This incident was a great wake-up call for me to look at my diet, which made me realize I eat a LOT of sugar. During my pregnancy, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which came as a little shock as I didn’t have it with my other pregnancies. However, it wasn’t an overly big shock because while drinking that extremely sweet drink and absolutely loving it, I thought, yes, I probably have gestational diabetes.
5 easy steps to kick the sugar habit
1. Go cold turkey
It sounds daunting and if I wasn’t pregnant, I definitely would have found this way very hard, but hearing what could happen to my baby made me quit without hesitation. If you are going to try this way, have a strong mind and a good reason as to why you are going cold turkey.
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2. Choose the right carbs
This was a real eye-opener for me. For years, I had been under the impression I was eating the right carbs and I learned I had to eat more of the low-GI carbs. Dr. Mark Hyman suggests eating unlimited carbs. He advises: “I only mean the non-starchy veggies such as greens, the broccoli family (cauliflower, kale, collards, etc.), asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, onions, zucchini, tomatoes, fennel, eggplant, artichokes, peppers, etc. What’s out are potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and beets — just for 10 days. Also, skip grains and beans for 10 days. It supercharges the results so you lose weight and feel great.”
3. Fill up on good fats and protein
Fats are not the enemy, sugar is; so stock up on all your good fats and you will reap the benefits. Dr. Mark Hyman says: “Fat makes you full, balances your blood sugar, and is necessary for fueling your cells. Along with protein, have good fats at every meal and snack, including nuts and seeds (which also contain protein), extra virgin olive oil, coconut butter, avocados, and omega 3 fats from fish.”
4. Be ready for a sugar craving
Always be prepared so you don’t fall into the trap of eating sugar again. Make sure you carry around with you appropriate snacks and throw out any foods that you can’t resist. I find when I have a craving — usually at night is when the craving hits or 3 p.m. — if there is nothing sugary to eat, I will be forced to eat a healthy snack, which is then resetting my bad habits.
5. Get appropriate sleep
When I was tired, I would use sugar more than caffeine to pep me up. So in order to give it up, make sure you are getting enough sleep; usually, 7 hours is sufficient.
Watch this short video on how sugar impacts your health:
So whatever your reason for quitting sugar, these 5 steps should help make it easier. Ever since I have given up sugar, I have had a more stable energy level throughout the day and feel and look better.
