Kicking the Sugar Habit To The Curve

“Sugar, ah honey honey

You are my candy-girl

And you’ve got me wanting you!“

Sugar, you have to go.  As much as I love your sweet taste and the yummy treats that make you even more resistible I must say goodbye.  And, while you are pleasing, I cannot be fooled.  You are one mean sucker.  For the better part of year now I have been on this roller coaster of sugar highs and lows.  At first, after years of shunning sugar it seemed innocuous.  It was just a taste here and there but soon the sugar monster in me took over.  The all-out need for a daily dose of sugar has become my life and you know what?  The amusement park that once brought me such joy and pleasure is not so fun anymore.  Honey, it’s time to step off this ride.

I hate to vilify foods and since I already have a list of no-no foods it’s hard to add one more but sugar is something I feel we all could eat a little less of.  Let’s face it, a lot of people in the country are spiraling toward obesity and the rates keep climbing higher and higher. While I can’t say it’s a particular food causing all these problems I can say that I feel sugar plays a large part in that.  Have you ever really tasted American food?  It’s sweet.  The few times I have done a sugar-detox and then ate something that was pretty standard American fare it was sweet!  It wasn’t eating cake, ice cream, cookies, or anything else that was supposed to be sweet either.  I’m talking roasted lunch meat and crackers.  Call me crazy but since when is lunch meat supposed to be sweet?  Although I don’t see a need for it I can understand why food companies do it.  Plain and simple, sugar is addictive.  Uh, hello, look at me.  Case in point.

Why do I want to be sugar-free?  Because it’s healthier.  I am so ashamed to admit it but this is the unhealthiest I have ever been.  I’m out of shape, my skin has been freaking out, I get headaches, my body aches, my pants don’t quite fit, my sleep patterns are all over the place, and my energy levels have sunk to a new low.  That sounds like a pretty good reason to snap out of my sugar haze.  In T-minus 14 days I will be boarding a plane to start my life as an acupuncture student.  There are going to be many days and nights spent in class, many hours of studying, homework assignments, and tests abound.  When my energy dips and I’m out of shape there is just no way I will be able to get through it so that is reason enough for me.

So, here it goes.  I’m starting my sugar-detox. Fifty-six days without processed, refined, or artificial sugars.  Why fifty-six?  That is how many days till my birthday and I figured why not give myself the gift of being sugar-free.  I mulled over twenty-one days but since it seemed silly to just go to twenty-one I thought I’d go for the gusto and make it all the way to my next big day.  Hopefully by then I’ll be jamming and comfortable in my new and improved sugar-free lifestyle.

As popular as it is I won’t be using my blog solely for the purpose of keeping myself honest.  I’m still going to highlight my life as an acupuncture student with some food in there but I just wanted to give everyone a heads up.  I also needed to put all this sugar stuff out there.  Sometimes it’s easier to follow through with something when its made public.  If I tell someone what I’m doing and why I’m much more likely to continue to do it.  It’s this whole “follow through with what you say” outlook I have.  So there, I said it.  Now all I have to do is follow through.

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