Suga, Suga,...

So as I started Paleoing my eating habits a few weeks ago and overall it wasn't too bad. Like I said I had done a lot of research on it and felt prepared. I decided the best strategy would be to phase out foods one at a time over several weeks so I didn't freak out too much. I had a plan of attack that to me made sense, based on what I had been already used to eating and not eating.

Phase 1: Dairy

Easy enough. I haven't had milk in years, and have never been a big fan of dairy. Except for a really nice cheese...

Phase 2: Grains, Beans, Legumes, Soy

Again not a huge deal, the most I had was oatmeal, and occasionally quinoa or cous-cous. Hummus however, was another story.

Phase 3: Sugar

No more desserts. Okay. But then came the time to cut down on fruits. Lord Almighty, I didn't realize what a fruitaholic I am. I became so accustomed to noshing on fruit throughout the day, all day, it wasn't until now that I really realized how much I was eating. Fruit with breakfast, during the day as a snack, and then after dinner and late into the night. We're talking about 5-6 servings a day! Madness! And dried fruit, oh my goodness that was my ultimate weakness. I seriously could finish a whole pack of figs or dates. I'm starting to think it was my "healthy eating" that has kept me from losing weight all this time. Anyway as I started phasing fruit out I noticed that during the day it wasn't too bad, as I would have a few berries in the morning, but holy bananas, after dinner that sweet craving killed me! It was like a needed sugar in my mouth after dinner or I wouldn't be able to function. I even reintroduced dairy back into my diet to help with sweet cravings. Let me tell you though, a glass of milk is genuinely sweet. And not in a gross, sugary way. It really hits the spot late at night. If I really need a snack now, I'll have a few spoons of full-fat greek yogurt with cinnamon sprinkled on top. I know this is not ideal, but it works, and eventually I'll be able to phase this out as well as my body adjusts to not eating sugar.

About the whole not eating sugar thing. This illustrates perfectly what our bodies do with processed carbohydrates and sugar. Basically the body was designed to gorge itself on sugar anytime it was available (in the form of fruit or raw honey) because it was a scarcity. Sugar is in turn stored as fat. Not to mention, the processed sugar found in most foods has been shown to mess with sleep patterns, mood swings, and digestive habits in general. I highly recommend reading Sarah Wilson's journey of quitting sugar for a detailed explanation of what sugar does, it's effects and tons and tons of advice and ideas to cut out sugar.

Fruit, of course is still a healthy food and should be consumed in the place of regular desserts. But sugar is sugar and for weight loss, it is best to cut down on fruit as much as possible, and stick to berries instead. Most paleo sources recommend eating about 4-5 servings of fruit a week.


images : pinterest