Are you convinced yet? Have you done the research? Can you see how refined sugar is effecting your body?If you're ready to take the plunge, I would recommend committing to a minimum of two weeks of refined sugar free living, but two months is ideal. You will most likely have withdrawal symptoms for the first 10 days. You may have headaches, mood swings, rage, stomach upset. The list goes on and on. Be prepared for it to be hard work. But the rewards are well worth it.
Here are 11 tips for you helping you on your way:
Make a commitment
Decide that you're going to be refined sugar free. Make a commitment to remove all refined sugar from your diet for a minimum of two weeks. Choose an upcoming day in the next week or two to start (take into consideration when you grocery shop) and commit to start that day, making preparations beforehand. You may even want to treat yourself before you start. Indulge in that piece of cheesecake one last time. At least you won't look back and wish you had.
Be prepared. Have a plan.
Find refined sugar free recipes that appeal to you and your family and have the ingredients stocked. I found that especially during the first few weeks of being refined sugar free I needed a lot of substitutes to get me by. Although ultimately it would be better to not eat treats each day, when you're first removing refined sugar from your diet, eating naturally sweetened desserts when you feel a craving will help you stick with it. Check out some of our family favourites:
Know the ingredients.
Do the research. Always read the ingredient list of anything you purchase. Know where hidden sugar lurks. Know what you need to cut out. Although I try to avoid all refined sugar, sometimes we have to be realistic and purchase processed food. Our family's rule of thumb when purchasing processed food is sugar can't be one of the first three ingredients and it must contain less than 6 grams of sugar per 100 grams.
- Tip: When I first went refined sugar free, I decided not to worry about ingredients used in our main meals. Frequently, a pasta sauce recipe will call for a tablespoon of sugar. By the time the meal was divided between six people and leftovers, I was getting a very small amount of sugar. Although I no longer use refined white sugar at all, it was a stepping stone to removing refined sugars from my diet.
Talk about it.
If you're removing refined sugar from your entire family's diet, prepare them, especially the kids. Let them know that they won't be allowed those sugared treats anymore and let them splurge a few times before you officially remove it. At first, we had to discuss with the kids frequently that we make different choices for our family than others do, and we choose to eat the best food that we can put in our bodies. Now, the kids automatically say no to sugary things or ask if a dessert contains sugar.
Purge the pantry and refrigerator.
Before you start, remove all your favourite sugary treats from the house. If sweets are staring you in the face while you're fighting a craving, you're more likely to give in. You could toss them in the bin, but I recommend finding a sugar eating friend to pass them onto. I'm not a fan of wasting food, even when it is loaded with sugar!
Get cooking.
Find a few recipes that can be frozen and make them ahead of time. That way, you're prepared for lunchboxes, after school snacks and mid-afternoon cravings, which means you're less likely to give in because it feels easier. Try one of these recipes:
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| Primal Fudge by Practical Paleo |
- Raw Brownies by Triumph Wellness
- Primal Fudge by Practical Paleo
- Clean Banana Bread by You Put It On
Be ready with an answer.
You will be met with resistance. One of the hardest parts of going refined sugar free for me was having to answer people's questions. If you have done the research and know why you are actually removing refined sugar from your diet, this part will be much easier.
Know it will be hard.
Removing refined sugar from your diet takes commitment, hard work and effort. You will be cooking from scratch almost all the time. Don't think that this is an easy change. It is, however, a rewarding change once you see how your body responds.
Allow failures.
Sometimes, you'll fail. As you know from Part One of this series, it took me an entire year to entirely remove refined sugar from my diet. Although I wish I'd made a firm commitment sooner, it took time and effort to fully commit. If you slip and eat a piece of cake, pay attention to your body's response to the sugar. Don't use it as an excuse to start eating refined sugar regularly. The signals your body sends you are worth more than all the research I can share with you.
Stick with it.
The longer you go without eating refined sugar, the easier it becomes. I have a major sweet tooth, and for the first 3-6 months, I frequently would eye off cheesecake with longing. Now, I'm so used to saying no, I don't even think about it anymore. The first month is hard. The second month is easier, the third even easier. Give yourself time and stick it out.
Test it.
When you reach the end of your refined sugar free commitment period, it is worthwhile testing your body by eating refined sugar. When you're doing an elimination diet to find food allergies, you always have a reintroduction of the foods you've eliminated to test how your body reacts. Refined sugar should be no different. Eat some after having eliminated it for a prolonged period. You'll definitely notice your body's reaction. Symptoms that I've experienced have included mood swings, crying, upset stomach and skin break outs. Listen to how your body responds to being fed sugar. The negative side effects will probably turn you off ever wanting to eat it again!
Still not sure? The next part of the series will look at baby steps towards refined sugar free living.
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