One Little Word 2014: October - December

And just like that another month is over.

As you might recall, my word for this year is Cultivate. I am taking a more laid back approach to my word this year. Am picking a theme for each month, and then seeing where I end up.

My focus this month was to cultivate a sugarfree lifestyle 

sugarfree 

adjective

free of sugar.

An overall goal I have for this year is living a healthier, more active lifestyle, and so far I've been quite pleased with my efforts. And then it occurred to me that I need to get off the sugar hill. I have spent the past several years educating myself on healthy diets - and by diets I do not mean something you go on to loose a few pounds and then return to status quo - I'm talking about a lifestyle diet. 

The options are overwhelming: paleo, vegan, south beach, atkins, no-carb, etc. And here is my truth: I have actually tried South Beach three or four times over the past several years, and each time I felt fantastic, the weight fell off, I fixed my symptoms of metabolic syndrome. And then over time, I fade back to not paying attention, and I find myself stalled out. And you know the biggest culprit? Sugar. There is lots of research that shows that sugar lights the same parts of our brains as heroin/cocaine does (look it up!), and I've heard Dr. Oz talk about how sugar is like having really sharp razor blades ripping us apart internally. But I have resisted knowing this. A life without sugar cannot be worth living! Besides, a little cannot be all that bad can it? Well, it turns out that sugar is not just in candy and desserts, but is in almost everything processed, and our bodies treat many carbs just like sugar.

And here is what I have finally admitted to myself: My name is Elizabeth, and I am a sugar junkie. And like all junkies, I cannot have just a little bit. Once I take a bite, I get back on the sugar roller coaster ride, and while it is thrilling for a while, my body and mind do not feel so good.

I have now been sugar free for a month. An entire month! Something that would have been inconceivable to me even a couple of months ago. I have learned how to make sweets/treats that do not spike my insulin. And you know what? I have never felt so good. My mind has never been so clear. The excess weight is falling off. And after the first several days of detoxing, my cravings have completely disappeared. This is so important to me that I have decided that it will be my focus for the rest of this year.

Are you sugarfree or thinking about it? How do you do it?