Sugar No More!

"Give up sugar." Diabetics have to do it so why not me?

"Give up sugar as much as possible," said my Nutritionist. Gulp, was my thought.

She also told me to read the book,"The South Beach Diet." She didn't suggest I had to use the diet in the book, but she wanted me to understand more about processed foods, sugar, and carbohydrates. The first half of the book was how foods affect our digestive system. It was an eye opener for me and I was ready to make some changes.

I started by eliminating sugar from my diet as much as possible. I began reading the Nutrition Column on food products. I was surprised as to how much sugar is in all the processed foods I ate. Then if I added sodas and other drinks it could add up. My first decision was to try to only buy foods that had 5 grams or less of sugar content in them. It wasn't easy at first, but it became easier and easier as I continued to follow my plan. I soon knew what aisles to go to in the grocery store and what brands had what I wanted.

It became a game for me... Find processed foods with 5 grams or less sugar content. Of course there is lots of sugar in fresh fruit and fruit juices. I didn't worry about that in the beginning. I decided to do one thing at a time and stay focused on cutting down on sugar. That meant no artificial sugar either. You'll have to read "The South Beach Diet," to find out why.

I soon learned that you CAN do anything you put your mind to--even the foods you eat. You just need a strong enough motivation to do it.

Wishing you a happy, healthy life,
Joan Clout-Kruse
Celebrity Writing and Marketing Coach
(My real job at www.Words4Money.com)