Well its been a successful sugar free Lent season. I did pretty good at removing sugar from my diet and at breaking the need to have something sweet after lunch and dinner.
Honestly it was easier than I expected. I had been hurting so badly after eating sugar that I had an association between sugar/sweet and pain. So, while I had cravings it wasn't that bad.
I cut all High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) from my diet and any of it's siblings. And I tried to cut all regular sugar as well.
I knew going into this what stuff I was eating that had sugar or HFCS so it was easier to cut out. But I did run into a few things that had HFCS that I never expected.
For instance my bread had it, and we're talking whole wheat bread. Also Campbell's Tomato Soup. I was very surprised this contained HFCS! And disappointed.
So I've decided to start making (or have David do it!) better alternatives. I love strawberry jam but all store brands have HFCS or are super expensive. So when strawberries get in season we're going to go berry picking and make some homemade jam with some organic sugar.
I'm also hoping to get enough tomatoes from my garden to use to make our own tomato soup for the winter. And I need to look at making our own bread (we have a bread machine so it's not hard) instead of buying it from the store.
This time of cutting out about 95% of sugars (it's hidden) has shown me that I felt better, my skin even cleared a bit & I lost a few pounds, it's in EVERYTHING or at least anything that isn't grown, you have to really read the labels of your food.
I'm really glad I did this. We'll be much more intentional about what we put into our bodies now. I also realize that if I'm not careful about when I allow sweets in my body that it can get out of control.
I used to keep small candies (from Easter or Christmas that my mom gave us) in the freezer (out of sight usually) and would eat just one or two after lunch and maybe the same after dinner, every day.
I claimed to myself that it was only a couple of pieces at a time and eventually I was very addicted. So we will be limiting our sweets to the weekend only, and using organic sugar when we need to use it.
Honestly it was easier than I expected. I had been hurting so badly after eating sugar that I had an association between sugar/sweet and pain. So, while I had cravings it wasn't that bad.
I knew going into this what stuff I was eating that had sugar or HFCS so it was easier to cut out. But I did run into a few things that had HFCS that I never expected.
For instance my bread had it, and we're talking whole wheat bread. Also Campbell's Tomato Soup. I was very surprised this contained HFCS! And disappointed.
So I've decided to start making (or have David do it!) better alternatives. I love strawberry jam but all store brands have HFCS or are super expensive. So when strawberries get in season we're going to go berry picking and make some homemade jam with some organic sugar.
I'm also hoping to get enough tomatoes from my garden to use to make our own tomato soup for the winter. And I need to look at making our own bread (we have a bread machine so it's not hard) instead of buying it from the store.
This time of cutting out about 95% of sugars (it's hidden) has shown me that I felt better, my skin even cleared a bit & I lost a few pounds, it's in EVERYTHING or at least anything that isn't grown, you have to really read the labels of your food.
I'm really glad I did this. We'll be much more intentional about what we put into our bodies now. I also realize that if I'm not careful about when I allow sweets in my body that it can get out of control.
I used to keep small candies (from Easter or Christmas that my mom gave us) in the freezer (out of sight usually) and would eat just one or two after lunch and maybe the same after dinner, every day.
I claimed to myself that it was only a couple of pieces at a time and eventually I was very addicted. So we will be limiting our sweets to the weekend only, and using organic sugar when we need to use it.
I discovered a while back the hfcs in tomato soup and wheat bread. Target's Archer Farm and Orowheat whole wheat are the two brands that we buy when I don't make my own. Smuckers has a simply fruit jam that doesn't contain hfcs and actually sI aw a Welch's all natural jelly the other day. Cascadian Farms organic and Smuckers organic jams are my two faves. I would love to make homemade jam. That's all we used to eat when I was a kid because my grandma made it. Ahhh, the good ole days!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip on Target bread. We go to Target every week so this would work out good for me.
ReplyDeleteMy mom makes jam so we're planning on visiting a pick your own fruit place and stock up on strawberries (and plums if we can find them)to make jam with. I can't wait! I will probably pick up a organic brand at the store to tie me over till we get to make it.
Doesn't homemade jam just taste SO much better?!