The Sugar Habit

I have touched before on the subject of sugar becoming a habit. In fact when I look back, and reflect on my old eating habits, I realise that my sugar eating wasn’t always about cravings or even wanting/enjoying it. A lot of it was simply about good old fashioned habit!

I would go out for a cup of tea or coffee, and end up having something nice to go with it! I would go to the cinema, and buy a big bag or toffee popcorn, along with a diet coke. Meals out would always include a dessert. At work there would always be something sugary, and sweet in the staff room. When I was travelling it would be very easy to grab something sweet. I would simply have it because it was there.

I am the first to admit that habits are not always easy to break. But they can be broken, and you would be amazed at just how liberating it is to break the habit. When I gave up sugar, I quickly began to realise that I was eating sweet things for the sake of it, rather than out of enjoyment. I was quite shocked when I began to realise that a majority of the sugar I was actually eating, I wasn’t actually enjoying!!

Everyone will have their own habits around sugar eating. But these were some of the sugar habits I noticed, I had developed.

• Travelling whether it be by train, bus, coach or stopping off at a service station, it was always easy to grab something sweet! My reasons I was tired, or to keep me going, or simply because it was there , and looked nice!!
• No cinema trip would have be complete for me without a bag of toffee pop corn, along with a diet coke.
• The staff room at work can in my experience be a sugar mine field. It is so easy to follow the crowd.
• Eating out….you have to have a dessert don’t you?!

The list is endless, but I am sure you get the picture. But take it from me habits can be broken!! I’m not saying it is easy , because it is not! However once you have done it you will feel so good about yourself.

So how to you break the sugar habit?! And I know this might seem boring , but believe me it does work!! Or at least it has for me!!

• Think ahead, and plan ahead.
• Be prepared. If you are going out take snacks with you. You will save a lot of money that way too!
• Become a trendsetter. Why not take some savoury snacks into work for people to try out. In my experience in the staff room quite often eat food or snacks because it is quite simply there.
• DON’T feel you have to have a dessert when you go out. Why not have a starter instead. Or could you have a starter as dessert?
• Look at how you can get the sweet taste without the sugar. There are lots of great recipes out there.
• DON’T  beat yourself up. We are all human. Every moment is a fresh moment!
• TELL people what you are doing. Get friend’s, and family on board to support you. Why not introduce them to some sugar free recipes.

 

FINALLY it is never easy breaking habits whatever they are. BUT I firmly believe it is possible. We are all human , and make mistakes. It happens but one mistake doesn’t mean you have failed. Just keep going at it , one step at a time, and before long you will realise you have broken the habit!!

 

 

THE SUGAR LESS CHALLENGE!!

So on Tuesday I reached the 16 week stage of being practically sugar free. It got me thinking of how much can be achieved in that time. I am actually feeling rather proud of myself for just going for it , and above all sticking to it!!!

Then I had an idea!!! Yep, I know sometimes having ideas can be dangerous!!! lol. If people gave up just one sugary item in their diet, for 16 weeks that could make a real difference. It would reduce sugar levels, and in turn help lessen the risk of strokes, and other illnesses.

This is something anyone could do , even if they aren’t quite ready to give up ALL sugar in their diets. Just give up ONE SUGARY ITEM FOR JUST 16 WEEKS!!! Whilst doing it they could also raise money for charity. Within minutes I was able to set up a just giving page, and link it to the Stroke Association in the UK. Simple! I have obviously given up more than one sugary item. But I thought this would be really good for people that might not be ready to give up ALL sugar.

As many of you will know, my 100 year old grandmother sadly passed away from a stroke on 27th November 2015 . So I have set up a just giving page in her memory. If you have felt inspired by this blog, or my Facebook page, and would like to show your support by making a donation , here is the link to my just giving page.

https://www.justgiving.com/tracysmitherssugarless4stroke

If you decided to take the SUGAR LESS CHALLENGE , I would love to hear how you get on.

Good luck everyone! xxx

Top Tips for going Sugar Free!!

I have been thinking back to when I first went sugar free nearly 4 months ago. It isn’t always easy I know. So I have come up with some top tips of ideas to help when going sugar free. These are some things that I have found useful along my sugar free journey.

• Firstly pick a day you are going to start, and stick to it! It is all to easy to keep changing the date you start going sugar free.As I have said before there is a never a good time, and it is never going to be easy.
• Come up with some motivators. Why are you really wanting to do this? To lose weight, for health reasons, to run a marathon. Have at least one or two motivators that you can focus on. These are especially useful on days you are struggling with going sugar free.
• Plan how you are going to do it. Are you going to slowly reduce sugars? Or do it all at once? Plan your meals, your snacks etc. Think about what you are going to eat. What alternatives you are going to use. This plan is all about YOU!!! So set about creating a planning that works for you, and NOT other people.
• Step by step. Take your sugar free journey one minute, one hour, one meal at a time. Don’t think to far ahead. Remember you are in control. No one else!
• Drink plenty of water . It helps flush the sugar , and toxins out of the body. Keeps you hydrated, and can also fill you up. A lot of time people feel hungry it is actually because they are thirsty. If in doubt turn the tap on , and drink a glass of water.
• Choose foods you like rather than foods you think you should be eating. Find some treat and snacking foods to fill the gap between meals.
• Plan when you are going out what you will eat, and stick to it.
• Tell people what you are doing, and get some support.
• Record the positives. Make a photo diary of your progress.
• Get creative. Cant find a sugar free recipe, why not create your own?!

