I Quit Sugar: Week 2

Week two was all about adding good fat and protein to my diet and continuing to cut back on fructose in preparation for week three’s big ban.

Fat and grease were collected during World War II,
then made into gunpowder. I spent the week searching for (good) fat
to eat, while in 1942 these kids in Roanoke, Va., spent their time
waiting in line to donate cooking fat.

Why the fat-protein combo? Sarah Wilson explains in “I Quit Sugar” that fat and protein fill us up, unlike sugar. There is no off button in our brains for sugar, a habit developed back when the cavemen were around. They would chow down on a berry plant when they were lucky enough to find one. Their bodies stored the precious fruit’s sugar as fat. That’s just how our bodies work, and unfortunately nothing has changed since the days of painting stories on cave walls.

Wilson’s point is this: Fat doesn’t make us fat; sugar does. We overeat sugar, the fructose turns to fatty acids, and then it becomes body fat. We don’t gorge on fat, so we can’t overeat so long as we listen to our bodies.

I continued to snack on spicy pumpkin seeds and cacao nibs, along with almonds and unsweetened coconut flakes. Avocados are full of healthy fat and I just love them, so I made sure I ate a few this week. I switched from whole wheat bread to rye, which has no sugar. It was a bit hard to get used to the flavor, but now my taste buds really like it! I also gobble down about two eggs a day. My roomie even had some troubles hard boiling eggs for deviled eggs so I took the rejects!

It may look like these girls are participating in a
sort of field day in 1952, but they are really rushing
to deliver my daily intake of delicious eggs.

Instead of my usual soy milk I tried coconut milk (I even had a coupon!). I’m almost done drinking it because it’s so delicious! When the coconut variety is gulped gone, I have a carton of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, which seems to have the lowest sugar content of the three milks. Wilson says in her book we want to find milk (that is the dairy kind) with less than 8 grams of sugar per 100 millilitres (or 100 grams). The first 4.7 grams are lactose, which is OK. Any sugar beyond that is added to the product. Wilson doesn’t talk about what amount of sugar is acceptable in lactose-free milks, but she mentions coconut and almond milk as good items to consume. I haven’t been a dairy milk drinker for years, so now I’m transitioning from soy.

These two Hawaiian tourists from 1933 enjoy drinking coconut milk
as much as I do. I’m not sure why the lady on the right decided to
try the walrus technique but I commend her for it.

I missed one day of yoga again this week because I was out of my usual routine working an earlier shift Tuesday. It honestly just slipped my mind! That happens when I am home on a weeknight and my roommate and I start watching YouTube videos.

I had a major food trial for week two:

• The Fourth of July. There was so much food! See the roommate’s post about the party we attended. Photos are included of all the delicious dishes (including her deviled eggs). I allowed myself four strawberries covered in white almond bark and blue sugar sprinkles. I had been looking forward to them for months! Other than those, I stuck to what I knew was low in sugar, thanks to my research up to this point. I just said “No” to alcohol and drank water flavored with lemon, limes and cucumbers, which I brought and everyone seemed to love — we refilled the container about five times!

These kindergartners dressed up for the holiday in 1932.
I wish I had had one of those dresses for the party I attended!
Those two girls and guys who were forced to hold hands
aren’t pleased about the situation.

Side-effects I’ve noticed:

• A couple of days of headaches. I’ve had about two days where my head hurts from the detoxing. Nothing a bunch of water and a Tylenol won’t cure.
• Lightheadedness. If I haven’t eaten in a while, I feel drained. I remedy this with some almonds, a cup of tea, or sliced chicken and cheese. Wilson actually encourages us to snack on good foods more often in week two to help curb the inevitable sugar cravings.

Changes I’ve noticed:

• Only bloated after sugar consumption. Those four strawberries did it. And all the water I drank on the Fourth.
• Sleeping so well!
• Clearer skin. I have had far less breakouts than ever, and when I do get one, it clears up faster.
• I eat less. Seriously! My portions are smaller at meal time and I can tell when I am full, which keeps me from overeating.

Bring on week three!

Filed under: Books, Health, News, almond milk, carrots, coconut milk, egg, fat, Fourth of July, fructose, I Quit Sugar, lactose, protein, rye bread, Sarah Wilson, soy milk, sugar, sugar addiction, sugar habit, World War II, yoga