Are you a sugar addict? I am. In 2005 I vowed to quit sugar and have been blogging about it ever since. This website contains personal journal entries, stories, product reviews, the Sugar Challenge, and advice for people who are trying to be healthy but still continue to eat sugary junk food. Please, learn from my story and let’s Stop Being Sweet together!

February 28, 2010

Sugar Challenge: March 2010

Overview:

Get someone to join you and have a contest with them. Put something at stake, create a prize. Set the start. The end date is March 31, 2010 at midnight. Begin!

Details:

Have a contest with someone to see who can go the longest without eating sugar. Pick a start date and then avoid all sweets for one month (or for the longest time).

This will work best if the person is your partner, but can also work well if you are coworkers, roommates, or good friends.

Create a healthy reward promise in case both make it to the end of the month sugar-free. Something like a movie, a weekend getaway, a day off. Whatever works to motivate.

Let us know how you do!

Posted in Sugar Challenge on February 28, 2010 : Comments (4)

February 24, 2010

What If You Ate Sugar By Accident?

So, the other night, Gwenn and I made cookies. I usually make the dough (sugar-free) and then she takes her portion and adds chocolate chips. I add unsweetened carob chips to mine. That’s how we do. That’s what we did. All was well.

The cookies had been baked, removed from the oven, and cooled. In fact, we’d eaten some of them by the time I walked into the dark kitchen and reached for my last cookie of the evening. I picked up one of mine and took a bite only to find it was one of hers. Whoops! They look the same in the dark. It tasted like chocolate. It was sweet. I ate a bite of cookie with chocolate chips that were sweetened with sugar. But life goes on.

For anyone who isn’t a “sugar addict” you’ll think this is a silly post. Who the heck cares if I eat sugar? I agree.

For anyone who is a sugar addict you’ll understand that this kind of mishap is a dangerous spot where someone’s monkey mind might convince them that it was fate. The devil on your shoulder might tell you that you should roll with it. Perhaps go on a week-long sugar binge since you tainted your sugar-free stretch. Had I been two weeks into my sugar abstinence, I might have cracked.

My Point

The only way to stay off sweets is to stay off sweets. You have to stick it out. It’s all about choice — YOUR choice. The world works in mysterious ways and, given the fact that many major corporation in the food industry work 24/7 to put them there, sugary foods will somehow make it to your lips from time to time. Sometimes it’s by choice. Sometimes it’s by accident. Either way you have to roll with it. It doesn’t mean you messed up and have to “start over.” You already started. You’re on and you stay on. Just keep going and live in the now.

Posted in My Personal Journal on February 24, 2010 : Comments (2)

February 23, 2010

Peter Jennings Reporting: How to Get Fat Without Really Trying (video)

The following show is 43 minutes long. Peter Jennings investigates America’s obesity epidemic. It’s a wonder how some of the people interviewed in this video can sleep at night!

This video contains a big picture overview of the food and agriculture industry. It also features Rick Berman from the Center for Consumer Freedom. He’s been mentioned before on the SBS blog here and here.

Posted in Tips, Tricks, Info & News on February 23, 2010 : Comments (0)

February 22, 2010

It Doesn’t Go Away, But You Can Handle It

I went to a workshop yesterday. It was held at the host’s house, in the living room. As a courtesy, there was tea, coffee, and cookies in the dining room. They had several types of sweeteners for the tea including honey, brown sugar, agave syrup, and Stevia powder. There was also a plate with peanut butter Girl Scout cookies sitting just beside the teapot. And I wanted some.

Every time I went past the dining room I noticed the cookies. There were eight (I think) to begin and I watched them slowly dwindle down to one. I took the last one, gave it to Gwenn, and vicariously enjoyed it through her.

After being off sugar for a long time you will know better than to “just have one” because one turns into one more the next day. And then two the day after that. And then it’s all over!

So while your sweet cravings never completely go away, they certainly diminish and often remain dormant. When they do come out they’re not as strong as when you’re whole body craves sugar and it’s easy to stay on track.

One bite at a time.

Posted in Tips, Tricks, Info & News on February 22, 2010 : Comments (1)

February 16, 2010

Aspartame Is Now AminoSweet

You might know Aspartame as Equal, NutraSweet, Canderel, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. But you might not know that it has been rebranded as AminoSweet.

There are many controversies over the safety of Aspartame and if you check the AminoSweet link above you will see that they find the need to defend their product on their website. In fact, it almost seems their whole marketing relies on the defense of Aspartame. In the FAQ section it says:

What is the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for AminoSweet?
The average daily intake that is acceptable for aspartame has been set at 40mg per kg of bodyweight.

Do what you want, but I am going to continue to avoid all of these artificial sweeteners!

Check out the following links:

How Aspartame Became Legal - The Timeline

Aspartame rebranded as ‘AminoSweet’

Posted in Tips, Tricks, Info & News on February 16, 2010 : Comments (0)

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