chubby, sick, tired..
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I know mine ended up being a little more indulgent than I would have liked, but there’s nothing like a day of excess, with the added sides of bloating and guilt, to getcha right back on track! So first.. positive thoughts and NO negative self talk.. just gotta get Fitness & Nutrition right back on track tomorrow!
With that said, I thought there would be no better time than now to talk about my frienemy (sp?).. Sugar.
NUTRITION
Sugar-Free, Yes Please
Just the other day, Zen to Fitness presented the 30 Sugar-Free Days Challenge for January, which I am all about accepting! Me and Sugar have a love/hate relationship. I love it, it hates me. Even before having a strict diet for fitness training, I didn’t handle sugar well. What I mean by that is that I have no ‘off button.’ Once I start eating sugar I have a very hard time stopping. And now, on top of that, it seems to make me sick. Over the holiday’s I certainly had a few sweet treats, but I can’t say that it was worth it :/ I should be more specific though; I’m talking specifically about added white sugar, I’m totally fine with natural sugars in the form of fruits & veggies, and although I know I shouldn’t eat them, you’ve seen that I’m a big fan of some of the sugar-free alternatives.
If you happen to pick up the January issue of Oxygen magazine, Tosca Reno has an article on her hatred of white sugar too. So as I accept the 30 Day Challenge, which I’ll morph into the 175 day Challenge (aka the # of days until Jr. Nationals), I thought I’d put together a nice sugar-alternative list. Fortunately there are so many fabulous white sugar alternatives, I’ve found that once I go without the evilness for a few days I don’t miss it at all and I feel a million times better!
Alternatives
All Natural –
Natural but..
More natural versions of the non-snorting white drug. If you’re going to have sugar, these are probably better alternatives, and for the most part you use them in much smaller quantities.
Chemicalized..
These are really just the other size of the evil sugar coin. Most of the fake-sugar products I consume contain Splenda or Stevia, and I do my best to avoid saccharin & aspartame. A goal over the coming months is to reduce my intake of artificial sweeteners. Unfortunately, however, I know once I start cutting again in April it will likely shoot back up. I know I should have a more positive attitude about avoiding sweeteners all together, but when the fun carbs are taken away, and I’m hungry all the time, having fake Maple Syrup on my protein pancakes and Sugar-Free White Chocolate Syrup in my black coffee is what keeps me sane A few of my favorite products are..
Parting is such (un) sweet sarrow
It’s addictive, fat producing, weakens the immune system, is linked to an onslaught of various diseases and is toxic, what more reason do you need to kick it to the curb?!
BUT WAIT… everything is fine in moderation right?! .. yes, I think so Personally, however, I just find it easier not to have any, than to tell myself I can have a little then suddenly a box of cookies is gone. So to those of you who have the capability to have just that one cookie, then amen sister (or brother) you go for it.. I’m just not that person.
Now where’s my Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Tea?!?!
What are your favorite go to non-sugar treats that help satisfy your sweet tooth?
Fun Links
I have the same relationship with sugar – sugar is so addictive! If I crave it, I usually make myself some green tea (it seems to help) or have a handful of unsalted nuts. Not sure why, but both of those strategies help.
I’ll join you on the Sugar-Free challenge!
i could not agree with this more. i am the same way with sugar. That stuff is the devil!!
i’m jumping on that january challenge with you
Hi Alyson-
Thanks for the great post, and congrats to you too on joining IIN! I am also trying to limit my intake of artificial sweeteners…will check back to stay tuned to how your month is going!
I agree, sugar is terrible for you, especially if you are sugar sensitive. I can give you a great reason to give it up all together, I am an eye doctor and the retina is one of the first vessels that diabetes attacks. I have seen so much awful stuff in the back of the eyes and so many of these patients cannot even tell me their blood sugar that morning. That is my soapbox for 2009, ha,ha! Diabetes is an awful disease, and type 2 is primarily sugar induced! Yikes, sorry, there I go again!
hehe, I’ll keep you company on that box :p
Yep, raising my hand to the sugar addict question. Its like a heroin addiction, if I start I have a hard time stopping. I will go “cold turkey” for about a week before the craving disappears. Best not to touch it at all for me. My fave sugar craving fix is a cup of tea (no milk or sweetener) and a manderine orange or just a cup of fat free plain yogurt with frozen berries thrown in. If you put the berries in frozen and pop the whole thing in the freezer for 15 to 30 mins its like a frozen ice cream treat. The berries are just sweet enough and the yogurt while plain, is delicious slightly frozen. I don’t add any sugar or sweetener, best that I don’t go there…fruit is about as high in the glycemic index as I should go in my sugar adventures.
When is the official start date of the sugar free challenge…I’m in!
I think their’s is a January 1st start, but I’m starting now
It’s amazing how easy it is to over do it in one day! Like you, the bloated icky feeling definitely got me into the gym this morning!
Allison!! I love your post!!!! All if this is so true!!!! I try to live by those little tricks and rules all the time but yesss sugar is sometimes hard to resist! Especially during the holidays. I don’t feel too well myself today! Lol
The only thing I can say for stevia, is make sure you try to find it in bulk or from a brand that’s been around awhile. Many new brands have jumped on the trendy hype recenty and have produced a genetically modified form that only as one component not the two that naturally make up stevia. The ones in little packets lik sold at trader joes (sweet leaf etc) only have one. No bueno. Digests differently in your system.
Good luck everyone! I’m down for the challenge!!
Great points! I actually prefer the Stevia extract that can only be found buried on the bottom shelf in the supplement isle at Whole Foods. I should definitely clarify.
Al, I’m LOVING your blog. You’re a fantastic writer — this is entertaining, well researched, and super interesting!!!
I was going to make a comment about sugar, but seeing as I just polished off about 1/2 lb. of Sweet Factory sour candy (the sugar-FULL kind), I feel as though I should remain silent for the time being…DAMN YOU, CHRISTMAS CANDY!!!
ahh you’re too sweet, thank you so much
And when one has a model figure like you do, you get to each as much candy as you like!
I LOVE sugar. It’s kind of a problem. I could honestly go through an entire day eating nothing but sweet food. I know I should try and cut back (and I even made it a holigoal of mine) but I get antsy without it. Okay, dependence at it’s best! I’m really going to work on it come Jan 1st.
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