The KInd Life Community Forum

Hi! I am new to the site. I just order the book from amazon and I am super excited about starting this new journey. My biggest concern/obsticle is sugar! Has anyone else had a really (and I mean REALLY) hard time giving up processed sugar? If so, what is some advice that helped get you through the really low points? I feel like I'm about to go through a drug rehab program!

Thanks!

Good luck to you, Kayleigh! This is one of the most difficult addictions to break, and sugar/carbs call to that unconscious part of ourselves that is good at hypnotizing the rest of the mind... even when you try to stay away, you'll find that you're having something sweet almost by accident. But I second Isabella: congratulations! Simply becoming aware of how tough it is, and admitting it, is a great first step.

If you can start trying stevia (I absolutely despise the raw version of stevia, I have to admit... a little processing like in liquid stevia doesn't seem too bad and goes a long way to improving the flavor). I use it in my daily cup of coffee, along with canned, fatty coconut milk as my cream; this has become a huge treat for me, almost like the ice cream I no longer have.

My sister regularly organizes week and longer sugar detoxes. Some of what she recommends is having READY little snacks, like apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon, some kind of sliced veggie to grab like celery sticks or cucumbers. When just backing off of sugar, it's a good idea to keep a special fruit like strawberries to chomp... there is sugar in fruit, but if you're not detoxing fully it'll go a long way to easing the craving while also giving you whole food benefits. My main point: you HAVE to have things prepared so that snacks are there, sort of like the pawns in a chess game that you can reach first when going for what you REALLY want (sugar). The snacks at the ready can act like both a wake-up call, and then also be the healthy thing that you actually have instead. Oh, she also recommends herbal tea to keep you busy, and also going to brush your teeth to avoid indulging; we're less likely to want to place chocolate in a fresh mouth!

Best Wishes!!

Alene

The sugar addiction is real and hard to break, until you have a health problem that prohibits sugar ( that's my story). Until my cancer diagnosis, I was in love with pastries and sweets and never imagined I could live without sweets. Afterwards, I stopped overnight as I learned cancer cells consume 15 times more sugar than healthy cells.

I realized it's amazing what we can do when we must...when our very survival depends upon it.

Best wishes to everyone,

Denise

Hey Kayleigh! Sugar can be hard to back away from, but not impossible. When you first start, you get that itch, but finding alternatives will help. Some people use sugar in the raw, which has little processing. If you want to really go naturally, you can buy pieces of sugar cane stalks. I go to alot of of ethnic/wholefood grocery stores to find them. It is sugar from its source. You can chew and taste the sweetness. I also grow stevia. The leaves are sweet. You can dry them, crush them to put in your cooking or teas. I like to go out in my garden and chew on a leaf. Sounds silly, but amazingly true.