I Quit Sugar Week Two!

Hey Guys!

Has anyone jumped on the "I Quit Sugar" bandwagon yet? If so, let me know!

Did you know that the average American adult eats roughly around 22 teaspoons of sugar per day and the average child eats 32 teaspoons per day!  The recommended amount from the American Heart Association is 6-9 teaspoons maximum! So I think it’s a good idea for majority of people to look at their sugar consumption.

Want to hear some good news? A lot of people have asked, what about wine. Per Sarah Wilson’s book, you can still drink most alcoholic beverages! I was so excited when I read this. Her book says “wine, beer, and pure spirits contain minimal fructose. This is because the fructose in the fruit used is converted to alcohol. The drier the wine the better (so don’t touch fortified, sparkling, and dessert wines). But this isn’t a license to get drunk. Once you’ve cut out sugar you’ll possibly find your tolerance is lower. One or two drinks maximum in one sitting is best.”

So last week I realized I missed my habits, so this week I needed to start new ones!

Now for breakfast instead of blueberries on the chia see pudding I have coconut flakes and cacao nibs. For a snack, I have been keeping hardboiled eggs in the fridge for when I need something quick! This week has been much easier then week one :)

Next, for my personal sanity and my relationship with my husband I needed some sort of chocolate treat. I modified some recipes and came up with this delightful dish, I call Coco Bark!

Recipe:

½ cup melted coconut oil

½ cup raw organic cacao powder

3 tbsp. of organic brown rice syrup (see note below)

2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes

Sea salt and cinnamon to taste

I melt the coconut oil in a small pot on low/medium heat. It only takes a minute or so to melt. Then I add the brown rice syrup and cacao powder and mix it all together. Then I add the 2 cups of coconut flakes and make sure they get covered by the lovely chocolate mixture.

I then take a pan with parchment paper on it and dump everything onto the pan and spread it out. To finish it off, I sprinkle cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Toss it in the freezer for 30mins. Take it out, cut into pieces and keep in a plastic bag in the freezer.

Whenever I need a chocolate fix I grab a piece and it hits the spot!

Quick note on Brown Rice Syrup. It is a sweetener that is 100% fructose free. So its ok to use while doing the “I Quit Sugar Detox”! Fructose is a sugar that cause insulin spikes and blood sugar crashes, and therefore, cravings, fatigue and hunger. Chronic elevated insulin can lead to diabetes, long-term obesity and fat accumulation.

So, overall week two was a success. I have learned its all about making small changes every week and not trying to tackle everything at once. This week i haven't missed sugar as much as I did last week! I have more energy, my workouts have been great, and I can still go out to dinner with friends and enjoy a glass of wine. Life is great! 

Xoxo L