Sugar Free Everyday!! How will I cope!!

It’s one thing going sugar free for a brief period of time, but doing it on a long term basis isn’t easy. There is no denying it going sugar free is TOUGH!!! Especially to start with. Giving up sugar is for many of us breaking the habit of a life time. For me having anything sugary has been a treat, a comfort, being social, and part of a routine. So by giving up sugar I had to change more than just the food I ate. I had to change my mindset, break old habits, change routines, and develop a new outlook. When you have done stuff for so long changing it all can be hard. I was always waiting for the right time, the truth is there is never a right time.

One of the things that can be hardest is changing eating patterns in social situations. I have worked in a lot of schools in the past, and sometimes the staffroom’s can be full of sugary treats. As I found it is very easy to cave in , and go for a sugar fix to get you through till home time! There is also explaining to well intentioned people what you are doing, not everyone understands.

Then there are the days when you just want some comfort, are tired , or can’t be bothered. I still get those days not as much, but I do get them. It would be easy to give in sometimes. But I am determined. WHY you might ask??!! Because I really believe in this. I have seen it working, and the benefits of what I am doing. The more I hear about sugar , and how much hidden sugar is in food, the more I believe I am doing the right thing. I feel better in myself, and I no longer have the scales giving me the evils. That for me is enough to help me maintain this. There will come a time when I might have something sugary, but only for a special occasion.

Sugar can be a hard habit to break, but it can be done!! During the last nearly 4 months I have just found a different way of doing things.And as I keep saying , by doing this there is nothing to feel bad about. This is about free choice, rather than breaking a diet, or eating plan that has been designed by someone else. Any sugar that can be reduced from daily meals is a good thing. By taking out of your daily diet one sugary thing will help you.

Above all going sugar free every day has to be something realistic, practical, and something that suits you. I just take small steps, and don’t look to far ahead with it. It does get easier, once you have broken the habit. Life can be fun,and wonderful without sugar too!!

Kiwi fruit is a super fruit!!

I have to be honest I have never been a big fan of kiwi fruit, I eat it fruit salads. Or if it is given to me , but otherwise I’ve never been much of a fan…..until now!!!

Last week I happened to have some in a fruit salad I had bought, and then whilst out shopping at the weekend noticed they were pretty cheap. So I thought I would get some, and see if I could re educate my taste buds!! Out of curiosity when I got home I googled kiwis to find out more about them. (Because that’s what you do when you give up sugar, you become some crazed healthy person. The type that if I am honest used to irrate me slightly, and now I’m one of them!!! lol.)Any way back to Kiwi’s ….wow!!! So many health benefits, I might actually HAVE to starting liking them!!!!!

Apparently one small kiwi contains more vitamin c than an orange!! It contains vitamin e, and is an anti oxidant. It also contains pottasium, folate, and fibre. Kiwis also it appears help boost the immune system too. They can even reduce the risk of stroke, and heart disease. It can also helps with asthma, and osteoarthritis to name just a few illnesses, and health conditions.

AS I ALWAYS SAY I AM NOT A DR , HEALTH PROFESSIONAL, NUTRITIONIST, OR FITNESS GURU. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE HUMBLE KIWI FRUIT COULD BE WORTH TRYING! Here is an interesting sugar free link for you.

http://www.superfoodsrx.com/healthyliving/kiwi-the-super-fruit-kiwi-fruit/#

 

 

Practically A Sugar Free Me Update!

Hello everyone, thank you all for your overwhelming support for this blog, and the Practically A Sugar Free Me facebook page.

I had no idea when I started this blog up 2 months ago how popular it would be. I still feel very passionately about being Practically Sugar Free, and sharing my experiences with others. I am continually looking at ways I can develop this idea, and I have a few ideas in mind that I am looking to developing. However in the last couple of weeks views to this blog have started to drop significantly. So whilst I am still very passionate about this blog, and I am certainly very keen to keep it going, I have decided to reduce the amount of blog posts. I am going to start posting every other day, rather than every day. If blog views suddenly increase then I will re consider how much I post on here. Please , please do share with your friends detail of this blog. I am sure that there are many people out there who could do with some Practically Sugar Free support. Thank you again for the huge amount of support you have all shown, it is very much appreciated.

Wishing you all well with your sugar free journey, remember you are in control. There are no rules, just choices!!

Birthday cake!!

