this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2024
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I like sweet things. I totally confess that I eat way too many sweet things. 3 or 4 times in my life I've "challenged" myself to go 30 days without eating any sugar except what's in fruits and vegetables and food like that naturally, making sure to eat a very careful diet and no treats or processed food. Every time within a few days I was having awful cravings and mood swings, and by a week I felt like an emotional wreck who just wanted sugar. I completed my "challenges" but it was disturbing.
It also gave me a ton of empathy for addicts. If I can't not eat sugar without a massive struggle, I can only imagine trying to get clean from heroin or another drug.
I'm not a huge believer in just cutting things out but there are definitely better ways. If you do a lot of your own cooking, you can cut out a LOT of sugar this way.
Even home made chocolate chip cookies have less sugar than their store bought counterparts. And they taste much better.
I have a terrible sweet tooth but I'm much better about it now than I used to be. The key is finding what works for you may not be the same as what works for someone else.
Cooking my own food is practical for me but not practical for most Americans. Switch out sugar for healthy fats is also a good way to reduce your sugar intake.
If you can't do that, pairing sugar with a protein or a fiber will go a long way. So instead of a candy bar doing a protein bar or doing something like peanut butter and jelly will hit the sweet but also introduce savory, which will dull the desire for sugar.
And just like many other addictions, if you power through the first part, the cravings vanish.
Oh definitely. It just did give me sympathy. I'm much better than I used to be, although I definitely have days and weeks occasionally where I'm like wow, I just want something sweet, and I eat like crap and then have to eat super healthy for awhile to balance it out. But I'm only human, and sometimes I get stressed, depressed, or too broke/tired to eat the way I should. And that's ok. I've tried the ultra healthy lifestyle for awhile and I was honestly miserable and unhappy. I like good food, and everything in moderation and all.