Here we are…another day.
Take a deep breath!
If you pulled it off yesterday (eating NO SUGAR)…hooray! You did it!!!!!!!
If you tried, but struggled and didn’t quite pull it off……hooray! You tried!!!
If you’re trying to decide whether or not to join us today…hooray! You’re thinking about it!
It’s a huge struggle! Just getting through one day is hard, when we are soooo used to eating sugar.
Today is a new day. No matter how yesterday went for you or what your goals for yourself are, today is a new day.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Donna asked if I would share a few things about WHY sugar is so bad for us…you know to motivate us in that way. We know it’s bad, but if we hear some reasons, maybe our brains can catch up to our hearts on the matter. Great suggestion!
So, I pulled out my “Nourishing Traditions” book, written by Sally Fallon. Awesome resource! Everytime I read about sugar in this book (and many other things!) I am convicted about better ways to treat my body. As I shared with Donna, MAYBE I should read it three times a day….to convict myself constantly about abstaining from sugar!
If you read Lilly’s comment back on Pt. 1 of this series, she reminded me of the fact that almost all foods have some form of sugar in them. I had written that I’m elliminating “all forms of sugar from my diet”. I was really just talking about the refined sugars and natural sweeteners (like rapadura, honey, etc.). I am not taking out carrots and peas and other whole foods that have “natural sugars”.
So, that leads me to: Foods such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains do have some kind of chemical in them that ends in “ose” which is a sugar. HOWEVER, those are whole and in an unrefined state. And because they are whole, they are linked together with all of their vitamins, minerals, enzymes, protein, fat and fiber….which mean that they can digest properly and our bodies can utilize them right away for good!
Kinda makes me want some broccoli…right now!
On the other hand, when a carbohydrate is refined (such as to make whole wheat flour into white flour, or whole cane sugar into white sugar, or corn into high fructose corn syrup), the process strips it of alllllll it’s vitamins and mineral…thus leaving them empty. Empty calories.
Or, shall we call them “negative” calories. Because, when we eat them, they give us nothing that our bodies can use, so our bodies have to draw from it’s reserves (which are precious), and eventually we have nothing left in our reserves if we aren’t feeding it whole foods…and then we are left depleted.
Ah, I have felt depleted before, haven’t you? It doesn’t feel good.
Are you still with me? I have more information, like several pages worth…do you want to hear it? You may need to eat a spoonful of peanut butter or something while you read…just to keep you alert.
Okay, now. We have in our bodies a pancreas, and hormones from glands such as thyroid and adrenal. These guys work together in our bodies to regulate our blood sugar.
When we eat whole, unrefined foods, along with their proteins and fats, they are digested s l o w l y and the sugars from them enter our bloodstream at an even rate over a period of hours.
But when we eat refined sugars, especially without the fat and protein, the sugar enters our bloodstream in a rush, making our pancreas and it’s friends kick into high gear to get our blood sugar levels acceptable. Eventually, this system is going to get worn out from doing this.
(Picture a pancreas, all sweaty and exhausted, sighing from frustration at being unable to keep up and do the job it was created to do. Probably looks something like I do at the end of the day trying to keep up with these kids!)
And, don’t forget about all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes we’re missing out on too when we eat these unrefined sugars. Not only is our sugar-regulating system all worn out from working 80 hour weeks, we’re not feeding it any vitamins, etc. to help give it energy.
Alright, enough information for now. Chew on that for a while (while you chew on your broccoli).
Are you ready for today?!?! It’s gonna be great! All those yummy, whole foods God made for us to enjoy! Enjoy them as He gave them to us! Whole and real!
Be sure to comment and let us know how you’re doing and what your goals are for today! We’re in this together!!!!
If you want to jump in with us, be sure to let us know! The more the merrier!
Char says
Wow, that’s a lot of good info! Thanks for sharing it! I’m on day two, and feeling a ton better today than I did yesterday (course it’s only 9:45 in the morning). :-)
Off to have some valentine’s day fruit!
Melissa Markham says
More great information. I forgot to say in my comment on part 2 that my goal is for today. And then tomorrow, I will set my goal again. I also got up and did 30 minutes on my exercise bike. My other goal is to exercise 5 days a week starting today. And I will always have my water bottle nearby (but that is something I was already doing and I love water).
Melinda says
I’ve been looking through your archives; thank you for this post. I discovered recently that I’m gestational diabetic, and I have been having a hard time adjusting my eating habits to help regulate my blood sugar. But your information has given me a good look at why refined sugar isn’t the best for me (even when I’m not pregnant.)
I’ve been thinking about experimenting with rapadura or sucanat . . . and I think I’m about ready to take the plunge.