Thursday, February 28, 2013

Living refined sugar-free

I always knew I needed to cut sugar from my life, ever since it was clear in childhood that it didn't work for me to eat it. I would get moody and hyper and feel awful. My mom did everything she could to maintain a sugar-free household and I did everything I could to get sugar. I knew it was horribly addictive. I knew that as soon as I ate it I wanted more. If I didn't have any I was scheming how to get some. When I was little I would eat it straight from the box in the pantry, at night. In middle school I would eat cookies at friends' houses. If we were given flats of M&Ms to sell for band fundraising in high school, I bought all the candy myself. When I was old enough I got a job in a drugstore and had a budget and free access to candy. When I tried taking a break from sugar it was all I thought about. All the way through college I could not shake that monkey off my back.

In January of 2003 I decided to try living sugar-free. So I started Atkins and once my weeklong withdrawal was finished I realized there was a new calm in my brain, a silence that highlighted the noise that was absent. I describe it like this: I feel like I had a radio in my head for 33 years that was tuned to candy advertisements and when the last of the white carb residue left my body, the radio went silent. It was a revelation. That is when I realized that the only way to quit sugar was to also quit other white carbs (rice, potatoes, wheat, corn) because it turned out they are metabolized in my body like sugar and kept the addiction going.

I get asked how can I resist cheating; candy, cakes, cookies, "treats". Don't I feel sad? Deprived? Well it's easy not to eat those things because I have no cravings! NONE. I never want to turn that radio back on. Staying off sugar is the biggest treat I ever gave myself. I don't feel bereft. And I tell you what, I've had so many slices of  cake, cookies, pints of ice cream, candy it would fill two lifetimes! I remember every delicious bite and I savor the memories, but I'm done with that.

When I first quit I substituted with sugar-free treats as a gateway. Artificially sweetened things are not good for you, I know, but sometimes you need a stepping stone. So I used sugar-free pudding and Jello. Diet sodas and sugar-free chocolate. I think this is a reasonable way to move away from sugars. Eventually I moved away from those too.

After I was off sugar for a while, other things tasted more sweet to me. I still have to be stingy with fruits as they can have similar effect on me as refined sugars. Especially dried fruits, I really can't go there.

Along with it no longer producing toxins in my liver the other benefit to quitting sugar is I finally felt sated. My brain regulated and my body finally had an "enough" setting when it came to food. For the first time ever I knew when I was hungry (it wasn't ALWAYS) and I knew when I was full! Imagine that.

Atkins is all about regulating your blood sugar levels to avoid straining your body; taxing your liver and pancreas. This leads to weight loss as you switch from burning carbs and storing the rest as fat to burning proteins and fats. It also helps avoid diabetes. This means I eat a protein snack or a meal every two hours. And good fats aren't bad guys in my world so I eat a lot of nuts and healthy oils.

There was a downside I hadn't expected. Without the rocket highs and plunging lows of sugar/white carb consumption, my moods evened out. Yes, that was desirable! But along with not suffering the horrible crashes, I also no longer experienced the manic highs. And I felt gray, flat, medium, for a long time. Sometimes I still do. Also, food is no longer a treat, a reward, a comfort. That is a big thing to give up! I love what I eat, I find it delicious and I enjoy meals very much. But without the carb trigger in my brain, food is just food. So strange. I find other ways to feel rewarded; exercise, making things, music, movies, books, holding hands with my husband :)


There are a lot of social pressures to eating sugars! It a socially acceptable addiction. And everyone has to eat. People don't think twice about trying to get you to just have a little of something they don't realize will make you sick for days and set all your life goals back. I imagine myself like an alcoholic or drug addict. No-one would offer them "just a little". That is my situation but folks don't know, and I certainly don't blame them! Living sugar-free is not the norm in this society. There's a lot of belief in "everything in moderation". But I can't do that. I try to explain that I am not missing out on the fun by not eating the dessert.

Sure this lifestyle makes eating out more complicated. I'm aware I'm not going to be able to avoid added sugars in meals I didn't make, but I find if I eat enough protein at the meal, a tiny bit of accidental sugar doesn't poison me or start the cycle of craving all over again. Yes, I plan and cook every meal during the week and always have protein snacks on my person. But do I miss eating sugar? I truly don't. I feel like I'm free from a corrosive addiction. I feel more in control of my life, my moods, my health. I have plenty of good things to eat, I don't feel deprived. I feel free!  Lately I am looking at Paleo recipes because they seem to contain the ingredients my body can handle. And I'm cooking with nut flours which has opened up some fun possibilities.

I hope if you try living sugar-free that you cut out all grains too because I think that is the easiest way to cut the cord and your best chance of lasting success. You won't need willpower when your cravings stop. If this is the right lifestyle for you you will rejoice in it! I send my best wishes to you.

23 comments:

  1. interesting post-did you know that during the Crusade Wars in the Middle East many centuries ago, soldiers were fed sugar to boost their aggression. It figures.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OMG I had no idea, that's crazy! But I bet it was effective.

      Delete
  2. You have inspired me to go totally sugar free also, and to eliminate the white foods, and this has stopped my cravings as well. What a revelation.

    "Just a little," will not work for me either.

    Thank you for how beautifully you explain all this and for the yummy photos.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We do great encouraging each other, don't we? I forgot to mention how I don't get tired in the afternoons anymore. No 3 o'clock slump. yay!

      Delete
  3. I applaud you for living sugar free!! I often think about, and even plan, cutting out most sugar and eating a mainly raw diet... but that just never happens.

