitement, entertainment, companionship, and the center of so many of my thoughts. I'm finally beginning the process of considering something else to turn to for sweetness. But what could that be? ....hmmm, I think I already know :)
So the experiment continues.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
Quitting Sugar Day 5
Wow, to be honest I am impressed that we have made it to day 5. In the grand scheme of things 5 days isn't a long time, but it's a great start for us! I knew this was going to be tough, and it has been. There are so many moments where I feel like my body is calling for something sweet. I'm trying to recognize however, that my body is just fine. It's my mind that is so desperately missing its sweet fix. I know many people who say they don't really care for sweets. They can take 'em or leave 'em. I am definitely not one of those people....oh, how I wish I was.
Sugar is my drug of choice. Somehow everything just feels better when sugar is involved. I can sense that my relationship to sugar is profoundly unhealthy because rarely do I have something sweet and feel satisfied when it is gone. I always want more. In one sense, it's almost easier to not have any sugar at all because I don't have to face the obsessive want for more after it's gone. (or at least I keep telling myself it's easier!) I've replaced my daily sweet treats with an excessive amount of nuts. I know filling my sugar void with nuts isn't really a good idea, but for now I'm taking it one step at a time.
So here we are on day 5. This is hard. But we haven't given up yet. Let the no sugar experiment continue!
Sugar is my drug of choice. Somehow everything just feels better when sugar is involved. I can sense that my relationship to sugar is profoundly unhealthy because rarely do I have something sweet and feel satisfied when it is gone. I always want more. In one sense, it's almost easier to not have any sugar at all because I don't have to face the obsessive want for more after it's gone. (or at least I keep telling myself it's easier!) I've replaced my daily sweet treats with an excessive amount of nuts. I know filling my sugar void with nuts isn't really a good idea, but for now I'm taking it one step at a time.
So here we are on day 5. This is hard. But we haven't given up yet. Let the no sugar experiment continue!
Monday, April 21, 2014
Quitting Sugar Day One
Since beginning our new way of eating a few months ago, we seen our ups and downs. At times we feel like we are eating pretty well, and other times everything seems to just go out the window. Throughout this journey there is one thing we seem to just keep coming back to...our old friend sugar. We tend to trick ourselves into believing consuming sugar is ok by using honey, maple syrup, or other natural sweeteners (even the calorie free kind like stevia). After taking an honest look at what we eat and how we think, we've realized we're addicted to the sweet stuff. The thought of taking the sweetness out our food, feels like taking the sweetness out of our lives! In light of this realization, we read I Quit Sugar by Sarah Wilson. Her story gave us the inspiration to give quitting sugar a TRY.
In her book, Sarah Wilson suggests giving up all sugar for 8 weeks. This 8 week period is suggested in order to break the sugar addiction that many people (including us!) have. After the 8 weeks are over, she says some sweetness can be added back into the diet in small amounts.
Because of who we are and our track record with sugar, the everything in moderation idea isn't a good fit for us....so here's to quitting sugar day one!
(...did I mention we went out for extra large ice cream sundaes last night?)
In her book, Sarah Wilson suggests giving up all sugar for 8 weeks. This 8 week period is suggested in order to break the sugar addiction that many people (including us!) have. After the 8 weeks are over, she says some sweetness can be added back into the diet in small amounts.
Because of who we are and our track record with sugar, the everything in moderation idea isn't a good fit for us....so here's to quitting sugar day one!
(...did I mention we went out for extra large ice cream sundaes last night?)
Monday, March 24, 2014
Step Three: Exchanging Our Vegetable Oil for BUTTER!
What's so bad about vegetable oil? It has the word vegetable in it, so it should be healthy, right?
The more I read, the more I am noticing a common theme. Nature (God) got it right in the first place. Many of the problems with our food today have come from people, who no matter their intentions, couldn't improve on what nature had to offer. This concept is especially true with fat. Fats found in nature are healthy, and fats made in factories are not.
Good fats are some of the best foods we can eat, and bad fats are some of the most toxic. Thankfully, knowing which fats to avoid and which ones to eat is relatively simple: natural fats=good and processed fats=bad. If I can get technical for a minute, I can try to explain why certain fats can be toxic while others are healthy.
Vegetable oils are made up primarily of polyunsaturated fats, which unlike saturated fat are extremely heat sensitive. Due to their molecular structure, polyunsaturated fats are very susceptible to oxidation when heated. When the oxidized (distorted) molecules in polyunsaturated fat enter the body, they are able to reproduce at the rate of billions per second creating free radicals. Free radicals are electrons that have been mutated, and in the body they have been linked to almost every known disease. Free radicals act like molecular radiation, burning everything they come into contact with. This will create inflammation within the body that can disrupt normal metabolic function. Good fats on the other hand, do not have the same damaging effects and can actually be anti-inflammatory. This is because the saturated fat found in good fats can take the heat used in cooking. Their molecular structure stands strong, does not mutate, and therefore doesn't create free radicals.
