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Is life no fun without sugar?

Ilona Madden - RightFood4U - Nutrition Programmes - Bray Wicklow Dublin

Written by Ilona Madden

February 4, 2022

I often get the reply “But life is too short to give up sugar” or “Life’s no fun without the sweet things” or “Isn’t it boring not to eat any sugar at all?”

I used to ask those questions myself years ago, but that was when I was actually still addicted to sugar, but not even aware of it.

Today, I feel differently about it, as I have experienced how I feel without the sugar cravings, and without a huge amount of sugar in my life. I know I have more energy, can think more clearly and actually enjoy the sweet things in my life much more than I used to.

So my answer to the above questions is: “Life is too short to go through it feeling tired all the time” “Life is actually more fun when you are not driven by sugar cravings” “You can actually enjoy the sweet things in your life more!”

The thing is, I actually don’t need any willpower or discipline to avoid sugar at all. And, I do eat sweet things – there are certain desserts I just love such as Tiramisu or Chocolate Brownies and when they are on a menu, I will have them. And sometimes, I will have that cake when I’m visiting friends and family, but now it is by choice – and not because my cravings tell me to eat it!

I won’t say no to my mum’s homemade Christmas biscuits as they are part of Christmas to me, but I used to feel really sick when eating too many. When I started watching my weight, often, I felt guilty and gave out to myself. When I overdid it with sugar, my skin might break out and I felt really bad and ugly and just wanted to eat more sweets. When I felt lonely or sad, I needed to have something sweet. After a stressful day, I needed something sweet. But the pleasure was always very short-lived and 10-20mins later I felt even worse.

This was no fun! This didn’t feel like “life is not worth living without sugar”

I definitely do not believe in completely having to stay away from all sugary foods – unless there is a very definite health issue such as diabetes (or risk of) or other issues connected to sugar. Having to restrict yourself is no freedom. You might free yourself from the addiction to sugar, but you are still not “free” if you impose rules that are too strict on yourself. Again, unless there is a medical reason for it.

Where I do see an issue is when sugar determines your life and when you are no longer in control and feel that the cravings are driving what you eat – rather that YOU are making the decision.

So, as someone who has been through this journey and is now experiencing a much richer and fuller life since massively reducing my sugar intake, I would like to help you discover this feeling for yourself!

I would love you to be in charge of when and how much sugar you eat, rather than feeling guilty every time you are eating it.

I would love you to be able to say “no” to a piece of cake when you don’t really feel hungry without feeling “bad” or “deprived”.

It is possible to get rid of sugar cravings and sugar addiction – through the right foods and through the right coaching. I have tried and tested many techniques and strategies that work for myself and my clients, that I now would like to share with you.

The key starting point is to get your blood sugar back into balance and have alternatives. It is also finding out your WHY – why are you eating when you are not really hungry? We will be talking about mindful eating which in my opinion is absolute key. We will also be talking about meal planning because you know the saying “Fail to prepare – prepare to fail.” Although, with my programme, you can’t really fail. You are making your choices based on what you learn and what you feel is right for you.

Are you in?

My next “Eat Wellbeing” Training will start on 15th March 2022 coming up to Easter, so this year you can decide whether you really want to eat Easter Eggs or just leave it.

 

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