My Surprising Experiments and Journey with Sugar.

 

Why I went on this journey:

 

I hurt my back and hips in the winter of 2012 and as a result of not being very active had put on fat around my stomach.  I had never had much fat here and it was quite a shock.  So when I felt better I went back to the gym with vengance.  In about 8 weeks my body was looking really good.  However the truth was I was in pain and sometimes a lot of pain and I was often tired.  Therefore I knew that this intense exercise regime was not serving me.

 

I already had a really good diet – I cooked all of my food using fresh produce, I eat no biscuits or cake, I very rarely eat dark chocolate or bread, I am allergic to diary, I like eating fish and I do not like crisps. Following the advice of other people I decided that I would give up carbohydrates – pasta, noodles and rice was about the only ones I was having anyway.  What I found was that I felt lighter in my self and the days that I did not exercise I felt more energetic.  However the days I did exercise I felt tired.  At the end of a one week period of eating no carbs I actually put on weight!  A few weeks went by and I then gave up carbs for two weeks.  At the end of it I had not lost or gained weight but I had put on body fat!  Plus I was spending at least 50% extra on my weekly food bill.  This was not working for me.

 

Inner Guidance:

 

Back in September when I was meditating my higher self said to me that it was time to give up eating sugar.  My practice is to accept what my Higher Self says and to stay in meditation and in acceptance.  At the end of the meditation I decided to think about what this meant.  My first reaction was ‘I don’t eat sugar’.  So I decided that I would look at what I had eaten in the last week.  What I realised is that I often used sauces in cooking that contain sugar – Chilli sauces and mayonnaise.  I eat very little tinned food but what I did contained sugar – soups and some fish.

 

I also knew that when I did eat bread I used to feel a sugary high and it was the same when I drank coffee.  I then came to the conclusion, I do not know if this is a fact but I suspect it is, that white food (bread, pasta, white rice and wheat noodles), coffee and alcohol is quickly and easily converted to sugar by my body.  Therefore to really give up added sugar I needed to give up consuming these foods as well.  I use the term added sugar because some foods contain sugar naturally, the obvious one is fruit (which I do eat, but I do not eat the really sugary ones like dates and prunes) and even some vegetables naturally contain sugar (like carrots) I eat all vegetables as I know that they are good for me.

 

The Journey:

 

After 5 weeks of being added sugar free I decided that I would have a cup of coffee with my nephew.  Within moments of finishing the coffee I felt like my heart was being squeezed and I felt a mental fog descend over me.  I was determined to go back to no added sugar.

 

In December a freind brought me a whiskey and coke, which is what I used to drink.  To be polite I started to drink it.  About half way through I said Im sorry that I am not going to finish it.  The next day I was on a day retreat at the Buddhist temple and I clasped after the second meditation.  What I believed happened was that my body was very alkaline from the clean diet I had and then the coke and the whiskey was acidic, then when I was meditating the body wanted to clean itself and I became very hot than clasped (the body gets rid of toxins by sweating and by breathing consciously).  After getting something to eat I was fine again.

 

I have to admit this worried me as I wanted to have the choice to have some alcohol over Christmas and New Year.  So what I decided to do was have a little before Christmas, when I was not going on retreat, to see how it would effect me.  I did not drink coke again as this is full of sugar.  I am glad to say that I was fine, however it took only one glass of wine for me to feel tipsy, but I have always been a cheap date 😉

 

The Result:

 

Over the Christmas period I have had a little of all the treats and alcohol.  What I noticed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day is how badly my digestive system was effected by eating food with added sugar, I was in a little pain and I felt full.  The next day I did not feel like eating as my stomach was painful, hard and felt full and bloated and at the same time I felt weak, like I needed to eat.  These completely opposite feelings felt really strange to me.  Then I realised that before I had given up sugar this had been a common experience for me.  It also explained why I would suddenly feel shaking and I knew I had to eat.  In the past I had dealt with this sudden urge to eat by either a). Eating small amounts of food regularly whether I ‘felt’ like eating or not or b). Carrying food with me so I could eat when I suddenly needed to.

 

My Conclusion:

 

This is how added sugar in food effects me (and probably You):

It is not until you have completely cleared your system of something and then you reintroduce it, that you can clearly see and feel how it effects you.

 

  • I do not know when I am hungry.
  • I feel confused and have a headache like foggy brain.
  • I wake up in the night feeling hot or uncomfortable and do not sleep well.
  • On the nights I do think that I have slept I wake up tired.
  • My stomach and digestive system hurts.  Sometimes the pain is very sharp below my liver.
  • I feel emotionally unstable and tearful, and reactive to little things.
  • I do not recover from exercise as quickly as normal.
  • I have pain in my legs, hips and lower back – I think that the swelling from the old injury gets aggravated. 

 

If you suffer from any of the above I would recommend giving up any food where sugar has been added to it for 3 to 6 weeks and then reintroduce it for a day or a meal to see how it effects you.  

 

I am back to no added sugar and in the New Year I will be completely added sugar free.  These are the Benefits of eating no added sugar foods, and the benefits get stronger the longer you do not eat no added sugar foods.  Give this a try you will love the benefits:

 

  • Clarity of mind.
  • An Abundance of energy and vitality.
  • Wake up in the morning feeling refreshed.
  • Have more energy at night.
  • Have a higher vibration and a greater Awareness.

 

A Useful Link:

Fat Chance: The biter truth about sugar.

 

 

Connect with Your Abundant Energy.

2 thoughts on “Connect with Your Abundant Energy.

  • December 31, 2013 at 12:42 pm
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    Hi Fiona Thank you for this. I too must lose some weight and have joined a health club for this purpose. Several months later I am exactly the same weight despite diets, exercise etc. Your message has inspired me to adopt a sugar free diet. I’ll let you know how I go on. Just wait till I’ve finished off this chocolate trifle though….

    Reply
  • December 31, 2013 at 12:58 pm
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    That is great Gill I know that it will work wonders for you. Take your time. You may want to cut out the obvious sugar first – chocolates, sweets, cake and snacks. Then all processed food. Then the food that creates sugar in your system as described in post. Then the food that contains added sugar that you would not think off – sauces, cold ham and other meats, tinned food.

    Reply

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