Why then were we always told to avoid butter and animal fats? Why were we told that margarine and canola oil were healthier alternatives? A lot of the misleading research came from a man named Ancel Keys, who I can discuss further in a later post :) I would argue the food industry has supported these false claims around fats because vegetable oils are much less costly sources of fat. In order to protect their bottom line (rather than our health) the food industry has financially supported organizations such as the American Heart Association and others that have led the public to believe that cheap vegetable oil is a healthier alternative to the saturated fat found in nature.
Fats to Avoid
Canola oil
Soy oil
Sunflower oil
Cottonseed oil
Corn oil
Grapeseed oil
Safflower oil
Non-butter spreads like margarine and any other so called "heart-healthy butter substitute"(even if it's labeled trans fat free)
Fats to Enjoy
Butter
Coconut oil
Palm oil
Animal fats
Peanut oil
Olive oil
Watch out!! This step has been particularly difficult. Once we became aware of it, we realized the fats we trying to avoid were in everything! Anything cooked in a restaurant and almost everything pre-packaged in the store contains vegetable oils. So, like with everything else....we are giving ourselves grace with this one too.
The more I read, the more I am noticing a common theme. Nature (God) got it right in the first place. Many of the problems with our food today have come from people, who no matter their intentions, couldn't improve on what nature had to offer. This concept is especially true with fat. Fats found in nature are healthy, and fats made in factories are not.
Good fats are some of the best foods we can eat, and bad fats are some of the most toxic. Thankfully, knowing which fats to avoid and which ones to eat is relatively simple: natural fats=good and processed fats=bad. If I can get technical for a minute, I can try to explain why certain fats can be toxic while others are healthy.
Vegetable oils are made up primarily of polyunsaturated fats, which unlike saturated fat are extremely heat sensitive. Due to their molecular structure, polyunsaturated fats are very susceptible to oxidation when heated. When the oxidized (distorted) molecules in polyunsaturated fat enter the body, they are able to reproduce at the rate of billions per second creating free radicals. Free radicals are electrons that have been mutated, and in the body they have been linked to almost every known disease. Free radicals act like molecular radiation, burning everything they come into contact with. This will create inflammation within the body that can disrupt normal metabolic function. Good fats on the other hand, do not have the same damaging effects and can actually be anti-inflammatory. This is because the saturated fat found in good fats can take the heat used in cooking. Their molecular structure stands strong, does not mutate, and therefore doesn't create free radicals.
Why then were we always told to avoid butter and animal fats? Why were we told that margarine and canola oil were healthier alternatives? A lot of the misleading research came from a man named Ancel Keys, who I can discuss further in a later post :) I would argue the food industry has supported these false claims around fats because vegetable oils are much less costly sources of fat. In order to protect their bottom line (rather than our health) the food industry has financially supported organizations such as the American Heart Association and others that have led the public to believe that cheap vegetable oil is a healthier alternative to the saturated fat found in nature.
Fats to Avoid
Canola oil
Soy oil
Sunflower oil
Cottonseed oil
Corn oil
Grapeseed oil
Safflower oil
Non-butter spreads like margarine and any other so called "heart-healthy butter substitute"(even if it's labeled trans fat free)
Fats to Enjoy
Butter
Coconut oil
Palm oil
Animal fats
Peanut oil
Olive oil
Watch out!! This step has been particularly difficult. Once we became aware of it, we realized the fats we trying to avoid were in everything! Anything cooked in a restaurant and almost everything pre-packaged in the store contains vegetable oils. So, like with everything else....we are giving ourselves grace with this one too.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Step Two: Not Eating Products Labeled "Gluten Free"
After giving up wheat products, came another shocking blow...we shouldn't really be eating any packaged foods labeled "gluten free." (We still ate the gluten free pizza crust I had in the house. I just didn't buy it again...one step at a time right?!)
As I researched further, I discovered that it's not really about the gluten in food, it's about foods that create blood sugar spikes. High blood sugar is not only a contributing factor to weight gain, it is also has a very negative influence on the brain. The big myth about wheat products is that they are somehow healthier than other carbohydrates, when in fact even whole grain/whole wheat products raise blood sugar just as much as a candy bar. Most packaged gluten free foods also have a similar effect on blood sugar by replacing wheat with products that also raise blood sugar such as cornstarch, rice flour, potato starch, or tapioca starch.
So what are we left with? Once again we were led back to real foods...fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, eggs, meat, cheese, etc.
Surprise, surprise.
As I researched further, I discovered that it's not really about the gluten in food, it's about foods that create blood sugar spikes. High blood sugar is not only a contributing factor to weight gain, it is also has a very negative influence on the brain. The big myth about wheat products is that they are somehow healthier than other carbohydrates, when in fact even whole grain/whole wheat products raise blood sugar just as much as a candy bar. Most packaged gluten free foods also have a similar effect on blood sugar by replacing wheat with products that also raise blood sugar such as cornstarch, rice flour, potato starch, or tapioca starch.
So what are we left with? Once again we were led back to real foods...fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, eggs, meat, cheese, etc.