    For me, I imagine the hardest part would be the not experiencing "the manic highs". I admittedly rely too much on caffeine and sugar to help me get through the day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear you, I really do. But I still use caffeine :) It was the crashing lows from sugar that just became not worth it to me. Maybe if you make a gradual change, nothing drastic, you will still experience some benefits. I wish you well!

      Delete
  4. Kudos for you for finding the right balance that works for you. I'd love to get off sugar because the times I've done it have been the happiest and healthiest times in my life. But just like any addiction, I end up relapsing. I've never tried Atkins though. Might be time to.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sugar was the hardest thing I ever tried to quit. I didn't even get addicted to smoking when I experimented with it in college. This one is tough. Atkins was my gateway to sugar-free living. But it's not a diet, it's a permanent lifestyle change. I really had to psych myself up to make the shift. But I'm so glad I stuck with it. I hope you find the method that works best for you!

      Delete
  5. Thanks you for sharing your amazing story Liz xx I'm so happy that you have found the perfect food balance and that it really works for you and makes you life so much better xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you my dear! It was a revelation that I could really quit sugar and that I wasn't some weak willpower deprived loser. That it was the other white carbs giving me bad advice :)

      Delete
  6. Liz, such a great read that inspired me to put down the sugary food I was eating when I started reading. I know it's been years, but do you remember how long it took for the cravings to go away? The cyclical nature of cravings, eat more then want more then eat more then..., has been the hardest part for me lately.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's been 10 years but I remember so clearly the first week I did Atkins. I ate an entire roast beef! LOL :) It took 7 days for the physical cravings to subside, but probably months or years for the HABITS I'd developed about how I ate to shift so I didn't have to think about it so hard each time I made a food choice. It's an exercise in behavioral modification and it takes diligence and persistence. I'm stubborn (like a lot of makers I bet :) and I was damned if I was going give up. I hope if you try something like this you plan it all out and research and prepare mentally and prepare your kitchen, it really helps. Let me know if you ever need tips or encouragement!

      Delete
  7. I so need to give up sugar! Thank you for this insight into your journey living sugar-free.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cindy, please let me know if you ever need the tips and tricks I used to get there! I know exactly how hard it is and I feel for you.

      Delete
  8. You know, this has been on my mind for a while. It's slowly gotten a little worse as I've gotten older. Thanks for the encouragement!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thank you for the article on sugar. I just decided a few days ago to quit all the "white stuff" - sugar, flour, white rice etc. and your information was helpful and encouraging.
    THANKS!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. OK - fess up time here. I really need to quit sugar, type II diabetes. And, the absolutely maniac highs from sugar before the crash, bang, reality.
    I've tried, even got as far as 2 weeks before the beast overtook me. Will you share some tricks to get past that 2 week mark? More protein? Going dancing? Anything that will help get me over that hump is so very much appreciated...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I used a lot of sugar substitutes at first; sugar-free Jello, pudding, chocolate, diet drinks, etc. It's not a good long term lifestyle and I don't do it anymore but it helped at first.

      Also on Atkins you can eat as much meat and cheese as you like so I did. Also lots of celery and cucumbers. Huge portions of allowed vegetables. Lots of fiber. Lots of water.

      Eating protein in response to low blood sugar is really crucial. As is recognizing when you have low blood sugar, heading it off, and being proactive with protein snacks, never getting caught where you don't have appropriate foods available. You have to plan and take charge of your food supply.

      But the most important thing is to not eat sugar or grains. Don't do it. You can overcome the urge if you wait it out. It's painful but it's possible. You really have to decide that this part of your life is changing. That the change is hard but it's a good thing. That you've had enough sweets/grains for a lifetime and that now you are changing it up.

      If I was starting fresh now I would start with It Starts With Food.
      http://whole9life.com/itstartswithfood/

      I wish you the best as you move onto this new part of your life! You are gonna feel so much better, I promise.

      Delete
  11. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am revisiting this lifestyle again and this time it feels like I am ready to finally say goodbye to all of the sugar. Like you, I am choosing to give up some other foods that I think trigger unhealthy eating in me, like corn, wheat, rice, potatoes in addition to refined sugar and junk food. I liked how you described the vening out of mood and desire to eat and the reality that many of us have to confront that we enjoy doing this sance with food, that it has taken on a bigger role than merely sustaining us. DO you follow Atkins strictly? Do you use coconut oil and/or do you restrict your intake at all of nuts, cheese, dairy and/or meat? Also, do you avoid alcohol? thanks for sharing...I am in a neighboring town and a columnist so look forward to writing about this!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did do Atkins strictly. I don't see the point in "cheating", I'd only be cheating myself out of health & happiness. I don't view these as diets but lifestyle changes.

      Now I am more what would be described as Paleo. I eliminated dairy & legumes. I do restrict nuts somewhat. I do use coconut oil in moderation along with olive oil.

      I hope you find a way of eating that makes you feel great! I bought the cook book: Well Fed & I love it, her website has most of the recipes on it too: http://theclothesmakethegirl.com

      Delete
  13. Thanks for sharing this link with me. Your article basically states everything I know to be true for myself. It's just so hard to clearly explain it to others, sometimes.

    Also, the comment about about the Crusade Wars is interesting to me. I have a personal issue with inflammation and I believe sugar fuels that in my body. I also believe that sugar fuels aggression (as in fight or flight) and that's just one reason why so many people walk around in a state of aggression today. Sugar fuels bullying, sugar fuels road rage, sugar fuels our collective refusal to compromise and reason with one another. Obviously, I've no research to back that up but my personal experience certainly bears that out.

    Thanks again for sharing your experience.

    ReplyDelete
  14. thanks for sharing Liz. I will admit that my initial motivation was one of vanity (I'll lose weight!) but the more reading I've done, it's clear the true benefits are far more important.

    ReplyDelete