How much sugar do we eat??

I was browsing through books at Barnes & Noble on January 10th. I won't forget that day. It was during Girls' Weekend--an annual event with my sisters, nieces, and daughter. We stay in a hotel in downtown Seattle for two nights and shop and eat. Sometimes we go to a movie or take a ride on the Great Wheel.

A book for sale on a table caught my eye. The cover said "I Quit Sugar."

I have been interested in the effects of sugar on the body for years. But I never wanted to know REALLY what I was doing to myself since ate a whole lot of sugar and loved it.

I bought the book and started reading it that night in the hotel room. Since then, I have slowly reduced the volume of sugar we eat in my house. It has been an eye-opening journey. Our bodies have adjusted to not having sugar, and the cravings are gone. Sweet stuff now tastes too sweet and it just isn't palatable. I have always called myself a chocoholic yet the other day I THREW CHOCOLATE AWAY because it didn't taste good to me. Whoa, what is happening to me??

My kids bought into the idea of reducing sugar right away. My daughter looks at labels on everything now. She is disgusted by the amount of sugar in boxed cereal, but she finally found Shredded Wheat (the big biscuits) doesn't have any added sugar. My son likes ham sandwiches for lunch. No one makes ham slices without added sugar. Yogurt is the biggest joke--look for full fat, plain yogurt for the least amount of sugar.

Here are the benefits I've seen in my household:
- Everyone's mood is better. Operating in the "red zone" (angry, frustrated, impatient) used to feel like the norm in my house. The percentage of time we spend in the "red zone" is much lower now.
- I feel more energetic when I run.
- My outlook each day is more positive. I used to start the day feeling overwhelmed with a huge list of things to accomplish. That anxiety is no longer present, and I am taking the initiative to say "no" to things that will add to my workload.
- My daughter is falling asleep easily. She used to stay awake, sometimes crying, for 1.5 hrs, after bedtime.

I guess I don't need this any longer.

 

We aren't completely sugar-free, yet. I will try to share some recipes and tips in the future. If you have any suggestions, let me know!