I Quit Sugar Week One!

So, I have decided to quit sugar. I know that’s a pretty big statement, but I am going to try! I have started an 8-week sugar detox. I am following Sarah Wilson’s book, “I Quit Sugar”

So why I am quitting sugar?

Well, I am at school at IIN, Integrative Nutrition, and am half way through the program. Through the 7 months I have listened to many speakers who are experts in the field of nutrition. I have learned so much thus far. Sarah Wilson has had a few lectures and I thought I would test out her program, and quitting sugar is something I think everyone should do, or at least cut back.

What are the benefits to quitting sugar?

~ It can lower your blood pressure

~ It will decrease your risk of having a heart attack

~ You will be less likely to get Alzheimer’s

~ Helps get rid of depression

~ It will help clear up your skin

~ Lowers your risk of getting diabetes

~ Can help prevent fatty liver disease

~ Help reduce your risk of cancer

~ And the list goes on and on……

Sarah Wilson’s program starts with you phasing sugar out, but I decided to go cold turkey week one. I wasn’t a huge sugar addict, or so I thought! My big sugar intake was berries and apples, dark chocolate, protein powder and green smoothies.  All things I thought were “good” and “healthy.” They either contain sugar or your body turn it into sugar, so cold turkey I went!

The Quit List:  

~Fresh and dried fruit

~Granola and granola bars or any kind of bar

~Jams (even if it says no added sugar)

~Condiments containing sugar, ketchup and barbeque sauces, and balsamic vinegar

~Flavored yogurts

~Any “low fat” or “fat free” food (they are LOADED with sugar)

~Honey

~Agave

~Palm and coconut sugar

~Chocolate

~Coffee creamers with sugar or flavored

~Soda

~Protein powers usually have sugar

~ Ice cream, cake, cookies etc. 

~Any form of sugar

*all the above MUST go, no exceptions!

When taking out sugar you want to replace it with some fat and protein.

Things to be added:

~Unprocessed fats

~Olive oil

~Walnut oil

~Avocado oil

~Full fat organic pasture feed butter

~Ghee

~Avocados

~High quality meat

~High quality eggs

~Full fat cheese (in small quantities)

~Nuts

~Raw coconut products

So I went cold turkey and I must say week one was tough! It was much harder than I thought for sure.  I didn’t think I would miss my sugar or even crave it, boy was I wrong. I missed having my blueberries in my chia seed pudding for breakfast. I missed my little piece of dark chocolate I would eat after lunch and dinner. I missed my mid-day snack of a protein shake. I missed walking down to Lassen’s for my green smoothie when I didn't feel like making lunch. I missed my habits! 

What week one showed me was that I am doing the right thing! I am addicted to sugar! If I wasn’t I wouldn’t be having such a hard time. So I continued to go over the benefits list and told myself I wanted to see if I could do it. And I CAN and I WILL!

With a few tears and many avocadoes later, I completed week one. For anyone jumping on the "I Quit Sugar" bandwagon I would recommend easing into it, as going cold turkey is pretty hard, but oh so worth it.

Xoxo L