Physical Health: Do the Holidays derail you?

Confession: It's been a bad week. Very bad. Easter has done me in. Sugar is my nemesis. I have a serious sweet tooth and at times have trouble taming it. It likes to rear it's ugly head quite often but especially around the holidays. My children bless their sweet little souls got a TON of candy for Easter. A crap load, I think more than Halloween. One of the candies they received was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and they do not like them. Let me rephrase that, will not eat them. Oh no!! You know what's coming next right. I'll just have one or three or maybe 50. Ok, a little bit of an exaggeration but it's seriously bad. The sweet tooth has been awakened and I can't stop.

I have actually discovered sugar can be an addiction. Just like alcohol and tobacco and other drugs. It's an addiction and I don't think it takes a lot to kick start the cravings. So I now need to detox. I know, really? Yes and so do you, if you struggle with this.

Step One: Get rid of or hide the sugar. Cut it out of your diet. If needed donate it or throw it away. Lock it up and give someone else the key. Whatever it takes to get rid of it!!!

Step Two: Stock up your kitchen with sugar free items. Replace high-sugar cereals with a whole grain cereal that contains little to no added sugars. Sweeten it naturally with fresh berries or half of a diced banana. Instead of snacking on candy or cookies, reach for a handful of nuts or some raw veggies and hummus. Replace sweetened yogurt with Greek yogurt or plain yogurt. A more filling afternoon treat than that sugary "protein bar" (such as peanut butter on whole-grain crackers)?

When choosing a refreshing beverage to quench your thirst, keep in mind that you want to eat your calories, not drink them. Choose ice cold water flavored with a squeeze of fresh lemon or an orange slice. Or flavor unsweetened iced tea with fresh mint, crushed raspberries, or a squeeze of citrus.

One tip to help you avoid added sugar at the supermarket is to shop the perimeter of the grocery store as much as possible. Think about the general layout of a grocery store: The outside is home to fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, dairy products, and whole grain breads and the inside aisles are stocked with cookies, chips, soda, fruit juice, cake mixes, and other processed foods. Spend most of your time on the outside and only go down the inner aisles for specific products, like whole-grain pasta.

Never shop on an empty stomach and always shop with a list. Shopping while hungry can lead you to adding all kinds of snacks and impulse buys to your cart. Meal planning can be a tricky task at first, but following a meal plan is an important part of breaking the sugar addiction. It will help to keep you on track and help prevent stopping for fast food when you don't have a game plan for dinner. Spend a little time on Sunday afternoons jotting down some meal ideas for throughout the week. Make a list of the food items you will need to make the meals you wrote down and stick to it!

Here are some additional resources that will help you stock a healthier kitchen:

Portable snacking tips and ideas

Over 100 super foods for a super you

Shopping cart essentials



Step Three: Stop the cravings. Identifying true hunger and cravings is important. If you are truly hungry a healthy sugar free snack like nuts or veggies and hummus will satiate you just fine. If you are having a craving that will not be enough. You will not stop until you pig out on something with sugar. You will need a distraction instead, go workout or go on a hike. I recommend something active. Remember this is not going to be easy but after awhile it will become habit and your sugar threshold will decrease.

Step Four: Have a plan for here on out. Cutting out sugar forever is probably not realistic So allow yourself some every now and then. Special Occasions and such. Just don't go overboard. Or you could find yourself in trouble. If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up over it. Accept your action and decide to make a better decision next time and move on. Continue to experiment with your new, healthy foods and recipes. You'd be surprised at how many ways you can make treats healthier and use far less sugar than a recipe suggests.

And remember: It generally takes about 3-4 weeks for a new behavior to become habit, the most important thing is to stick with it.

Source:  http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1663&page=4
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