I don’t like ‘healthy’ foods, and I’m worried going SUGAR FREE might be too hard?

Okay so I’m going to be honest with you…I’m not a fan of vegetables, though I do eat salad and fruit. I don’t like hot or spicey foods either. For a reasons I won’t go into mealtimes as a child were traumatic experiences, as I result I believe this led to me not enjoying vegetables, and certain other foods. So I have battled a lifetime, trying to eating healthily. This is partly why my eating habits were so bad prior to giving up SUGAR. In fact I always saw sweet sugary items as being ‘safe foods’, how wrong I was. So for me I really had to come out of my comfort zone, and re examine a life time and beliefs when I went SUGAR free foods.

What I came to learn was that going SUGAR free wasn’t just about good and bad food stuffs, there were those okay food stuffs in the middle. Plus I had the choice as to what I ate, so what I did was set out to make food the way I liked it, I got creative. Along the way I came to realise that I ate a lot more ‘healthy’ food than I thought I did, and I looked at ways I would eat my least favourite foods. For instance, I might chop up vegetables a bit smaller or grate them, put them in a dish with other things such as cottage pie, or maybe make a cheese sauce.

There is no right or wrong way of going practically SUGAR free, it’s about finding a way that works for you. If you have eaten a certain way for a while, it might take a while to adjust, you might find it a challenge to begin with, but you can do it!

I want to share with you something, as I’ve shared with you I’m not vegetable fan, however when I moved into my house last December, I was keen to plant some vegetables. I’m not sure about youb but there is something rather special about creating something, planting that seed and see it grow. Well today I picked my first two courgettes, I can’t tell you how proud I am. So proud of my achievement, here is a picture of them.

So if you are struggling in eating ‘healthy’ , had you thought of growing healthy to start with?

There are many benefits to gardening, it’s an opportunity for a spot of exercise, for some mindful moments and reflection, a chance to watch something grow, and finally an opportunity to eat your own organic produce.

One of the things that put me off going SUGAR FREE initially was eating healthy foods. However, over the last few years I have come to learn, that when you give up the SUGAR you learn to enjoy the tastes, and flavours more. I actually really enjoy foods I never used to see as a treat! I have also got creative, and looked for ways to come up with alternatives. And, today I’m growing my own vegetables!! Now that I can’t believe.

Sometimes, we need to start off by planting a seed, tending to it, watering and caring for it so that it might grow. Imagine you are that seed, what do you need in order for you to grow?! x

I can’t give up SUGAR because…..

So how many of you have said I couldn’t give up SUGAR because…. I have been that person a million times over, over the years. SUGARY foods are just so yummy aren’t they..WHY would you want to give them up?

I have lost count of the amount of times that I have considered giving up sugar, or told someone else that I couldn’t do it. I’m not sure about you, but it was my worst nightmare. SUGAR symbolised something comforting, something to take away the pain, something to make me feel better, something to enjoy. SUGARY foods were ingrained in me..no pun intended. Taking away SUGAR left me bare, exposed, and alone. All my life SUGAR had played a part, my guilty pleasure, so how could I let go of it. In away looking back our relationship with SUGAR is I guess like one of those unhealthy relationships. You know the type that is so bad for you, it messes you up, plays around with you, but at the end of the day you can’t be without it. Maybe you try multiple times to let it go, but you just can’t….

Sometimes the biggest stumbling block to giving up SUGAR is the I CAN’TS. Maybe the not even the I CAN’S from you, maybe from a loving family member or friend.Has someone every said to you, I would love to give up SUGAR but I CAN’T. So is your saboteur..yourself or someone else? My saboteur was me! Though it took me a long time to recognise it.

One thing I have learnt since I have been doing this is, it all starts with the BIG BUT’S!! I’m not talking the physical kind either. These BIG BUT’S CAN SABOTAGE EVERYTHING.

I have a question for you….Are these thought’s in control? Or are YOU in control?

I spent years being controlled by my negative thoughts around food including those BIG BUTS. In my experience once you have gained controlled of those thoughts and your eating habits, that’s what will help you with your eating patterns. Easier said than done, I hear you say? Yes, absolutely. BUT it’s not impossible. Here are a few things that might just help you adjust your mindset and take control of your eating habits.

• . Write down every BIG BUT, or even the little BUT’S that block you from giving up SUGAR. What stops you? Take some time to write down every single one. This bit of paper is all that holds you back from giving up SUGAR…Are you ready to let go of all that holds you back? Take a look at your thoughts, what would you like to do with this piece of paper? Maybe you might want to bin it, tear it up, or even burn it. If you are not ready to let go what else is holding you back?

• When you are ready to let go of all those BUT’S grabbed a new piece of paper and write down how you want your SUGAR FREE EXPERIENCE to look like. Forget any books you have read about it, any diets you have previously followed. This is your journey, and it’s up to you how and where you travel. How would you like YOUR SUGAR FREE JOURNEY TO BE? What would you like to achieve? What small steps can you take over the next day, week, month to achieve this. One of the biggest things that helped me was, I ditched the words PASS OR FAIL!! Instead, I made it about choice, and the wonderful thing about choice is YOU ARE IN CONTROL. So if you make a choice you aren’t happy with, you can just make a different one next time.

Something that stopped me going SUGAR FREE for many years was what other people said, SUGAR FREE DIETS, and the concept that it was a diet. When I went SUGAR FREE I decided to ditch other peoples suggestions and ideas, and did it my way. These are the things I did that helped me.

I made my eating plan about choice, and NOT about good or bad foods, and never used the word diet.

I didn’t follow a plan, I did it my way. I ate what I wanted when I wanted, but I just didn’t eat SUGAR.

I checked food labels.

If I had something with SUGAR in I didn’t beat myself up. But made a different choice next time.

These are just a few of the things that helped me. Overtime my relationship with food begun to alter, and I started to learn that my relationship with food wasn’t just about what I ate, it was about a life time of experiences both good and bad. I also began to recognise my negative thoughts and beliefs around food came from childhood, and whilst I wasn’t about to start blaming my childhood for all my negative eating patterns as an adult, it did help me start to understand my relationship with food. Once I began to understand my relationship with food, then I could set to change it and establish a healthier more positive relationship with food.

I hope this helps some of you that might have been held back by the BIG BUTS! Once you are able to let go of all the buts that hold you back it can leave you free to move forward in life.