The Sugar Addiction

I now can imagine what it must be like for people trying to quit smoking.

Hi, my name is Kelly and I'm a sugar addict. I love sugar. Meals are not complete without some sort of sweet thing at the end. Whether it's fruit or chocolate, I have to have it. In fact, I didn't even realize how ingrained the habit of eating sugar was until I did a Detox. Suddenly, all I could think about was sugar. At night I was literally in physical pain, resisting the urge to grab my keys and run to the grocery store to buy ice cream.

I'm on Week 3 of the Transitions eating plan. The first week I did a vegetable cleanse or Detox. Nothing but fruits and veggies for 7 days. The detox is a great way to clean out your system of toxins, give your digestive system a break, and cleanse the palate. I highly recommend it, especially if you're a junk food, bread, pasta, or sugar addict. I did a Detox back in October. It was amazing how well it worked. Afterward, I wasn't tempted by sweets and if I did have a piece of chocolate, I was able to stop after one piece. Life was great. Then came Christmas vacation and all my mother's fabulous Christmas desserts. Now, I am in no way blaming Mom. I just have no self-control-especially when the desserts are bite-sized and easy to eat 10 at a time without even realizing it.

I tried to detox again after Christmas. The detox went something like this: Eat fruits and veggies all day. Come home at night. End up sprawled on the couch twitching with cravings. Suddenly I remember 3 truffles I had stashed in a box up on the top shelf of my closet. Like a bolt of lightening I am out of my seat and in the closet, pulling the box down, opening it up, and throwing the contents out all over my bedroom floor until I locate the truffles and scarf down all three. The serotonin is released and a rush of calm floods through my body. Mission accomplished: I have gotten my fix for the day.

I felt like a crazy person out of a cartoon.

Since the latest Detox, things have gotten a little better but I still struggle. Blogging is my way of staying accountable and on track. Because who wants to tell the world they're kicking an addiction and then turn around and down 3 pieces of cake?

Realizations of a Sugar Addict
(1) I can no longer keep sugar foods in my house unless I plan on eating them within a few days.
(2) I can no longer have desserts such as Hershey kisses or a box of cookies lying around. I will eat them all in one sitting.
(3) Eating a lot of sugar makes me groggy and unable to get up in the morning. Not to mention the many times I have eaten a lot of sugar at once and gotten sick because I compromised my immune system.
(4) Take time to read labels on all foods you eat, because you'd be amazed at how large amounts of sugar are hiding in foods where you'd least expect it.
(5) If I'm going to keep sugar at home for the occasional cravings....Trader Joe's individually wrapped 70% dark chocolate bars with 100 calories and 5 grams of sugar. Woohoo!

The photo that started it all

On the top left, we have Black Bean Mango Salsa with Plantain chips from Trader Joe's. Then a Trader Joe's Chile Lime Chicken Burger with mixed frozen vegetables. And for dessert, half of a grapefruit. TIP: Notice how the plate and placemat are cool colors (blues and green). Cool colors dull the appetite as opposed to warm colors (red, brown, orange) that actually stimulate the appetite. Ever notice how most restaurants decorate with warm colors? So try eating on cool colors and it may help decrease your urge to pig out.

Testing the Blog Waters

The inspiration to start a blog came this afternoon as I was eating vegetables.

I prepared a healthy lunch according to my meal plan and sat down to enjoy the fruits of my labor. But it was so pretty that I decided to take a picture of it first. (Yes, I just called my lunch pretty.) It then occurred to me that maybe this photograph could jump start something bigger, something good.

Let me give you some background.

I graduated from college with a degree in Music Education and a minor in English. I currently work full time teaching K-12 music. While in college, I was introduced to a company called Market America. It allows people of all ages to start their own business. I was interested in what this company had to offer and even more interested in the division that specializes in health and wellness. To make a long story short, I became a certified Transitions Lifestyle Coach and am in the middle of teaching a healthy living class. I have five clients and we are having a great time.

This blog will mainly have tips on healthy living (including recipes and photographs of pretty food), recommendations of good music and art, occasional tales from my world travels, and may include anything else I deem useful or at least entertaining. Whether you're family, a friend, student, or client, I hope you will learn something new by reading this blog.

Enjoy. :-)