Give up sugar...you are crazy??

I cannot give up sugar. I hear it all the time when I suggest to my patients that sugar could be contributing to their joint pain. 

Constant debilitating fatigue, brain fog beyond belief, continuous bloating, looming anxiety, joint aching and a sense of crawling in my own skin.  That is how I felt day in and day out for 9 months.  So after feeling horrible for so long and hearing the scary words of Adrenal Fatigue, Hashimoto’s Disease and Thyroid Issues...I was willing to do anything to feel good...even give up sugar. 

The culprit for me was an antibiotic for an ear infection that I had that triggered Candida, a yeast overgrown in my digestive system.  Yeast loves sugar, right. Much like in baking we use sugar/flour  to help the yeast grow and flourish but having that yeast flourish in our digestive system means bloat, gas, diarrhea that leads to fatigue, joint aching and extreme bloating.

Sugar= inflammation.  Repeat that to yourself daily.  

Coming from a recovered sugar-aholic...sweet tooth addict… I know how hard it can be to think of giving up that thing you crave the most..  But it is destroying your gut and our gut is 80%  of our  immune system, 75% of our mood hormone production and everything for being healthy. 

A healthy gut is the secret to overall health.

So gut healing starts with removing the things that make for happy BAD gut bugs first then you can help the good bugs flourish.  

That means eliminating sugar from your life….sugar= inflammation always remind yourself of this and inflammation = bloat, joint pain, brain fog, etc.

It’s not easy but man is it worth the efforts.  

Tips for Eliminating Sugar:

1.  Flood your body with all the best ingredients. Less sugar does not mean less flavor or less enjoyable meals.  Focus on the many amazing foods you can eat. You can eat all the veggies, all the healthy fats and lean protein you want.  
2. Read food labels.  In particular check the added sugar part of the label and avoid foods with added sugar.  You don’t need it...sugar= inflammation...remember.
3. Fruit is a great way to enjoy some sweetness without adding a ton of sugar to your life. Frozen fruit blended in a food processor is a great ice cream like treat when you are looking for something sweet.
4. Try a natural sweetener such as monk fruit to add to your coffee, your desserts instead of sugar.  Its will be just enough to keep you from feeling deprived ( here is the one I love: https://thrivemarket.com/p/lakanto-classic-monkfruit-sweetener) 

Sugar is addictive to our bodies so if you are struggling it's okay.  You are not doing anything wrong.  You just need to keep pushing yourself to try your best and know that the beginning is the hardest, if you can get through the first week you will stop having the intense cravings and enjoy the sweetness that fruit has to offer.

 You have got this....feeling healthy, well and vibrant is on the other side of this journey...so keep that in mind.

Best Regards,

Shannon