Picture this - A beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky, and you are sitting on your back porch staring out at the mountains. Your lovely children play peacefully in the sprinklers, laughing, shrieking and running (did we mention they were playing peacefully) and in your hand you have a tall glass of lemonade, sweet and tasting of summer.
Okay, just kidding! 😂 It’s the middle of winter, the kids are fighting and throwing things at each other, you have been cooped up in your house for the past 943 days and all you want is a Pumpkin Spice Latte! You drag everyone kicking and screaming to the car and you drive to the nearest coffee shop to sit in line. You can almost taste the sweet, hot coffee and this small treat will surely pull you out of the winter blahs…Especially since you plan to ask for extra whip cream…maybe a caramel drizzle?!? 🤔
Let’s take a closer look at this one drink example, and think about what we are putting into our bodies. This information comes straight from the Starbucks website:
You are going to drink this 50g of sugar, and NOT feel so great immediately after. In about 20 minutes, you will also need to eat some real food, which means that by the end of the day, you will probably end up overeating by 380 calories (the amount in my your PSL).
For the next 5 weeks {and beyond}, you should be drinking it unsweetened. Most likely in 5 weeks your taste buds will adapt to unsweetened drinks--they likely have already started changing from the elimination of sweet treats this past week--and those sugarfied drinks will no longer be appealing. Your body is amazing and adjusts accordingly. The more sugar you eat, the more your body craves, but the opposite is true too! When you start taking sugar out of your diet, your body stops craving it. You might see some other bonuses too, such as improved energy and performance in the gym, clearer skin, and less bloating. Ummm, yes please! 🙋♀️ What’s to lose?
Oh friends, we are so glad you brought that up. Let’s talk a little bit about artificial sweeteners. “Sugar Free” is not without side effects. They may preach a lower calorie count (not worth it), but these artificial sweeteners are toxic for your body. Read your labels! The INGREDIENT labels, not necessarily the Nutrition Facts. This goes far beyond coffee. Do you use protein powder, workout supplements, chewing gum, vitamins, breath mints…the list goes on. Look at your labels and see what they use to sweeten these things. Do you drink energy drinks or juice? Flip that package over and see what they are sweetened with.
Sucralose (Splenda) is 600 times sweeter than regular table sugar. (3) Consuming these fake sugars just adds chemicals into your diet, and defeats the purpose of kicking a sugar habit. Our goal for you is to kick the need for sweetness, regardless of where it comes from. If you are at all familiar with the Whole30 Diet, you are probably familiar with how they refer to sugar cravings as the “Sugar Dragon.” The only way that you can get rid of these sugar cravings is to starve your dragon. (4)(5)
Many of you know and love fellow FGF Cd’A members, Amy Yardley and Amy Spolestra (Navigate Your Healing. Find them on Facebook!) Here is what Amy Y. had to say when asked her opinion on sugar substitutes:
"Sugar substitutes might seem like a great idea on the surface, but there are some hidden dangers that people should be aware of. One of the biggest dangers is that the sweet taste sends a signal to the body that something high-caloric is arriving and so the body prepares for that delivery. When a different food arrives, the body doesn’t process it efficiently because it wasn’t properly prepared. It’s like your friend asking you to come over to hang out and watch the game but when you get there, they want you to paint the kitchen instead while THEY watch the game. This constant ‘miscommunication’ between the taste buds, the brain and the gut can wreak havoc over time with hormones and insulin. Would you stay friends with someone who constantly lied to you about what you were going to do when you got together? I hope not!”
In a word, WATER! Buuuuuut don’t worry, we have you covered with alternatives for some common sugar-laden beverages:
Remember that we are all in this together! Let’s try to focus on how our bodies are feeling instead of wishing we had that PSL. Pay attention to the important things happening in your body and embrace it. Be mindful that the women around you are on this same 6 week journey. Encourage each other to work through these habit changes, and focus on all that is being accomplished!
http://www.farmgirlfit.com/shop/