Tonight it is all about birthday cake…sadly not mine!! Today Jack our golden retriever celebrates his 3rd birthday. So he and Annie our other dog get to enjoy some delicious birthday cake from a well known UK supermarket!! I watched on as they devoured a substantial amount of cake, well doggy sized substantial. I realise how far I have come on my sugar free journey. I actually don’t mind not having any, instead all I can think of is …..how much sugar is in that cake. As it turns out over 20g in one portion….I mean HOW MUCH??!! The average recommended daily sugar allowance for a person in the UK is 23g!!! So by having two pieces of cake, (because lets face it how many of us are happy with one), we will have exceeded our daily sugar allowance. Well I’m not the sugar police but that does sound like an awful lot of sugar.

I myself have always preferred making my own cakes, and even being sugar free, really think it is possible to come up with a sugar free or reduced sugar cake. To be honest despite my sweet tooth I have often bitten into cake over the years , and thought that is too sweet!! Now I know why with over 20 grams of sugar. So I am now on a mission to come up with a birthday cake that isn’t full of sugar.

Motivation

I’m not going to lie, sometimes going practically sugar free isn’t always easy. Yes, I’m okay with it, and I think I am doing well. But sometimes it is hard to keep the motivation going. I’ve noticed this particularly so in the last few days. For the last few months since I went sugar free, launched this blog, and then the face book page, I have been buoyed up firstly with my own enthusiasm . Then secondly with the tremendous amount of interest, and support I have received from others regarding this blog, and the fb page. However in the last few days the blog has become unusually quiet. I have always valued and appreciated everyone’s support, and I am now recognising what a tremendous motivator it has been.

This has got me thinking how can I continually motivate myself if this is going to be a long term. My commitment , and will power are still pretty strong. However I am wondering how I can do this on a long term basis. At the moment I am determined, and desperate to lose weight. But as I have mentioned before my practically sugar free journey has become far more than this. I am actually really beginning to see the real physical, and emotional benefits to what I am doing. I know sugar free is working for me, yet equally on days like today it can be a challenge! Having said that I am not at the point of grabbing the nearest fruit, and nut bar for a quick burst of sugary satisfaction!! I guess as cliche as it sounds it is simply a case of one step at a time. As I have mentioned before, for me this all about choice. No one is forcing me to do this , I could get a sugar fix any time I want. Now funnily enough that thought scares me more , because I know how is it is to go back to eating sugar. Sugar certainly for me can be a really slippery slope. It’s funny how people would be satisfied with one apple, but not just one biscuit!!

So for now I am going to keep busy, focussing on the end result, and looking at the positives. Thankfully I start a brand new job on Monday having not worked for a few months, so I am really looking forward to a routine, and being kept busy!!

I also find writing down, or drawing things can be a real motivator. It can get things out of my head , and make them real. Also sometimes writing a letter to the me a year from now can also be helpful. If you haven’t done it before I thoroughly recommended it, it can be incredibly affirming. You can write congratulating yourself about your sugar free year, and talk about what you will be doing . Also another motivator, can be thinking about what you would tell a friend if they were on a sugar free journey. I am sure you will all have your own. Good luck. xx

 

Water

I know it might sound boring but water really does help with going practically sugar free. I have always been lucky that I love drinking water, and drink loads of it. Especially in the first few days, I found my mouth became drier, and felt yucky so I drank lots more than usual. I appreciate that not everybody enjoys drinking water but if you can possible face it, it really does help flush out the toxins. I think the more water you drink the quicker you can overcome those detox symptoms. For those that really don’t like water. Why not try is hot with cinnamon, or lemon in. Cinnamon has a lot of good health benefits, and you can read more about them in an earlier blog post. With cold water you could add lemon, lime, orange, or mint to add flavour. But it really is worth keeping your  water levels topped up.

Water can also help with calorie control, fatigue function, energy levels and kidney functions among other things. Below is an interesting link about the benefits of water.

http://greatist.com/health/reasons-to-drink-water

Bread.

One of things I haven’t cut out is bread, and yes I know a lot of bread does have sugar in. But this is a practically sugar free concept, not a 100% sugar free. lol. I’m dedicated but I’m not THAT dedicated!! Ha ha.  I am though very careful with the amount , and type of bread I eat. I tend to limit bread to weekends if I can, though it doesn’t always happen but that is what I aim for. I tend to have just 2 slices each on Saturday, and Sunday. I also check the amount of sugar in the bread too. There can be a lot of hidden sugar in bread, so it is definitely worth checking it out.

I do eat bread, also pizza, and burger buns. But I have cut out many other bread based products, such as English muffins, hot cross buns, and crumpets. These yet again contain high levels of sugar. Sigh! Not easy but this is all for a good cause I hope! Whilst I have made hot cross buns, I haven’t tried making bread yet. However,I guess this would be a good way of cutting out the sugar content in bread.

I haven’t yet gone gluten free with food, but having got settled into sugar free, I am now contemplating trying going partially gluten free. From a losing weight perspective I think reducing , or cutting out bread is the way to go. I certainly know that bread has the ability to bloat my stomach! So in the cause of losing weight, and a flatter stomach , bread has to be reduced. Sigh!