I should probably start this post by saying that most of my last entry was written about 2 weeks ago and I had saved it & published only a couple of days ago. I hesitated about whether I should post it as it was a bit whiney and negative.. but I figure it's good to have a benchmark from which to mark changes. So without further ado.. my next post! lol
After my last post things have picked up a little. I'm feeling much clearer and I have not been on the emotional rollercoaster quite as much. My skin is beginning to clear up (I started to get these really big blemishes on my chest- probably stress related or hormonal or a symptom of not looking after myself) and I am beginning to feel my skin loosen a little. That last one probably sounds strange for anyone who hasn't been over weight. Whenever I start to lose weight my skin goes from feeling tight and stretched to soft and a little bit stretchy.. Yeah.. that really does sound weird.. it always tightens up eventually. But I count this as a good sign that what I am doing is having positive implications for my body. That's good because it means I can get on with trying to get my head right without worrying too much about my body.. not that they are separate.. actually, its a reminder that they are so connected.
12 Days ago my friend Belinda asked me if I would be interested in joining her Facebook group. It is a support page for people who are having a go at quitting sugar. She sent me a bit more info and I had a read of Sarah Wilson's ebook and it all just clicked. I remembered back to times when I ate very little sugar and how I felt and it made so much sense for me to try the 8 week "I Quit Sugar" program. I remembered that I have polycistic ovaries (not the syndrome- I don't have enough other symptoms) and I have always felt really amazing eating "clean". So I bought the cookbook and started exploring this new fructose-free territory.
I am in week 2 now. It's been a very gentle start. I decided not to weigh myself at all because I really want it to be about how I feel. Sarah suggests quitting sugar should be treated like an experiment and that we should remain curious and not harsh or critical of ourselves if we slip up. I really love this attitude. It's what I need right now. I'm sick of feeling like I need to punish myself. It's not useful any more.
Here is one of my favourite recipes so far;
Chocolate Superfood Mousse
(adapted from Sarah Wilson's website)
Ingredients::
2 ripe avocadoes
1/2 cup coconut cream
1-2 tbs rice syryp
1-2 tbs cacao powder
1-2 tbs chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon or vanilla
Blitz in a food processor or use a stick blender. Pop in the fridge for half an hour to set a bit.
I have also made one with just 3 ingredients- a small can of coconut cream (tip out the water & just use the cream), 1 tbs cacao and 1 tbs rice malt syrup. Mix & refrigerate for a bit... So delicious!!
Are you a sugar addict?
Have you done the I Quit Sugar detox?
Have any thoughts on all this business??
Hit me up in the comments!
Ash
xo
5 comments:
Love the post ash! And I love aaall of Sarah Wilson's stuff!
I have always thought about quiting sugar, or trying to!
I should seriously take more note of my body changes! I am amazed that you picked up on the skin changes in your body! Have you seen "Hungry for change" - it's another good documentary regarding sugar.
ash! I love that your writing here again, you always share so openly and honestly about how you're going. I also hope this little online place can become a happy space, a little place of escapism, that's what blogging has been for me the past 18 months. I love the button you made for my blog btw, your so clever!! xx
Hello Friends!
Thanks for commenting. I will definitely check out "Hungry for Change" Thanks for the suggestion twenty kilos to go (I looked around for your name and haven't been able to find it!).
Sammie, it's actually been quite fun so far.. I feel like my brain is waking up again. :)
Mezz.. you're a lovely woman. xxoo
Hey Ash, the general principles of eating less sugar and less processed food are great. The whole fructose thing is a load of crap though - these people (including Sarah Wilson) who have "graduated" from the same completely dodgy online nutrition college are often on the right track in general, but their reasoning and "scientific" facts are all screwed up.
One of these "gurus", who has a big following, is spouting that wheat contains "glue" and that nobody can digest milk casein - both of which are utter rubbish. Also? Rice malt syrup is still sugar. Dates: still sugar.
All of that aside, if you throw out most over-processed foods and go back to constructing meals from whole foods, you have to be better off, so from that point of view, these programs are actually pretty good. It's when people get obsessive about them that problems start. A slice of cake and a hot chocolate each week isn't going to hurt you, if you're eating heaps of fruit, veg and lean protein and a moderate amount of whole grains the rest of the time AND your energy intake/output is in the right balance.
The fructose myth annoys me. People who are fructose-intolerant have to be careful what they eat - even down to avoiding some fruits & veggies. But the rest of the world? As long as your intake of sugars, including fructose, is moderate, you won't have a problem. High fructose corn syrup is just nasty - but it's not in most of our foods here, it's a very cheap sweetener used in the US because they have enormous corn crops there.
It sounds like you're doing a great job with your nutrition anyway, and I'm glad you're feeling so much better. Last year, when I let things slip in that department, my depression and anxiety accelerated to a point where I thought I was going completely mental. There were other life factors at play, just like in your case, but I'm quite sure that food has a big effect on our brain function.
Keep up the good work. And try to get some sunshine when you can - it really helps! And more art galleries, less boring drudgery. :)
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