Like any toxic relationship, sugar and I just can’t quit each other. My drooling at the newest flavor of Crumbl cookies is matched by the sexy amount of icing oozing off each bite I take. I look for it everywhere, and sugar always finds me. In some places of the world, a bottle of Coca-Cola is more accessible than clean water.
So what do you do when you’re looking to break up with sugar?
I was so ready to throw sugar out on the streets. Broke. Blindsided. And without warning. But sure enough, as always, I took sugar back. I had such an attachment, sugar helped me out when I needed emotional support - I couldn’t bear to live without it.
I found myself sneaking candy and hiding the wrappers. Justifying why I can have this pastry from Starbucks. Quite simply - I had to come to terms with the fact that this is a real drug addiction.
Try telling an addict to quit drugs - most of them need more help than that. So, why did I expect to treat mine any differently? I knew there would have to be more to beating my sugar addiction, but sadly there’s no rehab for us.
I found myself angry at the fact I wasn’t able to quit cold turkey. Was I just weak? Sugar is everywhere - so why do I have a problem and others don’t?
But that’s the issue - they do.
According to diabetes.org, in 2019, 96 million Americans 18 and older had prediabetes.
Because sugar IS everywhere - from bread, drinks, cereals, ketchup, and yogurt - you cannot escape.
It’s so abundant that I frustratingly found myself cursing at a commercial for an anti-smoking drug, grumbling that addicts to nicotine and illegal drugs have to go out of their way to get their fix. My drug is available at every cash register in America and served with every meal to wash it down. So really, isn’t it almost impossible for us to avoid?
That’s where I learned, like any toxic lover, you have to wait until you’re full-on just sick of them. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been lessening my sugar intake - and noticing its flaws. How it’s made me feel, its nasty, filmy aftertaste, the sugar crashes, the bloating, etc - I had to really get tired of it. I found my stomach churning at the idea of getting the McDonald's Shamrock shake, one of my seasonal favorites, thinking about its saccharine-sweet punch to the palate.
It just doesn’t make me swoon like it used to. The pleasurable feelings are no longer worth the low energy levels and prediabetic health scares, so I found myself losing my love for it.
Over time, I know I’ll forget about sugar. It’s not good for me, and the more time I waste sneaking Oreos, the more I lose. Quitting cold turkey wasn’t the answer, but I know with each headache I get from a sugar craving, there’s a bigger insulin needle waiting for me to give in, and that’s all I need to know it’s time to leave.
On Saturday, March 25th, I'll be hosting a sugar detox workshop on how you can break away from the abuse of the sugar industry and prevent diseases caused by sugar overconsumption!
Click here to learn more and sign up!
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