Physical Health: Kick out Sugar

I’m not going to start with a 100 squat challenge or a mile-a-day run.

You’re welcome.

The central point of this whole series is incremental, sustainable change. So we’ll start with something a little closer to home, a little easier to swallow, a simpler change.

We need less sugar in our lives, y’all.

I was happy to see that Joy Bauer was of a similar mindset in her Simplest Diet Cleanse Ever when she tagged sugary beverages as an item to lose. I’m not a professional nutritionist, but I’m an expert in my personal physiology, and for me, sugar consumption results in:

• Weight gain
• Energy instability
• Poor mood management
• Blood sugar instability

In my life, the most challenging area to cut out sugar was in my coffee beverages. I LOVE my lattes, and I used to love them sweet, sweet, sweet. However, there’s no question that adding sweet to coffee adds mucho calories, so I had to learn how to cut it out. How, do you ask, did I do that?

Dramatically.

For a gal who loves moderation, both my major sugary beverage overhauls came in no-tolerance policies. A Lenten fast of sodas resulted in a totally neutralized cola habit. A simple, nutritionist-designed eating plan not only helped me shed my baby weight, but completely overhauled my coffee profile. No more mochas, far greater appreciation for a good espresso with cream.

Is it easy? No. Is it fun? Not at first. But, as you take each small, successful step away from sugar, towards health, it gets better. And easier. If it helps,  you can borrow my mantra: It’s simpler to make good food choices than to try and burn off bad. (Or, I don’t have time to exercise away this cupcake.)

Take it from the girl who just hosted a birthday party and said “No thanks” to the  cake. Baby steps forward, baby.

~Me