Straight Up About the Sug...and Living Honestly

Ok, So just to make things clear, I am giving up the hardcore stuff. I am not by any means giving up sugar in order to lose weight or be super skinny or anything like that. I am actually trying to find my health again. With a new baby, a wonderful college-age stepson, a full and part time job, a husband with a full and part time job, and 2 dogs, I picked up some pretty unhealthy habits. I stopped exercising, stopped grocery shopping and started living on sugar and protein bars. Giving up the white stuff will help me make better choices (I hope!!). The goal is to eat more whole foods that can nourish my bod instead of making it wrinkly, tired, inflamed, and riddled with cavities.

All the while, I have been telling my clients to do everything that I don't do and then I lecture them when they don't do it. Oh, I am far from "holier than thou" and I certainly hope I never made anyone feel otherwise. So this blog is hopefully going to help me call myself out on everything I call my clients out on!!

What do I always tell people that I am infamous for not doing myself??

SLEEP - the bambino eats every 90 minutes all night long.

Eat Healthy - I just pounded a hot cocoa with chocolate covered almonds for dinner.

Take Time for Yourself - I don't know if I have shut the door to pee since I had my babe. Peeing at work is actually exciting.

Make "Couple" Time a Priority - We haven't had a "date night" in over 7 months.

Exercise - I used to run every day, do yoga every day, and lift weights AND I loved it. I haven't done anything in 7 months.

Be Responsible for Your Health - Okay, this I am doing. I just went to the Dr. after a raging headache for the past 3 months and realized I had a terrible sinus infection - I am on the mend thanks to antibiotics, had an MRI for a suspected stress fracture, went to the dentist to replace the crown that fell out thanks to a starburst (5 months ago) - I got a cleaning too! I am going to the eye doctor in 2 weeks and I have a physical in a month.

So hooray, I am doing one thing that I tell everyone else to do. Let's see if I can get back on track. If I can, I hope you can if you are off track. Being on track is better for everyone. Really it is.

So, no more of the white stuff for me - I have eaten almost all that we have in the house and feel pretty yucky!! I won't however be a nut job about it. No white sugar. No overly processed foods. If I have honey in my tea (bee-friendly of course!) that is okay. If the 10th ingredient in my salad dressing is sugar that is okay too. I am just trying to get away from my sugar habit and replace it with cleaner eating habits. So here is looking at tomorrow, a step closer to better health!!

Take Care of Yourselves. Really!

And, if you are a South Shore person, check out http://www.sustainablebraintree.org/food

This is Braintree's fabulous farmer's market - they rock and they are going to have a CSA this year!!! I haven't decided if I will do the farm share - I did one last year and sadly wasted a great deal of kale because I had no idea what to do with it. We'll see - it is a great thing to do!!

Frazzled Friday already!?!?!?!

Oh my goodness! I can't believe a whole week went by and I haven't written! It is probably because I am in a sugar induced coma thanks to Ellen Degeneres. I love her, I think she is funny, has a good attitude, and I am impressed that she is giving up sugar. I have tried to do that before and it is very hard. BUT, very good for you. Since I feel like crapola and can't stay healthy for more than one day at a time I have decided to give up the white stuff as well. I didn't want to waste food though, so I decided I would give it up after I used all the sugar we had in the house - and the car, my office, my pocketbook and my breast pump....

Let's start with the car. I like car treats. So, I always stock my car with delicious treats, such as Divine Fair Trade White Chocolate Bars with Strawberry crunchies. Oh my yumminess!! I like to have a square on my way to work - at 7am. Good way to start off the day!!

Then there is my drawer at work - Artificial banana to me is the most fabulous flavor ever created, so I tend to have an oversupply of Banana Turkish Taffy, Banana Laffy Taffy, Banana Splits by Necco (BEST Banana flavor ever!), and Banana Runts. My office also has an assortment of lollipops and hard candies. It is a wonder I have any teeth.

Then there is my pocketbook - not too bad, M&Ms and hard candy, and packets of the white stuff itself!!(In case my coffee doesn't have enough!

The breastpump has a little side pocket that is perfect for treats like bullseyes, starburst, and hershey kisses. I need my energy! This little dude is exhausting.

As if that weren't enough - there is home. Aside from the hershey kisses, M&Ms, Laffy Taffy, trail mix, chocolate covered almonds, ice cream, marshmallows, marshmallow fluff (you can never have too much marshmallow - or nougat while we are at it...), bubble gum, girl scout cookies, tollhouse cookie bars, chocolate chips, mint chips, and then the kicker - and this will give you a good idea of how much I love sugar:

My spice rack is actually a sugar rack. I dumped out all the spices, cleaned the jars, and filled them up with different colored sugars and sprinkles - much more useful and super cute!

So today I started to plow through the sugar. Samoas/Caramel Delights for breakfast, Banana treats for lunch, hershey kisses for a snack, M&M's and chocolate chips for dinner, thin mints with ice cream for dessert. I baked a bunch of cookies and threw the trail mix in, and I will give those to my neighbor. The taffy can go to the community room at work. The marshmallows I will save for future parties so I can make rice krispie treats. The bubble-gum can live in my husband's office. The white sugar I will save for guests. That leaves the ice cream.... I can't toss that - that would be some sort of heathenish act. I will donate that to my parents or make an ice cream pie for someone. And then the sugar will be gone. Oh, except for the sugar in my gummy vitamins.... I guess I'll have to try a new kind.

I will miss it in my coffee

I will miss it every day,

But going without sugar

Will make me healthy in every way!

HA. Couldn't resist. The sugar has made me hyper.

Hopefully I will be a more focused version of myself a few days from now once the sugar has gotten out of my system.

If you are interested in hearing more about Ellen's plight to give up sugar click here Sugar, Sugar. Oh, Honey Honey...Oh, and BTW, I am still researching friendly egg farmers!