Surprise, surprise.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Step One: Becoming Socially Awkward...... aka Gluten Free
For the last several years I've known more and more people who for various reasons are "gluten free." I've always found these people a little bit irritating. People have been eating wheat forever. So why is everyone today all of a sudden allergic to wheat? To be honest, I believed it was something people just did out of ignorance. Most "gluten free" people I knew had been eating gluten all their lives, and one day decided they were allergic to it. In my mind, this supposed wheat allergy was nothing more than an annoyance to everyone else in the real world. Sure, I knew about celiac disease, but because it effects such a small percentage of the population I felt that most gluten-freer's were just making life more difficult than necessary.
Then my husband and I read the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. In his book, Dr. Davis makes an argument for eliminating all wheat productions from one's diet. He does so by explaining that today's wheat has been so genetically modified that it looks nothing like the wheat of the Bible or even the wheat of 100 years ago. Due to this genetic modification, even a slice of all natural organic whole grain bread (such as Ezekiel bread) will raise blood sugar as much as a candy bar. What?! I thought my organic whole wheat bread was good for me.
Dr. Davis also provides many examples of individuals with varying health issues who removed wheat from their diets and found their health concerns had vanished. Since his trademark tagline is "lose the wheat, lose the weight" and we were in the market for a little weight loss, we decided to give it a try.
For the last couple months we have not eaten any of the wheat products we used to love. It was difficult at first, but through the removal of wheat our eyes were slowly opened to a wide array of other real foods....like fruits, vegetables, nuts, meats, eggs, etc. Of course we always knew we should be eating more of these types of foods, but convenience usually won. Opening a box of crackers for a snack or pouring a bowl of cereal for breakfast was (and unfortunately still is) just a lot easier. But little did we know, we were paying a price for convenience.
Since removing all wheat products from our diet, my husband has lost over 20 pounds and my chronic acid reflux has vanished. For the record, we've given wheat a second chance on a couple occasions. For both of us, the reintroduction of wheat caused heart burn and stomach irritation that made the taste of the wheat containing foods just not worth it.
Two months later we are still "gluten free" and yes, somewhat socially awkward.
Then my husband and I read the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. In his book, Dr. Davis makes an argument for eliminating all wheat productions from one's diet. He does so by explaining that today's wheat has been so genetically modified that it looks nothing like the wheat of the Bible or even the wheat of 100 years ago. Due to this genetic modification, even a slice of all natural organic whole grain bread (such as Ezekiel bread) will raise blood sugar as much as a candy bar. What?! I thought my organic whole wheat bread was good for me.
Dr. Davis also provides many examples of individuals with varying health issues who removed wheat from their diets and found their health concerns had vanished. Since his trademark tagline is "lose the wheat, lose the weight" and we were in the market for a little weight loss, we decided to give it a try.
For the last couple months we have not eaten any of the wheat products we used to love. It was difficult at first, but through the removal of wheat our eyes were slowly opened to a wide array of other real foods....like fruits, vegetables, nuts, meats, eggs, etc. Of course we always knew we should be eating more of these types of foods, but convenience usually won. Opening a box of crackers for a snack or pouring a bowl of cereal for breakfast was (and unfortunately still is) just a lot easier. But little did we know, we were paying a price for convenience.
Since removing all wheat products from our diet, my husband has lost over 20 pounds and my chronic acid reflux has vanished. For the record, we've given wheat a second chance on a couple occasions. For both of us, the reintroduction of wheat caused heart burn and stomach irritation that made the taste of the wheat containing foods just not worth it.
Two months later we are still "gluten free" and yes, somewhat socially awkward.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
One Step at a Time....the Key Our Success
Looking at all the information out there today regarding health and nutrition is incredibly overwhelming. There are so many different personalities, books, websites, etc. claiming to have unlocked the magical nutritional or weight loss secret. Who is right? The French women who don't get fat due to strict portion control? Chris Powell from the TV show Extreme Weight Loss who practices carb cycling? Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser who teaches contestants to eat a balanced diet of fat, protein, and carbs? How about my vegan friends? My juicing friends? Or maybe my friend who drinks raw goat's milk?!
After deciding to "get healthy" (still not knowing what exactly that meant) I decided to start researching. I knew my husband and I did not eat well and had the health issues to prove our diets of today's delicious and convenient processed foods were not working for us. Something had to change.
Several times throughout our relationship we had tried different diets, even going so far as to live on nothing but juice for several days at a time. But nothing ever stuck, continuing the yoyo we've been on for the majority of our adult lives. Every diet we tried eventually ended in ordering a large pizza and topping it off with a carton of Ben & Jerry's... and then just giving up, leaving us in the same place we've always been. So this time, we decided to start small. Take things one step at a time. A good friend gave me this advice that worked in her own life to totally transform the way her and her family eat: Take things one step at a time. Start with one small change and don't move onto the next until you are ready.
Deciding to do things in steps rather than all at once has turned out to be the best advice for our success. It is also the advice I find myself coming back to when I begin to feel overwhelmed. Like with so many things in life, I've had to give up the all-or-nothing approach and remember that I will fail and that and failing is ok. Giving ourselves lots of grace has been the best thing to keep us moving forward.
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