{There are 3 powerful substances my clients and I talk about often. I figured it would be cool to put some of that info here, for YOU, too. *wink}
Sugar.
Who doesn’t love it?
Who doesn’t crave it at times?
Who doesn’t reach for it to lift a blue mood?
Who doesn’t wish it was not problematic so that eating a bag of M&Ms or a row of Oreos or a beautifully frosted piece of cake wouldn’t wake the Itty Bitty Shitty Committee in our heads to berate us for being *bad*?
Let’s clear something up right off the bat - no matter what you’ve been taught, no matter what you’ve been told, no matter how deeply held your belief in it is, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS *GOOD FOOD* AND *BAD FOOD.* We can pull that apart another time (because there is A LOT to pull apart there!)...I’ll refrain from going off on that tangent for now. *smirk
The truth is, while there is TRULY no such thing as *good food* and *bad food*, there ARE foods and substances that have powerful impacts on our bodies and psyches. Sugar is one of those.
Here are just of few of the MANY ways sugar can affect your body and mind:
It can create unwanted weight gain.
It can increase risk of heart disease.
It stimulates release of dopamine and serotonin (which are the same neurotransmitters that cocaine and alcohol and other drugs trigger).
It can compromise skin health (in the form of acne and premature aging).
It can increase risk of depression.
You see, sugar is pretty powerful.
And, honestly, in our modern, processed food culture, it’s being added to almost everything. (Just check the labels on your pasta sauce and yogurt - which, incidentally, can cancel out the benefits of the probiotic strains in it!)
So what should you do? How can you include this powerful substance in your diet without falling prey to its addictive, troublesome qualities?
First of all, if you are one of the many of us that feel challenged by having a sweet tooth, relax. Getting stressed out about sugar isn’t going to help. Simply acknowledge your feelings about the challenge and start to get curious about it.
Ask yourself a few key questions - Why do I reach for sugar? What childhood memory (if any) is attached to my desire for sugar? How do I feel as I’m eating it? How do I feel after I’ve eaten it? Do I experience withdrawal-type symptoms when I try to stop eating sugar? Are there things I can do for myself instead of eating sugar that would feel as nourishing and nurturing?
Once you’ve spent some time with those Qs - and possibly even journaled about them - take a deep breath and think about how you would redesign your relationship with sugar if you had a magic wand.
Then start moving yourself toward that new relationship with changes that are doable.
If your relationship with sugar feels like its too much and you’d like a guide, I’d be more than happy to help! Simply click over to the Work With Me section here on my site or hit Contact and reach out via email.
Till next time, be nourished.
xo
{ps - I’ll post about the other two in two separate posts here soon.}
