Several years ago, I began a journey of bringing wellness into my life; spiritually, mentally, and physically. Along the way, I stumbled across several realizations about myself:
1. I like sweets
2. I REALLY like sweets
3. I LOVE sweets (did I mention that?)
Yes, I have a sweet-tooth. But, through reading and research, I found that it can be a vicious cycle; I like sweets, I eat sweets filled with white sugar, the white sugar wreaks havoc with my body and my emotional health, but leaves it wanting more the next time. On and on it goes…..somewhere along the line I had to break the cycle.
Part of the problem lies in the wonderful way we are created. Our bodies work much like a slow-burning wood stove. It processes food like that so we can be on an even keel throughout the day. It is designed to break-down materials we put into it and convert that material into energy (or stored energy for later). The “breaking down” part is the key. That’s why natural, whole foods are so much better for us --our bodies NEED to do the work of breaking down, digestion, and distribution in order for the system to work at its optimum level.
What happens when you put little twigs and leaves into a woodstove? They burn up immediately and disappear without adding to the heat-output of the stove.
Okay, so that’s what it’s like with white sugar (and white flour, btw!). White sugar has already been processed, broken down, REFINED. It goes directly into our blood stream and gives us a quick jolt of energy, sends our pancreas and adrenal glands into a seesaw operation and then we get the big “letdown feeling” from all that craziness! ……Until we drink that next soda, or eat that next candy bar, or two…..and then it starts all over again.
That was me --I was on a constant emotional roller-coaster and part of that was caused by my diet. I had to get off that ride and do something different. First, I took myself off ALL white sugar and white flour. I had nothing that contained either of those two ingredients for a period of time. I never felt so good! It was VERY difficult at first, but I wanted wellness more than anything, so I disciplined myself to do it.
But then, real life started to creep back in and I found myself slipping. Going out to eat, going to a celebration of some sort, not reading the label first; all these played into me not being able to live completely free of sweetness. There had to be another way of doing things!
I found that finding alternatives worked better for me than completely shutting off the world.
Finding alternatives allows not only is healthier, but also allows you to be in control of more of our eating habits and gives you a sense of empowerment. So…what are these alternatives I speak of?
Well, for starters, for white sugar, there is a natural alternative called STEVIA (also called “sweet leaf”). This is the Sweet Leaf plant whose leaves have been dried and crushed. Because of its super-sweetness, you don’t need as much as white sugar. And even though it has been processed, it will not change your blood sugar at all. You can buy stevia (it also comes in a brand name of “Truvia”) in bulk (for baking, etc), liquie, or in single packets --I like to carry around packets in my purse for when we go to restaurants, visit people, etc. This way I always have my “alternative” for drinks needing sugar. Another alternative for white sugar is natural unrefined cane sugar; most stores carry this now as more people are looking for alternative food choices. Honey is, of course, another great substitute; an added bonus for honey? If you buy local honey, it has anti-allergen properties to local plants which help with your seasonal allergies J
Next week --other alternatives to other favorites!
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