Is sugar controlling your life?

This year I made a resolution to get a hold of my eating habits. OK, GUYS, I know that it seems to be trendy to not follow through on resolutions… but I have never been one for following the leader. So, a few weeks ago, I decided to do a 21 day sugar detox.

If you have met me before, you would know that my biggest weakness is chocolate and candy. My mother has this funny story that she use to tell me that has been drained in me since I was young. She told me that when she was a kid she didn’t have much money and so when all the kids would be smoking, she had to make a choice…cigarettes or chocolate…and she chose chocolate. (LOL) This was clearly her way of convincing me to stay away from drugs. Oh and if you were wondering, surprisingly no, my mom isn’t a big gal haha…she just likes her chocolate.
Anyways, I remember thinking that that was so smart and it definitely was very effective because I have never been one for doing drugs or drinking much. Sadly though, I did become addicted to chocolate and candy. Even though we know that that isn’t as bad as regular drugs and alcohol, sugar does affect our ability to think clearly and do normal everyday things. I swear when I have kids I’m going to change that story around and say that I had to choose between books and drugs… one can never be too addicted to reading in my opinion.

For years I have been complaining of having a cloudy brain, mood swings that I don’t understand where they come from, and anger that comes out of no where. After only 21 days, this has drastically changed.

I found this amazing article that I am going to directly quote from because I feel that it is vital for this information to be passed on:
“Eating lots of sugar is going to give you sudden peaks and troughs in the amount of glucose in your blood; symptoms that this is going on include fatigue, irritability, dizziness, insomnia, excessive sweating (especially at night), poor concentration and forgetfulness, excessive thirst, depression and crying spells, digestive disturbances and blurred vision. Since the brain depends on an even supply of glucose it is no surprise to find that sugar has been implicated in aggressive behavior, anxiety, and depression, and fatigue.

Lots of refined sugar and refined carbohydrates (meaning white bread, pasta, rice and most processed foods,) is also linked with depression because these foods not only supply very little in the way of nutrients but they also use up the mood enhancing B vitamins; turning each teaspoon of sugar into energy needs B vitamins. In fact, a study of 3,456 middle-aged civil servants, published in British Journal of Psychiatry found that those who had a diet which contained a lot of processed foods had a 58% increased risk for depression, whereas those whose diet could be described as containing more whole foods had a 26% reduced risk for depression.

Sugar also diverts the supply of another nutrient involved in mood – chromium. This mineral is vital for keeping your blood sugar level stable because insulin, which clears glucose from the blood, can’t work properly without it.”  to read more visit… http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/07/13/why-sugar-is-dangerous-to-depression/

After reading this article and feeling the difference from being without sugar for 21 days, it probably doesn’t sound as unbelievable now, that I feel like a whole new person. I have never felt so clear-minded and I don’t feel like I’m being held back from withdrawal or mood swings anymore.

I have been eating extremely healthy for about 2 years now (and I recently stepped it up by eating mainly organic good meals), and my life has changed for the better. But my sugar addiction was the last thing I needed to fix ,and now that I have a hold of that, I feel as if I will easily move forward. This was probably my biggest obstacle and I can now say that I have faced it.

So if you are someone who suffers from mood swings, anxiety, depression, anger, brain fogginess and all the other symptoms above, perhaps it is time that you evaluate what you are eating. Remember, candy and chocolate isn’t the only thing with sugar, it’s also in wheat products and many dairy products. So educate yourself and if you are feeling this way, do what it takes to get a hold of your diet. Treating your body right is what it means to Love Your Body.

Lots of Love,

Melissa ♡