Sugar Addict at Large...

Hello, my name is Whitney, and I'm a Sugar Addict. Or maybe a recovering sugar addict. Are you ever really recovering though? Because it's a slippery slope! 

I was hopelessly addicted to sugar. I used to pretend that because I was eating "organic" sugar or the "healthy" alternatives, that it was okay. That my body could differentiate between the real sugar and the "good for me" sugar. 

Every night after dinner, I would make a "healthy" dessert using one of the healthier sugar alternatives. I became really good at making a brownie in a mug in the microwave. I could literally make it without a recipe. It was bad. 

I suffered from hormonal issues, acne, sleep issues, mood swings. You name it and I suffered from it. But I had NO IDEA what my issue was.

Yes, I was naive. I knew what I ate affected me, but I didn't attribute it to sugar. I was eating "healthy" sugar, so how could that possibly have been causing my hormonal issues? 

I told you I was naive. 

The real kicker for me...the eye opener, I suppose...is the morning after I came out of my knee surgery. I was having the worst attack. My blood sugar was so low that I was seeing black and sweating and the nurses wouldn't give me anything to eat. Because to them, my blood sugar was registering insanely high. I had to basically beg them for food. 

And you want to know why? Ask me what I had for dinner the night before my surgery. Ugh.

It pains me to think about now, but I had made a plate full of "healthy," vegan chocolate almond butter cups. Think Reese's peanut butter cups, but they were healthy, dairy free, gluten free. So they HAD to be good! And let me tell you...I ate EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. All of them. That's what I had for dinner the night before my surgery. 

I can't even believe I did that. I shake my head at myself. 

But, it helped me see how hopelessly addicted I was to sugar. I started doing a lot of research on sugar and how it affects us. 

Did you know that sugar has the same affect on your brain as cocaine? Yep. Just think about that one for a second. 

So my first step after all my research was to cold turkey cut myself off from sugar. I did a 21-day sugar detox and within the first week, my face had cleared up! Like, no more hormonal acne. That I had suffered with FOR YEARS. 

I was shocked. Completely and utterly shocked. 

I realized that I relied entirely too much on sugar. It was a crutch for me. And it was a huge change for me to remove it from my life. 

Now, don't get me wrong, I still enjoy sugary treats every now and again. But I don't rely on them every night after dinner. I don't trick myself into believing that the "healthy" sugar alternatives aren't harming my body. I enjoy it every now and again, but don't over do it. I learned my lesson the hard way. 

Because you better believe that the "healthy" sugar alternatives affect your body just as much as real sugar. Your body doesn't differentiate between the two. Your body still reacts to the sugar, healthy or not. And the resulting sugar highs and then sugar lows affects your hormones, 100%. 

So if you constantly crave sugar or have hormonal issues or acne, reach out. It takes discipline to go through a sugar detox, especially on your own. I'd love to help you break your addiction and take back control of your diet and your hormones! 

Have a beautiful week! 

With love and wellness,
Whitney