I Gave Up Sugar & Processed Foods…
Here’s what happened…
*I lost fat, and I lost it quickly
Now maybe this was because I was 25 at the time, but for me I’ve noticed over the years when I am abstaining from foods that spike my blood sugar (ie: processed foods and sweets) my weight goes down.
I also know this has to do with the fact I tend to be estrogen dominant and processed foods/ sugar raise estrogen to an unhealthy level and cause inflammation.
*My quality of sleep improved. Like, ALOT
Before, I had been lethargic upon awakening and was no stranger to the snooze button. After about a month or two of giving up sugar/processed foods, I was sleeping like a brick and bouncing out of bed without an alarm clock.
*My social life started to blossom
Sounds strange, right? You wouldn’t think abstaining from junk food would create a social butterfly, but it did.
I was no longer going home after work exhausted and needing to eat my feelings with brownies or boxes of cereal or pizza from costco. I no longer had that option.
And that put me in a raw and vulnerable state, and I found I needed to be surrounded by friends with fun and meaningful social interactions.
*I stopped craving sugar
It does happen, I swear! After about 30 days I wasn’t romanticizing a box of cereal or girl scout cookies.
My taste buds and my dopamine receptors in my brain reset and I started to crave whole natural unprocessed foods, like chicken, eggs, steak, broccoli and colorful salads.
But please hear me loud and clear, this ONLY happened when I abstained 100 percent from these addictive processed foods, which gave my body time to acclimate and start to crave the new foods I was giving it.
*My skin cleared up
I never had terrible acne like some of my friends, but I suffered the occasional monthly breakout around my cycle.
I also had these tiny bumps along my arms and shins that plagued me since puberty. After a few months of being off sugar (and dairy, I’m not gonna lie) they were GONE, never to return.
*My digestion improved
When I was eating processed foods and sugar, by the end of the day, I looked like I was 3 months pregnant from gas and bloating.
Later I learned this comes from the binders they use in foods like ice cream, and creamy baked goods. These binders (such as carrageenan) don’t get digested by our intestines and can build up over time.
*I developed a newfound confidence and ease in my body. Finally!
I’m not saying you can’t be thicker and strut your stuff, because YOU CAN.
But I knew in my BONES I was living authentically when I ate PF (processed foods) and sugar, and it was showing up on my physique.
I felt like I was wearing the proof of the addiction I had on my body.
Because I was numbing my emotions with sugar and PF, I was treating myself with a lack of kindness and respect, and that transferred to my body image.
*NO MORE YEASTS INFECTIONS
It’s well known today that excess sugar in the body causes yeast overgrowth in the vagina and systemically in the body. Never ever had another one since I put down the PF and sugar.
*I started to derive TRUE PLEASURE from simple things
This is probably BY FAR my number one thing that keeps me off PF and sugar present day.
After about 2 months, I noticed I was taking deep enjoyment from simple things like a hot bath, snuggled in bed with a good novel, or a swim in the ocean.
I was becoming ultra present with the pleasure in my body. My dopamine receptors in my brain were finally starting to rewire.
This felt like the Holy Grail to me.
*I started saying NO
I found that the reason I was addicted to sugar and PF was because I was chronically OVERSTRESSED and OVERCOMMITTED.
I quickly learned I couldn’t live this new version of me (sugar and PF free) without dealing with my stress levels and learning how to say NO.
I came to realize that if I overcommitted myself and my stress levels started to rise and I felt overwhelmed, I began to crave my old coping mechanism: sugar and PF.
*Toxic relationships fell to the wayside
I could no longer pretend some of my relationships were ok. The longer I abstained from sugar and PF, the more I craved healthy and nurturing relationships.
I slowly began to trust my instincts in letting go of toxic connections I had made when I was at my unhealthiest.
*I had energy and drive for LIFE & EXERCISE
I’m not saying I was super motivated 100% of the time, but I sure had a huge improvement in my mental focus and physical energy.
Being off of sugar and PF meant my blood sugar wasn’t constantly spiking and plummeting, taking my energy with it.
My blood sugar was more even and stable, which meant my mood, energy levels, and mind were too.
*My libido went through the ROOF
There’s so many reasons this happened to me… where do I begin..?
One thing that kills your sex drive is a bad body image, and now that I was living in alignment, I started to LIKE myself and my body.
I was showing up for myself in ways I never imagined. I was grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning out toxic people from my world and that breeds confidence.
My hormones had started to balance and regulate, which equals a healthy sex drive of a red blooded woman.
Was It Worth It…?
Well… What do you think…?
For me, it was a HECK YES.
Now, I’m not saying this is what I believe YOU should do. In fact, for most people this would create a dangerous restrict/binge cycle.
But for a person that struggles with food addiction (yes, that would be me) it may make all the difference.
If you think you might have a problem with controlling your intake of sugary, sweets or any processed foods, reach out to me. Nobody should have to go through this alone. ❤️