They say that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. I AM ADDICTED TO SWEETS. There, I finally said it. I've always been a candy lover. Cookies, cake and other sweets are cool too but I can usually refrain from those more easily. I do have moments when I do crave those as well. And although I drink mostly water, I do drink soda sometimes.
I saw the idea for the sugar detox on Pinterest (I love this site) and decided I would give it a try. Being that I was told I was pre-diabetic almost 2 years, it will be very beneficial for my health. I'm pretty sure my blood sugar levels contribute to most of my cravings for sweets. This is a three month sugar detox that is supposed to break your sugar addiction. Supposedly, once you get over the "hump", you won't even crave sweets anymore. This is an interesting fact I saw: the daily recommended intake of sugar for women is 25 grams or 6 teaspoons. One can of coke has 10 teaspoons of sugar. That is crazy to me. With one can of coke, I'm already over my daily recommended intake of sugar. Not to mention all the sugar that is contained in whatever else you eat. Sugar, like salt, is in a lot of the things we consume.
My goal for this challenge is to first make it through 3 days. After 3 days, 3 weeks. After 3 weeks, 3 months. Starting today, I will be looking at food labels for hidden sugar. I will make sure not to consume more than 25 grams of sugar per day. Definitely no candy or obvious sweets (cakes, cookies, etc.) I will try to not eat anything that contains artificial sweeteners (sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame). I will drink only water. I am limiting myself to one cheat day a week, but what I eat should be eaten in moderation on those days. Preferably, I will have no cheat days during these 3 months. If I desire to use what they call the added "free" sugars (honey, agave, stevia, maple syrup molasses, brown rice syrup) which are much better for you, I will still try to stay within the daily recommended allowance of 25 grams. Some of these are my own stipulations, the others are part of the original sugar detox challenge that will be listed below.
I encourage those who have a sweet tooth to consider taking the challenge as well. Especially, if you have a family history of diabetes. Even with a family history, you can make lifestyle changes to prevent certain diseases. On the website I will provide below you will find 146 reasons why sugar is ruining your health.
Wish me luck!
For more information on the Sugar Detox Challenge click HERE
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