The following article by the author first appeared on Examiner.com June 15, 2016
Well, I made it - seven days without sugar ... sort of. Let's say I gave up 90 percent of the sugar I was consuming. That's an A- by any measure.
I gave up donuts, cookies, ice cream, even dried creamer in my coffee; plus, I felt weird putting Splenda, a sugar substitute, in my joe. I did use some honey. But mainly, I swapped out natural substitutes such as vanilla or cinnamon for a kick.
I feel terrific! I am still waking up every morning with an ache in my mouth (bone spur following extraction) but I feel lighter - which I hope proves true when I go get my annual physical Tuesday. Point to make: I felt eager to book the physical because I am anxious to step on the doctor's scale.
The United States Food and Drug Administration states in
"How Sweet It Is: All About Sugar Substitutes" that there are five sugar substitutes: Newtame (relatively new), Equal, Sweet 'n Low, Sweet One, and Splenda. The FDA advises consumers to consult with their physician following (or preceding, I suspect) any averse reactions. I can't consume saccharin, Sweet 'n Low, anything in a tiny pink envelope without enduring a piercing headache.
HOW I FEEL: You'd think I'd be eager to buy a big box of donuts and dive in. No. I am going to treat myself to a nice Mexican food lunch and there may or may not be a margarita involved. (Full disclosure: I "had" to review an Irish whiskey yesterday and I may have had a sip or 17).
Going forward, I want to monitor my progress - which I will measure by both my shrinking waistline and as importantly, my lessening dental woes. It was entirely unnecessary that I had to lose several teeth, endure numerous root canals, periodontistry, etc., when I could have used that money to have obtained my Master's degree by now. Don't get me started on the high cost of U.S. dentistry - that's for another day - but one can't blame the doctor if the patient is making herself sick.
But one more point: if our U.S. supermarkets would purge themselves of row after row of processed foods, it would nick half the problem, maybe more. During my
Seven Days Without Sugar Challenge I realized, clearly, that I was limited in what I could buy at the average supermarket.
Thankfully, it's nearly summer and there are plentiful peaches, watermelons, cherries and tomatoes.
Good luck to you if you followed along, and more importantly,
buenos suerte to all of us as we try to conquer our sugar addiction. A body is a terrible thing to waste - as is tragic the financial hemorrhage we suffer as a result of running to dentists and doctors to "fix" us.
Here's to you, cauliflower. Here's to you, succulent squash. I love you, broccoli spears. Eat healthfully and prosper.
How did YOU do on your Challenge? Tell me in the Comments below or via e-mail at lauriewiegler@gmail.com.
Illustration: courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Images, by Tumimsu
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