Beat the sugar blues: Part two at Her Active Life

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Beat the sugar blues: Part two

Posted May 21, 2007 at 11:00 AM by Seth Braun

Section: Her Health, Her Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Weight Control

This article is written by Mr. Seth Braun, a network guest contributor, natural health expert and best-selling author. Seth can be contacted for a complimentary consultation through his site or at his clinic, (303)-444-2357.

The Innocence of Sugar
Sugar seems so…sweet.

There are many sentiments associated with sweetness that reflect the best in human character. With so many church socials and civic functions supplied with sugar, why does one really believe that refined sugar is just plain junk for the body?

It is hard to really get that sugar is an addictive substance. We live in a social context in which the addiction to refined carbohydrates is treated as lifestyle.

I have seen it in myself: giving up sugar is a challenging proposition. But there is good news.

Based on what I have seen, once you can kick the sugar habit for about 4 months, it is pretty easy to stay on track. There are little slides [back] into the cycle of a quick fix refined carb crash. But after giving it up for four good months, the cycle is recognized and adjusted - granting that you have a proper and supportive lifestyle. This is built in as a stage of the Real Simple Nutrition, 6 Months To A New You program.

Fit With Fruit
Fruit is the natural candy. It is definitely a better choice than refined carbs and sugars. Both my wife and I went through a phase at different times in which we stopped eating sugar but still ate A LOT of fruit. I think this is a good thing. Most people do well to moderate the fruit intake since it can continue the same cycle of high/low blood sugar within the body. But as a transition between a highly refined sugar diet and a balanced blood sugar diet, it can’t be beat.

Keeping The Balance
Once you get used to having your blood sugar balanced out throughout the day, you will naturally gravitate towards keeping it that way, and eating the right amount of fruit will be a natural part of that balance. As we have experimented with our diets, my wife became concerned when we made a commitment to moderate the amount of fruits we eat. She loves fruit and could easily eat several mangoes a day, plus several bananas and a couple of oranges. After she felt the benefit of moderating her fruit intake, she has been happy to eat one or two pieces of fruit each day and giving herself an indulgence every week or two of half a papaya or pineapple.

The Importance of Lifestyle Choices
Everything I suggest in my book, on my web site and in my DVD’s and CD’s always come back to a holistic perspective. If you do not have the peace that comes from a good relationship with your Self, the inner you, then it will be difficult to maintain changes on the outside. Outside in and inside out: it is a two way street and both need to be cleaned up for the traffic to flow.

You will turn to food to balance out your life if you are stressed and unhappy. That is OK! Just know that that is the case. Know that you will eat to help feel better, but know too that ultimately feeling better is the result of inner choices we make that result in actions to feel better. It is who you are that results in what you do, which ultimately results in what you have, and that includes having health.

Getting Sweet without defeat
OK, that title is a bit much. But really, you need to include sweet foods in your diet because they are a natural part of the human palette. I figure if you can taste it, and you like it, then it must be put there for a good reason. Here are some ways to get sweet that don’t lead to the sugar blues.

1. Eat sweet vegetables. Replacing sugar in your diet with sweet vegetables is one of the best steps you can take to improve your health.
2. Use licorice, stevia and cinnamon to sweeten you tea. Have a cup of tea with one of these herbs and you are not only getting rid of the sweet but including herbal remedies for a host of body functions, including improved insulin use!
3. Eat fresh fruits, especially berries. But do not overdo it.
4. Try drinking water with lemon or having something sour and salty, like a good lacto fermented pickle instead.